10 things people with alopecia want you to know

No, it’s not contagious – nor does it mean you have cancer

Jada Pinkett Smith attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (Getty Images)

In the aftermath of the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars, the hair loss condition that Jada Pinkett Smith struggles with is in the spotlight.

Pinkett Smith, who has kept her head shaved since last summer due to alopecia, was the subject of a joke made by Rock while he presented the award for Best Documentary on Sunday night.

In an apparent reference to her bald head, Rock said: “Jada. I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you.”

After the comedian’s comments, Smith walked up onto the stage and struck him in the face, later shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.”

Although Pinkett Smith’s only reaction to the joke was to roll her eyes, she has previously spoken candidly about her alopecia.

During an episode of her podcast, Red Table Talk, the Gotham star recalled how “terrifying” it was to be losing “handfuls of hair” when the hair loss first began.

Last year, she decided to shave her head after an inspirational talk with her daughter, Willow Smith, because it was “time to let go”.

Jen Chambers, a spokesperson for Alopecia UK, says: “Hair generally is not seen by many as important, until they lose it. It’s something that for most, is just part of us.

“We take it for granted. Whether you’re the guy known for his big bushy beard, or the woman known for her amazing red curls. These things become part of us. We encompass them into our sense of self, our identity.

“But hair can be lost, and when it is, it can feel like you have lost yourself, or at least a significant part of yourself. We can play around with wigs and make-up (easier for women than men), we can blend in, but at the end of the day, that all comes off and you are still faced with this self, a self that might not feel like ‘you’.”

Here are 10 things thatpeople from the Alopecia UK community really want you to know about the condition.

Alopecia isn’t cancer

“A bald head doesn’t equal cancer! I’ve been asked directly and indirectly – my husband was asked – how my treatment was going… I didn’t even know what they were asking at first.”

Much more than just hair is lost

“It you can feel like you’ve lost your identity. I still don’t recognise myself in the mirror. It feels incredibly overwhelming.”

The mental health impact of alopecia can be massive

“The mental health side of things: lack of confidence, worry and stress.”

It’s not contagious

“Don’t pity me or treat me like I’m contagious.”

Wigs are expensive

“Yes, wigs mean you can change style/colours easily, but they’re expensive and don’t last forever.”

We don’t want pity, but some empathy would be appreciated

“It is upsetting, it’s unpredictable and I want people to be a bit more empathetic really. Hair loss is like a grief you have to work through.”

There is no known cure

“It is a spontaneous condition. There is no definite pathway or definite ‘cure’, but it need not define you nevertheless. Acceptance is key.”

None of the following are helpful:

• “It’s only hair”.
• “Don’t be so stressed”
• “At least you’re not dying”

It’s unpredictable and that can be really challenging

“It’s such an unknown from diagnosis onwards, you literally don’t know when your hair will fall out, how much you’ll lose or if/when it’ll grow back.”

It’s rude to stare

“It’s also pretty rude to ask questions… including from children (some people don’t mind, but others do). Not everyone feels the need to wear a wig, but that doesn’t mean we are OK with people staring or asking questions.”

Alopecia UK works to improve the lives of those affected by alopecia through aims of support, awareness and research. For further information please visit alopecia.org.uk.