The story behind the slap at the Oscars • alopecia areata – the disease that causes Will Smith’s wife to go bald
Over the years, the Oscar ceremony has known a lot of dramas and provocative moments, but there is no doubt that the slap given by Oscar winner Will Smith to host Chris Rock will top the list.
Alopecia areata – alopecia areata
Behind the drama that took place on the stage of the most important ceremony in the world of cinema, is an uncommon disease, but now it has definitely made headlines – Alopecia areata, She’s Luca Jade Smith, Will Smith’s wife, for years causing her to lose her hair.
The immune system attacks the hair follicles
“Alopecia AratE is an autoimmune process that is manifested when the immune system attacks the hair follicles because it recognizes them as a foreign factor“, Explains Prof. Amos Gilhar, who heads a clinic that provides innovative treatments for alopecia at Rambam, and who heads the Technion’s skin, hair and aging research laboratory and is involved in researching the disease and deciphering its mechanism.
Prof. Amos Gilhar:
The hair follicle has a unique defense mechanism, just like important body systems in the human body, such as the uterus and eyes. This defense mechanism indicates an important role of hair in ancient man. In cases of alopecia areata there is in fact a collapse of all the unique defense mechanisms of the follicles followed by a migration of the cells of the immune system, which mercilessly attack the hair follicles.
Genetic outbreak
Alopecia areata erupts on a genetic background, and can develop at any age, but especially in childhood and regardless of gender.
According to experts, the phenomenon is observed mainly in the form of loss of scalp hair in a round area or in round areas and in about 90% of cases self-growth of hair is observed.
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Smith spoke openly about the disease
In about 10% of cases you can expect massive hair loss and extensive baldness on the scalp or alternatively complete loss of scalp hair and the whole body. The younger the onset of the phenomenon, the more likely it is that baldness will spread. It was this fear that led actress Jeddah Smith to remove her head hair completely and talk openly about the disease from which she suffers.
Less in Scandinavia, more in Japan
““About 2% of the general public may suffer from the disease.” Prof. Gilhar notes, “When the observations indicated that the phenomenon of hair loss occurs mainly in dark-haired people, less so in light-haired people. Indeed, the phenomenon is rare in Scandinavian countries and is more common in Japan.”
The connection to anxiety and depression
Other parameters that may affect people with the disease are the effect of mental stress cases, which many believe serve as a catalyst for the development of the phenomenon among those who have a genetic background. At the same time, many sufferers of the phenomenon report anxiety and depression.
Is there a cure?
“Until recently, a unique treatment for the phenomenon was not available“, Says Prof. Gilhar, who among his many patients are also those who suffer from the problem, and emphasizes: “In recent years, a new, largely revolutionary treatment has been identified and is still in the clinical trial stages. To date, these treatments have been found to result in hair growth in approximately 70% of all patients.”
