Jada Pinkett Smith is celebrating a major transformation amid her struggles with alopecia.
The 51-year-old actress took to Instagram on Monday, August 7, to share photos of her hair growth. “This here hair is act’n like it’s try’na make a comeback,” Pinkett Smith wrote alongside before and after selfies of her crown. “Still have some trouble spots but — we’ll see.”
In the first snap, which Pinkett Smith said was from the “past,” she could be seen rocking a buzz cut. In the second image from the “present,” Pinkett Smith sported a blonde pixie.
Pinkett Smith has been candid about her experience with alopecia since revealing her diagnosis on a May 2018 episode of her Facebook series, Red Table Talk.
“It was terrifying when it first started,” she said at the time. “I was in the shower one day and had just handfuls of hair in my hands and I was just like, ‘Oh, my God, am I going bald?’”
Pinkett Smith explained that she had been wearing a turban to cover up her hair loss, revealing that it had not been an “easy” topic to discuss. “It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear. … That’s why I cut my hair — and why I continue to cut it,” she said. “I just had [thought], ‘OK, I think we’re gonna do another layer of cutting,’ you know? And my hair has been a big part of me. Taking care of my hair has been a beautiful ritual, you know? And having the choice to have hair or not, then one day to be like, ‘Oh, my God, I might not have the choice.’”
Alopecia is a condition that can affect an individual’s scalp or entire body and can either be temporary or permanent, per a description from the Mayo Clinic. It is often the result of genetics, hormonal changes, medical conditions or aging. Signs include gradual hair thinning, patchy spots or sudden loosening of hair.
Pinkett Smith went on to proudly embrace the condition at the 2022 Oscars — but she found herself at the center of controversy that same evening. Chris Rock — who hosted the ceremony — joked that he was excited to see her in a potential G.I. Jane sequel, seemingly referencing her shaved head. While Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes at the comment, her husband, Will Smith, stormed the stage and slapped Rock across the face. “Leave my wife’s name out of your f—king mouth,” he said.
Smith — who took home the trophy for best actor that night, issued an apology one day after the awards show and later announced his decision to resign from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science. The organization conducted its own investigation into the altercation and ultimately banned Smith, 54, from all Oscars events for 10 years.