Oscars Fight Highlights for Many the Toll Alopecia May Carry
March 28, 2022 — Yesterday’s Oscars were the hottest topic of conversation.
Troy Kotzur became the first deaf person to win an Oscar – and a highly coveted award for Best Supporting Actor.
But what happened next may have eclipsed everyone.
Onlookers and audiences watched in awe as actor Will Smith marched across the stage and punched award-winning comedian Chris Rock after joking about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, for her shaved head.
Pinkett Smith has publicly shared her battle with alopecia areata. A condition in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles. It can also be stigmatizing for many and can lead to feelings of depression or mental illness.
The result is hair loss that can range from quarter-sized patches to loss of all hair on the head or even the entire body. Approximately 700,000 people in the United States suffer from alopecia areata. according to a 2020 study. Just over half are women, and more than 77% are white. (To learn more about alopecia areata and hair loss, click here.)
The incident set social media on fire, and strong feelings erupted from those who have personally suffered from alopecia.
Illness is never funny
Rock’s comment could trigger millions of people suffering from hair loss, says Carolyn Goh, MD, a dermatologist at UCLA Health.
“As someone with alopecia, I consider this a microaggression,” Guo says. “I have heard many such comments. They accumulate over time and wear us out.”
One Instagram user from the UK, kitty drysays that Pinkett Smith’s facial expression represents the pain that many with this condition experience.
“I want to preface this post by saying that I in no way condone any violence. But thanks to Will Smith,” says Dry, 23, who was diagnosed with alopecia Universalis after losing all her hair in 12 weeks.
” Dry says, “This slap was for anyone with alopecia which has ever been the victim of an unwanted joke, comment, or stares,” Dry says.
Others have posted comments raising awareness of the tragic passing of Rio AllredA 12-year-old girl with alopecia who committed suicide last week.
Allred has been severely bullied at school, with classmates ripping off her wig and hitting her on the head. according to Alopecia Areata Foundation of Canada.
According to Amy McMichael, MD, professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Wake Forest Medical School. The people suffering from hair loss often feel helpless and sometimes confused.
These people must see a board-certified dermatologist know they’re not alone.
“As dermatologists, we can not only diagnose the type of alopecia. But also provide treatment,” McMichael says.
Alopecia awareness
Dermatologists can also help connect patients with organizations that address those with hair loss’s physical and emotional problems. Such as the National Alopecia Areata Foundation and the Scarring Alopecia Foundation, according to McMichael.
She hopes yesterday’s event will show people the “many facets of hair loss” and show that these conditions can occur in people of all ages, nationalities, and genders.
The National Alopecia Areata Foundation calls what happened at the Oscars a “teachable” moment.
“We call on our community and the general public to learn more about alopecia areata. So we can end the stigma surrounding this disease,” the organization said.
Guo says that anyone experiencing hair loss should be free to research potential medical causes and seek mental health treatment if necessary.
