Aside From Jada Pinkett Smith, These Are The Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Dealing With Alopecia

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks hair follicles, resulting in hair loss. Individuals who contract this disease can lose hair on any part of their body.

However, this condition typically affects a person's head and face. Generally, hair loss occurs in round patches, which are about the size of a quarter.

There are also cases where hair loss happens on a larger scale. People with this condition do not expect damaging symptoms.

In fact, individuals who develop it are typically healthy. The extent of hair loss varies from one person to another.

Some bouts of hair loss may persist for the rest of a person's life, while others may only experience a few episodes of alopecia.

Doctors and those suffering from this condition cannot predict when recovery is possible. It is impossible to cure this disease.

However, hair treatments have been developed to facilitate hair growth, and resources are available for people with this condition.

These sudden changes in one's physical appearance can be mentally painful, especially for prominent personalities such as Hollywood stars.

Today, we're looking at Jada Pinkett Smith and other celebrities who have admitted to having alopecia. Let's find out how they're coping with this disease.

Dealing with hair loss isn't easy, even for Hollywood stars.

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Jada Pinkett Smith is one celebrity who is particularly open about the challenges of hair loss.

The USA alone has 6.8 million cases of alopecia, and Jada isn't the only celebrity dealing with this condition.

@jadapinkettsmith / Via instagram.com / Instagram: @bexxfrancois

Jada shared her struggles on the talk show, Red Table Talk.

It was one of those times in my life when I was literally shaking with fear... Even in my terror and in that moment of just thinking, ‘Oh, my God, why are you so terrified that you might lose your hair?’ I really had to put it in a spiritual perspective, like, the higher power takes so much from people. There are people out here who have cancer, people who have sick children. I watch the higher power take things every day. And, by golly, if the higher power wants to take your hair, that’s hair? When I looked at it from that perspective, it really did settle me,Arturo Holmes / FilmMagic / Getty Images

Jesy Nelson was only a teenager when she started experiencing hair loss.

I was probably about 13 when my hair just started coming out. Stress can cause alopecia, and it wasn’t pleasant. I got picked on because I’ve always liked to dress differently. I’ve never really wanted to fit in with everyone else.Karwai Tang / WireImage / Getty Images

Viola Davis was shocked to discover that she was losing hair in her late 20s.

I woke up one day, and it looked like I had a Mohawk. A big splash of baldness on the top of my head.

Initially, she didn't feel comfortable in her own skin. Eventually, she decided to stop using wigs and embrace her true self.

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Neve Campbell's condition stemmed from being stressed and overworked in her early 20s.

At 23, I developed alopecia. I was horribly overworked and going through a divorce. Additionally, I had stalkers and started receiving threatening mail. I was so distressed by it all that my hair started falling out. Life hasn’t always been a bowl of cherries.Tasos Katopodis / WireImage / Getty Images

Tyra Banks experienced hair loss at one point in her life.

Honestly, chilling for me was eating a meal. I couldn't just look at the ocean. In hindsight, that wasn't healthy. How can I say this without tearing up? I developed a little alopecia from the stress.

Banks said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

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Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley admitted in 2020 that she had been dealing with alopecia for several months.

I did not want to go to sleep because I did not want the morning to come when I would remove this bonnet and my wrap and be met with more hair in the sink and an image in the mirror of a person who increasingly felt like a stranger to me.

She said in a video by the political and cultural YouTube channel, The Root.

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Kiera Knightley experienced hair loss due to dyeing her hair too frequently.

I have dyed my hair virtually every color imaginable for different films. It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out! So for the past five years, I’ve used wigs, which is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my hair.

Knightley shared in a 2016 interview.

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Naomi Campbell developed the disease from using hair extensions excessively.

She also ended up with bald spots on her head. Fortunately, it grew back when she started taking better care of her hair.

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Alyssa Milano started experiencing hair loss after becoming stressed from battling COVID-19.

I thought I’d show you what COVID-19 does to your hair. Please take this seriously. After one brushing, this is my hair loss.

She told people in an Instagram video.

For Ricki Lake, it took almost three decades before she could finally admit that she has alopecia. Hair loss was a part of her adult life.

In my case, I believe my hair loss was due to many factors: yo-yo dieting, hormonal birth control, radical weight fluctuations over the years, my pregnancies, genetics, stress, and hair dyes and extensions. Working as talent on various shows and movies, whether DWTS or my talk show, also took its toll on my fine hair.

Lake shared in an Instagram post.

@rickilake / Via instagram.com

Christina Milian experienced postpartum hair loss.

I have always taken pride in not being the girl who leaves hair in the shower. Like, you're not going to find my hair all over the soap. Well, I became that girl... It's a really disheartening experience. I had times when I wanted to cry because I wasn't sure if I'd ever have my hair grow back again.

Milian shared with people. She eventually found products that helped with her condition.

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Just like any other chronic disease, alopecia areata causes mental and psychological strain on individuals.

And celebrities aren't immune to the effects of their condition. The sudden physical changes in their bodies can lead to feelings of depression.

You can't help but admire celebrities who, instead of living in fear, decided to create awareness by admitting that they have the disease. It shows people that they're not alone in their journey to treat their condition.