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What is alopecia, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss condition that Will Smith put in the spotlight with his Oscar slap? Its cause is unknown and it has no cure, but hair can grow back …

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Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia is in the spotlight after Will Smith’s Oscars slap, but what is the hair loss condition exactly? Photo: Reuters
Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia is in the spotlight after Will Smith’s Oscars slap, but what is the hair loss condition exactly? Photo: Reuters
Fame and celebrity

  • At the 2022 Academy Awards, Smith shocked the world when he walked onstage to slap Chris Rock, who made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s baldness, comparing her to G.I. Jane
  • Tyra Banks and Scream actress Neve Campbell are other A-listers who have struggled with the condition, and Pinkett Smith has spoken about it candidly on her Facebook series, Red Table Talk

For the past 24 hours or so, that epic Oscar slap has been the only thing anyone who’s anyone has been talking about. At the 2022 Oscars ceremony, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s baldness.
Will Smith hits Chris Rock on stage during the 94th Academy Awards. Photo: Reuters
Will Smith hits Chris Rock on stage during the 94th Academy Awards. Photo: Reuters

Pinkett Smith has an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata, which causes the immune system to attack hair follicles and leads to hair loss.

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Rock implied Pinkett Smith could be in G.I. Jane 2 – referring to the 1997 movie G.I. Jane, where Demi Moore shaves her head bald.

The Smith family, Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow, Will Smith, Jaden and Trey Smith at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony. Photo: EPA-EFE
The Smith family, Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow, Will Smith, Jaden and Trey Smith at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony. Photo: EPA-EFE

There is no cure for alopecia, and people with the condition may experience hair loss in large or small patches on their head and face, but it can also affect other parts of the body.

So what else do we know about the condition?

Alopecia is an autoimmune condition

Jada Pinkett Smith poses at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the huge drama during the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony. Photo: EPA-EFE
Jada Pinkett Smith poses at the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the huge drama during the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony. Photo: EPA-EFE

For most people with alopecia, there are no other symptoms aside from their hair falling out in small patches. The patches are usually round, about the size of a coin.

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