How Alopecia Areata Disease Become Highlight of Oscar Awards Ceremony 2022

Alopecia is not a new disease but Alopecia was less known among common people around the world. The recently held Oscar awards ceremony is the main reason why Alopecia is in the limelight. Chris Rock was the presenter for the Oscar Award and during the ceremony, he mentioned Jada Pinkett Smith in his comments and mocked her shaved head.

Due to Chris Rock's comment, Jada Pinkett Smith's husband Will Smith got offended and went to the stage and slapped Chris Rocks. Later Will Smith warned Chris Rock not to talk about his wife.

Jada Pinkett Smith’s condition is called Alopecia areata. Jada Smith has suffered from this disease past 4 years. Due to Alopecia areata disease, Jada Pinkett shaved her head and was mostly seen wearing a turban during her public appearances.

The National Alopecia Areata Foundation and American Academy of Dermatology describe the disease as an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss on the scalp and elsewhere. The condition causes an individual's immune system to mistakenly attack hair follicles, which leads to hair loss.

There are usually one or more small, round, smooth patches at the beginning. A man or woman of any age and any race can develop the disease, but it is most common in children. Those who have been affected by this condition see their hair follicles shrink to a minute size, slow down production, and grow no hair at all for many months or years.

Affected areas are usually the scalp and beard, but any hair-bearing site can also be affected alone or in combination. In some cases, bare patches are only temporary and grow back within a year. Another example is extensive patchy hair loss, and in a few cases, all of the hair on the scalp or the entire body is lost. Whatever the extent of the hair loss, the hair follicles are still alive and ready to go back to normal hair growth as soon as they receive the appropriate signal. There may be regrowth of hair even after many years without treatment.

Alopecia Areata disease can be classified into three main categories which are as follows:
 

• Patchy Alopecia Areata: Patchy Alopecia Areata is the most common form of Alopecia Areata. The Patchy Alopecia Areata causes hair loss in coin-sized patches on the body and scalps.
• Alopecia Totalis: In Alopecia Totalis disease people mostly lose all their hair on the scalp.
• Alopecia Universalis: Alopecia Universalis is the rarest condition or disease a person can have. In this, there is a complete loss of hair on the face, scalp, and rest of the body occurs.

When a person is affected with Alopecia Areata disease, it generally affects hair only, but in a few cases, there are certain changes have been observed in the nails too. People who are affected by Alopecia Areata disease normally remain healthy and don't show any other signs other than the above-mentioned.

An individual with alopecia areata typically experiences loss of round or oval patches of hair on the scalp, but hair loss may also occur on other parts of the body, such as eyebrows, eyelashes, or the beard area in men. A small number of short broken hairs or exclamation-point hairs are often visible on the edges of the patch, particularly at the base. These bare patches usually do not show any signs of a rash, redness, or scarring. People sometimes experience tingling, burning, or itching on skin patches just before their hair falls out.

People who have more extensive hair loss may develop ridges or pits on their nails as a result of hair loss.

The immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles in alopecia areata, which causes inflammation. Though studies are not able to understand the exact reason behind the immune system's attack on hair follicles. They do think that it may be due to genetics and the environment.

Generally, doctors diagnose alopecia areata disease in the following ways:

• First of all, doctors will examine the hair and nails.
• With the help of a magnifying glass, the doctor will examine the hair and the opening of the hair follicle.
• Doctors will enquire about previous medical and family history.
• The doctor may ask for blood tests and a skin biopsy.

Because Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune disease, there is currently no cure. There are few other options for hair regrowth. The most commonly recommended treatment for the illness is corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory medications, which suppress the affected person's immune system.

They can be administered orally, intravenously, or via local injection. Hair vitamin tablets and some hair serums are also helpful. PRP (platelet-rich plasma) has recently been shown to play a role in wound healing. Despite the fact that certain medications can aid in hair regrowth, the individual will continue to experience random patches of hair loss.

It is not possible to prevent Alopecia Areata disease as the reason behind this disease is not known yet. The autoimmune system's attack on hair may be due to many factors.

This may be because of other autoimmune conditions and a family history of the disease. So it's hard to prevent this condition.