Jada Pinkett Smith has experienced hair loss because of the autoimmune disorder alopecia, which affects the hair follicles, causing hair fall and bald spots.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes your hair to come out, often in clumps the size and shape of a quarter, according to WebMD. The amount of hair loss is different for everyone. Some people lose it only in a few spots. Others lose a lot.
The 50-year-old has been vocal about her hair loss for years, first revealing the information in 2018 on her Red Table Talk series.
She said at the time, “A lot of people have been asking why I’ve been wearing turbans. Well, I haven’t talked about it. It’s not easy to talk about, but I am going to talk about it.” She said it “was terrifying” to deal with it initially.
Pinkett Smith shared, “I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands and I was just like, ‘Oh my God, am I going bald?’” It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking in fear. That’s why I cut my hair, and why I continue to cut it.”
In December 2021, she said in an Instagram video, “Now at this point, I can only laugh. Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. Look at that.”
“So it just showed up like that and this is going to be a little bit more difficult for me to hide,” she continued. “So I thought I’d just share it so y’all are not asking any questions.”
Pinkett Smith also revealed that at one point, she was taking “little steroid injections” to mediate her alopecia issue. In 2018, she said in a video post, “They seem to be helping, but not curing … but I’m open to other ideas.”
Last July, the actress debuted her shaved, crediting her daughter Willow, 21, for inspiring her to make the transition. She said, “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go. BUT … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed.”
