Hair loss: Women speak of the pain of going bald

Jada Pinkett Smith attends the Oscars on March 27, 2022

Hair loss among women is painful, depressing and embarrassing, according to Jada Pinkett Smith and other celebrities who have gone public with their feelings.

The subject has rushed into the public consciousness after Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock for making a joke about Pinkett Smith's lack of hair at the Oscars.

"It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear," the actress and director said on her online show "Red Table Talk."

Democratic Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, who went public with her diagnosis in 2020, took to Twitter on Monday.

As Hollywood inches towards a healthier balance between female beauty ideals and the lived reality, more actresses have begun speaking out about the impact of losing their hair -- due to stress, hormonal changes after giving birth and even Covid-19. 

Alyssa Milano, who says she lost her hair after being infected with coronavirus, said it had affected her whole sense of self.

Actress Ricki Lake wrote on Instagram in 2020 that she had struggled for her whole life with hair loss.

Oscar winner Viola Davis said she had tried to hide the effects of her alopecia with wigs.

"I never showed my natural hair... I was so desperate for people to think that I was beautiful."

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF) called Monday for more people to learn about the condition.

"It can be unpredictable and cause significant physical, emotional/mental health, psycho-social, and financial burdens –- and there is no cure, effective treatment or standard of care," the NAAF said.

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