Why Is Everyone Talking About Alopecia?
Last night, Will Smith single-handedly made the Oscars worth seeing again. And by single-handedly, of course, I mean the single open hand he hit comedian Chris Rock with . I could go on joking, but Twitter is all over the place.
No matter how you feel about the quarrel, the event begs the question: what does all this have to do with alopecia?
If you haven’t watched the 94th Academy Awards and haven’t been following the action on Twitter yet, here’s what you need to know about slapping, slapping , alopecia and how they’re all connected.
The slap was watched all over the world
Capital Slap (not to be confused with the NBC drama miniseries of the same name ) was, uh, handed out in response to a joke told by The Rock during the Oscars for the documentary Dest for some reason. His hero was actress Jada Pinkett Smith, the wife of Best Actor nominee (and eventual winner) Will Smith. “Jada, I can’t wait for GI Jane 2,” Rock chuckled. I admit I didn’t understand why this was supposed to be considered funny because I was told it was a “before me” reference. Thus, I yield to Lifehacker Associate Editor Joel Cunningham , who is very old:
“You see, when we still had a monolithic cultural zeitgeist, you could know one thing about a subject and that was all you needed to know. To star in G.I. Jane, famously beautiful actress Demi Moore had to shave her head; once you write that down, you’ll be able to understand Jay Leno’s monologue for the next few years and save the time it actually takes to watch G.I. Jane (124 minutes).”
The punchline to Rock’s joke, which was no doubt written by the writing team and not by Rock himself, was Pinkett Smith’s bald head. After slapping The Rock, Smith cleared up any confusion in his actions by saying from his seat , “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” He then won an Oscar for Best Actor and delivered a tearful emotional speech in which he kind of apologized for his actions. What did you achieve last night?
So how does this relate to alopecia?
We’re not here to argue about whether the slap was justified. For the purposes of this article, all you need to know is that The Rock’s joke was written at the expense of Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, whoever wrote the joke may or may not have known that it is related to the autoimmune disease alopecia, which causes hair loss. Explaining why the mere fact of pointing out that a woman is bald is an Oscar-worthy joke also requires historical context. As my deputy editor explained again:
“Demi Moore won Worst Actress Razzie for G.I. Jane because back then you could publicly shame a woman for her appearance and everyone would laugh at it freely, not like today when… oh wait.”
Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her struggle with alopecia for which there is no known cure. On a 2018 episode of Red Table Talk, she spoke of the “terrifying” moment when she first noticed she was losing “handfuls of hair” in the shower. Pinkett Smith has since taken to Instagram to further destigmatize her condition with captions like, “Me and this alopecia will be friends… period!” Although it was not his intention, Roca’s no-nonsense act did much to raise awareness of the condition, which was trending on Twitter and in Google search results after the ceremony.
What is alopecia?
When people talk about alopecia, they usually mean alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. Hair loss usually occurs as round or oval patches on the scalp. It can also affect eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial hair.
Who gets alopecia?
Everyone can have alopecia areata. According to NIAMS, it affects all racial and ethnic groups and all genders equally. Although onset can occur at any age, most cases begin in the late teens, twenties or thirties.
What causes alopecia?
Researchers don’t fully understand what causes the immune system to attack hair follicles, causing subsequent hair loss, according to the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS).
Genetics likely play a role: The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) reports that 10% to 20% of people with alopecia areata have a family member who has it, but notes that “because many people try to hide hair loss, this percentage may be higher.”
How is alopecia diagnosed?
Many people experience some degree of hair loss as a result of aging, changing hormone levels, and various environmental factors. To confirm that hair loss is in fact due to alopecia areata, AAD says your dermatologist can diagnose you with a physical exam and ask you a few questions about your symptoms.
Since hair loss can be caused by a number of conditions, a dermatologist may do additional tests to rule out other causes.
Living with alopecia
While there is no cure for alopecia areata, there are several treatments for the condition, such as steroid creams and injections. Other treatment options include over-the-counter hair growth products, anti-inflammatory drugs, and the use of platelet-rich plasma to stimulate hair growth. Many people choose to wear a wig to hide hair loss.
Hair is a personality-laden, emotionally-laden issue. Chris Rock should understand this, given that he helped make a documentary that explores the importance of hair in black culture. Pinkett Smith’s openness regarding her struggle with alopecia has been embraced by many other people living with the condition . Hair loss can be extremely frustrating for the person experiencing it, but the visibility and self-acceptance that Pinkett Smith embodies can help ease this struggle for others. It doesn’t really sound like something to laugh at, but maybe if I was around to see Jane’s soldier in the theater, I would understand.