What is Alopecia?
According to WebMD.com,
Alopecia (aka Alopecia Areata) is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss
wherein large clumps of the person’s hair spanning the size range of a quarter
or larger falls out leaving a bald spot or multiple bald spots. Hair loss
amount, size of bald spots and location of bald spots may vary from person to
person. Some of the hair may grow back in. Hair may then fall out in other
areas. And hair just might fall out permanently. What is happening, as far as
doctors know, is the immune system attacks the hair follicles leading to this
mysterious phenomenon. Right now, no one knows what causes this to occur. In their article, VeryWellHealth.com
states that Alopecia Areata affects almost 2% of the population in the United
States. They also advise that 2/3 of women experience some form of hair loss (perhaps
the type that is temporary due to external factors and extreme circumstances).
But, according to HarvardHealth.edu, whose article was more specific, explained that 1/3
of women experience Alopecia some time in their lives. Among women that
experience menopause, 2/3 of women in this subgroup will experience Alopecia.
Who Is Susceptible?
Referring back to WebMD.com, people that tend to have one or more of the following have an increased chance of having this disorder:
- A family member who has it
- Asthma
- Down Syndrome
- Pernicious anemia
- Thyroid disease
- Vitiligo
Women and Awareness
If you are a woman reading these facts with me, did you know
about this? I ask because although I was aware of this condition through my
life, I never explored this topic too deeply because I just didn’t want to
know. The thought that it could happen to me was all too much to think about
and overwhelming, so I never bothered to look into it any more than I had to
out of fear. And I just thought that I should consider myself lucky if
something like this does not happen to me at all. If it did, maybe I’ll just be
too old to care. So, why bother court disaster and start looking into it? It
held no meaning to me, no sympathy or empathy, no significance and I just
wanted to keep it that way until now. I am now aware how important it is to
spread awareness on important topics such as this and to move past my old ways
of thinking that held me back as a human being on becoming more knowledgeable
and compassionate towards others and their unique experiences and situations.
On these matters, woman to woman, I feel that I shouldn’t have to directly
experience this disorder firsthand before I educate myself to understand how
someone else would feel in this situation.
Jada’s Bald Reality Televised
Jada Pinkett-Smith was diagnosed
with Alopecia since 2018 and has bravely decided to be open and share her
diagnosis with her audience and the world to give this disorder a face for the
women that suffer in silence and in shame from a disorder that can be highly
emotionally detrimental to ones mental health and wellbeing. Since we as women
are so emotionally attached to our hair, this disorder is just humiliating and
embarrassing to have to go through. Also, we have been taught by society that
hair is synonymous with femininity. Long flowing thick mane of hair is timeless
and is found highly desirable. This is why hair care products are a huge business
and prevalent amongst most women. Personally, that is why I still have
discontinued hair care products that I keep around and don’t throw away because
I remember which ones worked fantastically for important events in my life.
Even if you are a woman that can’t be bothered with her hair (I’ve now evolved
into this stage for better or for the worse), you are still keenly aware of its
importance to a woman and society. I am pointing all of this out because of the
sad and surprising reaction I witnessed from seeing the video segments online.
And I don’t mean her husband’s reaction. I am referring to Jada’s reaction.
When the joke was initially told, she became visibly annoyed and resorted to
rolling her eyes.
Her.
She.
Okay, let me repeat that one more time but with fuller
detail. She, Jada Pinkett-Smith rolled her eyes! Big time multi-talented
actress, talk show host, producer, screenwriter, singer, mother, stepmother,
wife, companion, friend, daughter, and businesswoman, seven time nominated
Daytime Emmy Award winner allowed herself to feel something in that moment to
roll her eyes. Did you know she even wrote a children’s book that was #2 on The
New York Times Best Seller’s List? And of course, not to mention that she is
beautiful. But in that moment, when that bad joke happened, none of that
mattered. She was as vulnerable as the rest of us. One might ask “how could
that be?” because you would perceive her as having a heck of a lot more than
the average person could ever dream of. The Alopecia did not just expose the
obvious in that moment but also exposed her insecurities as a woman with the
struggles of not only managing and maintaining the level of being a successful,
strong, independent, and confident woman reflective of this very vicarious,
hectic and modern time but somehow maintain her femininity too and in a public
forum heaping with toxic judgment every step of the way. The more successful
you are the more transparent you become. People want to know “why you?” and why
not them. You are up for discussion no matter how much privacy you try to
preserve. So yes, in that very moment when that bad joke was told because it
was indeed tasteless (not even up to Chris Rock’s usual level of humor), it got
to her. In that moment the things that
she had been building towards and putting together to be that strong evolved
woman who was feminine too was in question and being openly and haughtily judged.
The joke got to her because she is human and even with all of the wonderful
things she has in her life, she could still be hurt. Now I pose new questions for
you to ponder, if that one joke can affect such an accomplished woman, what
about the average woman with Alopecia? How does she feel about dealing with the
humiliation and absurdity of this disorder that can single handedly rob women
(good women) of their dignity and grace with just the uttering of a bad joke or
a terse phrase? What about her and what can we do for her?
A lot of the articles that I have read are absolutely right.
The televised slap, the anger, the drama, and idle gossip that erupted in the
aftermath of the situation is overshadowing the opportunity to educate others
about this disorder so that we can help others that are emotionally suffering
and let them know that no matter what it will be okay. Your self-worth, value,
and femininity as a woman and as a person is not wrapped up in your hair.
Signs of Alopecia Areata
As a woman if you think that you might have Alopecia but are
unsure, look out for the following:
- Unusual bald spots on your body besides your scalp.
- There are multiple bald spots (size increases and might even merge into a bigger one).
- Hair loss occurs rapidly (and seems to happen all at once or overnight).
- Cold weather seems to exacerbate the problem.
- Check the state of your finger and toenails. (Are they red, brittle and/or pitted?).
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, don’t be
afraid or hesitate to make an appointment with your family doctor immediately
because hair loss could also be a symptom of a different kind of health disorder
or health issue. You won’t know until you go!
Article Resources
In the face of true ignorance: Be aware. Be supportive.
I find that the best kind of education is from multiple
sources to increase one’s understanding on a specific topic. So please feel
free to not only read my blog article but also consider reading the articles
below that I obtained my facts from and utilized to form my opinions.
Alopecia Areata
Medically Reviewed by Hansa D. Bhargava, MD on September 10,
2020 https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/alopecia-areata
Jada Pinkett Smith's hair loss, noted at the Oscars, is a
struggle for many women
By Anastasia Tsioulcas https://www.npr.org/2022/03/28/1089133964/whats-behind-the-slap-will-smith-gave-chris-rock-at-the-oscars
Treating female pattern hair loss
By Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/treating-female-pattern-hair-loss
Hair Loss and Thinning Hair in Women
By Tracee Cornforth https://www.verywellhealth.com/hair-loss-in-women-3520761
Overview of Fibromyalgia Hair Loss
By Adrienne Dellwo https://www.verywellhealth.com/hair-problems-in-fibromyalgia-715709
How Jada Pinkett Smith is uplifting Black women with
alopecia
By Claretta Bellamy https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/jada-pinkett-smith-uplifting-black-women-alopecia-rcna11273
Please feel free to check it out and don’t be afraid to
reach out to me and let me know what you think!
I’m always here for
you when you need me to be!
Until next time… Keep it Fired up Superstar!™
Comments
Post a Comment