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Knightley lost her hair due to alopecia brought on by hair dying. She lost strands of hair for five years and had to wear a wig until it stopped in 2015.
Banks experienced alopecia areata, the medical term for spot baldness due to stress.
After Davis wrapped up the final season of 'Sex and the City,' she experienced hair loss due to alopecia. She eventually was helped by Volaire hair-volumizing products, which she later became a brand ambassador for.
The actress experienced postpartum alopecia after the birth of her son in 2011. She suffered hair loss again after undergoing MS treatment.
Campbell lost most of her hair due to alopecia caused by people roughly handling her hair. Luckily, most of her bald spots have since grown back.
Rosie O’Donnell tweeted about her struggle with alopecia and hair loss.
Former Little Mix singer Jesy Nelson lost her hair due to stress-triggered alopecia when she was around 13.
In 2021, 'Glee' star Lea Michele revealed that she experienced postpartum alopecia.
Lake experienced hair loss for most of her adult life, which had profound negative effects on her. At some points, she became depressed. An important part of rising past it for her was shaving her head.
The actor had to wear a wig for the filming of the final installment of 'Twilight' because he had lost chunks of hair, brought on by dying it over and over again.
The 'Little Britain' star lost all of his hair due to alopecia over one summer when he was six.
The Oscar-winning actor has also had his struggles with alopecia.
The 'Barry' actor hid his alopecia for most of his life. Eventually, it developed into alopecia universalis (complete loss of hair on head and body). He's accepted it now, and his unique look has landed him many roles.
Sources: (Healthline) (HealthResearchFunding.org)
See also: Bald celebrities when they had hair
Even the actor who played Superman had alopecia. In fact, he combed his hair over to cover the bald patches.
Some agents can be applied to the scalp to promote hair growth. An example would be a specific kind of corticosteroid cream.
Light therapy is a form of radiation treatment that combines oral medication called psoralens and UV light.
It’s always wise to address the possible cause of it, such as constantly dying your hair.
Oral treatments are being used too, such as immunosuppressants, which attempt to stop the immune system from killing hair follicles in the first place.
It can result in total hair loss, commonly referred to as alopecia universalis, which prevents hair from growing back.
Another way in which hair growth is stimulated is tiny needles being injected in and around a bald patch, with steroids introduced to promote growth.
It’s an autoimmune condition. Our immune system is essentially mistaking our hair follicles for a foreign invader (like a virus) and goes on the attack. It’s suspected to be genetic, much like many autoimmune diseases.
There are a number of alternative treatments, too. These range from aromatherapy to acupuncture.
Some people start by avoiding sugary drinks and fatty foods to decrease inflammation.
Over five million people in the US have it.
Women wear their hair long more often than men, so it could be argued it's harder for them to deal with.
The secondary psychological effects of the condition shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s really hard for people to deal with. It can knock their confidence.
However, there is hope: it’s rarely permanent. Depending on what the cause of the alopecia is, hair can grow back. Several celebrities have had it.
Jada Pinkett Smith started opening up about her alopecia in 2018 but it was the Chris Rock's joke at the 2022 Oscars followed by Will Smith's impulsive reaction that brought the issue into the spotlight. Addressing the incident, she stated that she hopes that the "two intelligent, capable men" involved will be able to talk, heal, and reconcile. While most people were more concerned with the slap than the subject of the joke, one positive result was that it raised awareness of alopecia and started a wider conversation about the condition and its impact. “Considering what I’ve been through with my own health and what happened at the Oscars, thousands have reached out to me with their stories,” she revealed.
Ashley Tisdale posted a video to Instagram on Jan. 11, 2023, revealing that she was struggling with alopecia. The 'High School Musical' star opened up about her recent issues with stress-related hair loss with the hope of making others with alopecia feel less alone. She went into further detail in an essay on her health and beauty website, Frenshe. "A couple of months ago, while simultaneously moving, starting a home renovation, and kicking off a TV project, I noticed that a patch of my hair was starting to fall out," she wrote. "Nothing major—just a small section behind my ear—but still, it was happening, and not for the first time. A few years ago, the same thing happened when I was overly stressed, so I knew exactly what I was experiencing: alopecia."
Tisdale went on to describe her preferred methods for managing the condition, which for her, starts with managing her stress levels. "Eating with a focus on gut health also helps me thrive," she explained. She also stressed the point that self-care has to be a priority for those dealing with alopecia.
Viola Davis has suffered from alopecia areata since she was 28 years old. She's had to wear wigs over the years.
How much do you know about alopecia? Did you know, for example, that there are different forms of alopecia? For instance, alopecia areata is a condition where the hair falls out in small patches. The patches can connect to make someone fully bald. Essentially, the condition forms when the immune system attacks hair follicles. This hair loss can not only occur on the scalp, but the face and other parts of the body as well.
To learn more about alopecia and discover the other celebrities who have dealt with it, click through this gallery.
A couple of months after the debacle, Pinkett Smith centered an episode of her show 'Red Table Talk' around alopecia. She opened up about her own experience with the condition and invited a medical expert to explain the different forms it can take. She also invited the mother of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life after being bullied for her hair loss. They discussed how alopecia can, particularly for Black women, alter a person's perception of themselves as they grapple with external expectations about beauty, gender, and race. “I think the part that makes it most difficult for me is that it comes and goes. You’re going through a spell of something, and [you’ve] got to shave your head,” Pinkett Smith explained.
Alopecia and the celebs who've struggled with it
It's more common that you might think
CELEBRITY Hair loss
How much do you know about alopecia? Did you know, for example, that there are different forms of alopecia? For instance, alopecia areata is a condition where the hair falls out in small patches. The patches can connect to make someone fully bald. Essentially, the condition forms when the immune system attacks hair follicles. This hair loss can not only occur on the scalp, but the face and other parts of the body as well.
To learn more about alopecia and discover the other celebrities who have dealt with it, click through this gallery.