Wife of Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith has never hidden her alopecia from which she has suffered for 5 years. She recently shared good news with her fans via her Instagram account: her hair is growing back.
An autoimmune disease, alopecia causes the person who suffers from it to lose hair and hair. This is the case of Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, who admitted to being affected by this pathology since 2018.
A new boyish cut
On an Instagram post, the director decided to share a before/after, in order to show the evolution of her hair growth. In a few months, she went from an almost white-shaven head to a short, blonde haircut. “This hair seems to be trying to come back. Problems persist, but we’ll see.” she comments. A publication that aroused the encouragement of its fans, judging it “beautiful in any cut“.
See this post on Instagram
Female alopecia: what is it?
Hair loss is not a phenomenon exclusive to men. Alopecia would affect about 16% of women. This disease is characterized by a consequent loss of hair but also sometimes hair on the body. It can cause partial or total thinning of the scalp.
In this case of significant hair loss, it may be alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia or a trichotillomanie. Alopecia areata, which Jada Pinkett Smith seems to suffer from, “is an autoimmune disease sometimes associated with other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis or vitiligo for example, this autoimmune reaction attacks the bulbs of the hair. We do not really know what causes it but we generally finds triggering environmental factors such as a viral episode, great fatigue or a psycho-emotional shock.explained dermatologist Marie Jourdan.
Unlike alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia is an inherited disease which is characterized by a decrease in hair density. Unlike alopecia areata, there are no hairless patches and it is not something that happens overnight. To recognize an alopecia areata from androgenetic alopecia, it’s simple: Alopecia areata is distinguished by patches on which the skin is completely smooth, there is no hair follicle, there is no hair at all. Androgenetic alopecia is a gradual decrease in hair density, starting at the top of the skull on favorable genetic and family grounds and sometimes associated with a particular hormonal balance.
Regarding trichotillomania, it is a psychological disorder where the subject triturates, rolls up and pulls out strands of hair, impulsively. The affected areas retain very short and fragile broken hair.
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Treatments for alopecia
After making a precise diagnosis with a dermatologist, you get an appropriate treatment. For the treatment of alopecia areata, corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, can be used locally, by injection or orally. It is associated with treatments that promote hair growth such as Minoxidil°. For more severe alopecia areata, we can turn to other immunosuppressants such as methotrexate.
To know that “the evolution of alopecia areata is very variable and depends on each individual. Most alopecia areata like the one Jada seems to suffer from can also resolve spontaneously in a few months when others will require local or general treatments.indicated Dr. Marie Jourdan. The evolution is nevertheless difficult to predict and the psychological impact can be very important”concludes the specialist.
