Jada Pinkett Smith celebrates hair growth while continuing to battle alopecia
Jada Pinkett Smith, diagnosed with alopecia, announced her hair is making a comeback in a social media post celebrating her new hair growth.
Jada Pinkett Smith is making a comeback; well, at least, her hair is.
Over the years, the “Red Table Talk” star has been very open about her battle with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. The actress first revealed her diagnosis in 2018 and has since become an advocate and inspiration for those with alopecia.
This week, Pinkett Smith is celebrating her recent hair growth. On Monday, she shared two selfies via Instagram showing off her hair’s progress, which she captioned:
“This here hair is act’n like it’s try’n a make a come back. Still have some trouble spots, but — we’ll see. Slide 1: Past Slide 2: Present.”
While Pinkett Smith is proud of her hair’s progress, she is just as proud of her bald head, despite others’ opinions. During the 2022 Oscars, Pinkett Smith, her husband, Will Smith, and comedian Chris Rock became a hot topic after Smith slapped the comedian for making an insensitive joke about Pinkett Smith’s hair loss. Coined “the slap heard around the world,” the moment sparked social media debate and inspired other women with alopecia to share their stories.
“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,” Pinkett Smith said months after the award ceremony in an episode of “Red Table Talk.” She went on to say, “I’m using this moment to give our alopecia family an opportunity to talk about what it’s like to have this condition and to inform people about what alopecia actually is.”
Following the incident, Pinkett Smith continued to speak out and speak up for her fellow bald sistas. From posting selfies to informally declaring “Bald is Beautiful Day,” the “Girls Trip” star has been candid about her struggles with her unexpected hair loss.
“My hair has been a big part of me,” she said, per People. “Taking care of my hair has been a beautiful ritual, and having the choice to have hair or not. And then one day to be like, ‘Oh my god, I might not have that choice anymore.’”
Publicly sharing the vulnerable moments of fear and insecurity, Pinkett Smith also used her platform to uplift other women regardless of whether they have alopecia. Through “Red Table Talk,” Pinkett Smith and her co-hosts, daughter Willow Smith and mother Adrienne Banfield-Norris, openly discuss the power that can come from the bold choice to go bald.
“The great thing about it is as a woman, as you get older, you start to take your power back, and everything you do is for you,” Pinkett Smith said on an episode of the show. “I only have time to care for myself and love for myself for me and who I want to be, not who people want to see me as, not for how people think I should be, all of that. I did the first half of my life immersed in all of that. This next half, get with it, and part of me shaving my head was me marking that moment.”
Ultimately, as the actress continues to navigate the unexpected changes that can come with alopecia, she is laughing through it and maintaining a positive attitude.
“Me and this alopecia are going to be friends,” Pinkett Smith wrote on Instagram. “Period!”
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