New Delhi: Hollywood star Will Smith made global headlines after he slapped comedian Chris Rock on the face on stage at Oscar night on Sunday for making fun of his wife, Pinket Smith, and his shaved head. The joke was about Pinkett-Smith’s severed head due to an autoimmune disorder alopecia but apparently not well with Smith, who went on stage and slapped Rock. This phenomenon has focused on alopecia – a medical disorder that leads to varying degrees of hair loss.Also read – Billy Elish’s dramatic train launches meme-fest on the internet, fans post loofah pics and say ‘Belize loofah era’ – check tweets
Rock, presenting the Best Documentary Award with a short comedy routine, compared Pinkett Smith’s tightly cut hair to Demi Moore’s appearance in the movie “GI Jane” and made an inadvertent joke suggesting that she appear in a sequel. Her husband Will went on stage and slapped Rock. Returning to his seat, the actor said, “Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.” Also read – List of Oscar 2022 winners: Will Smith & Jessica Chestian Best Actor – Best Actress, CODA Bags Best Picture
Smith, who later won the Best Actor award, apologized tearfully on stage, saying, “Love will make you do crazy things” because his wife was sitting in the audience watching. Also read – Oscar 2022 Most Dramatic Dress Award Jada Pinkett For Her Big Green Gown – Don’t Miss Diamond Jewelry – See Photos
What is alopecia?
Alopecia is an autoimmune condition in which immune cells attack the hair follicles, causing hair loss. Dermatologists and hair care experts from Delhi to Mumbai agree that this disorder causes hair loss, often affecting the “self-image and self-esteem” of sufferers.
Mumbai-based dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon Dr. Sonali Kohli said that there are many types of alopecia, which largely depend on the degree of autoimmune disorder. The most common type is “Alopecia areata”, which is found in one in about 1,000 people.
“In this type, there may be one or more patches of hair loss and it can happen to both adults and children. Alopecia is a genetic disorder, so children are more likely to have it, even if it is from one of their parents, but the degree of susceptibility may be different, “she told PTI.
Types of alopecia areata
- Alopecia areata – one or more patches of hair loss and leads to both adults and children
- Alopecia Totalis – when the entire scalp becomes bald)
- Alopecia areasis – when there is hair loss in the occipital, temporal and parietal regions of the scalp
- Alopecia Universalis – When hair loss occurs throughout the body
How does alopecia affect a patient’s mental state?
Kohli said he was aware of what happened during the Academy Awards ceremony when actor Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage after he joked about thick Pinket-Smith.
She said that unlike diseases such as cancer that wreak havoc on a patient’s body, the condition is such that it affects a person’s “beauty” and “self-image” due to hair loss, and while in the case of alopecia areata, some people wear a cap or something. Is, and in the case of Alopecia Totalis, many wear wigs or herpes, making people aware of their image.
The incident has revived the cause of alopecia, with many doctors saying it is also present in some Indian celebrities, but they generally do not acknowledge it in public, as “actors in India are considered equal to God”.
What causes alopecia?
Dr. DM Mahajan, Senior Consultant, Dermatology, Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, said that both men and women are equally susceptible to this condition. The doctor informed me that one type could be male-pattern alopecia or baldness or female-pattern alopecia or baldness. Also, non-scarring alopecia is “reversible” but scarred alopecia are “not reversible”. “Also, people who have a specific allergy are more susceptible to it,” the doctor said.
Dermatology consultant at Fortis Hospital at Vasant Kunj, Dr. Rashmi Sharma said that while alopecia areata is mostly an autoimmune disorder, depression, anxiety and stress can also exacerbate it. “Everyone has a two per cent risk of developing the disorder, or one in 1,000. And, both men and women are equally sensitive, as are adults and children, ”she said.
How can alopecia be treated?
Doctors said that its treatment may be the use of local ointment or intra-laser steroid injection, among other interventions, depending on the varying degrees of the disorder.
(With agency inputs)
