Some types of alopecia are a disease

A medical condition that causes hair loss sprang into the spotlight after the March 27 Academy Awards, when comedian Chris Rock made a joke about the shaved head of actress Jada Pinkett Smith. After Rock’s joke, actor Will Smith, Pinkett Smith’s husband, walked onstage and slapped him.

Soon after, some social media users expressed skepticism that the hair loss is due to an illness.

"Alopecia isn't a medical disease; it's an aesthetic one," read a March 28 post on Facebook. 

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

The term alopecia broadly refers to hair loss from any cause, including normal aging, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Some types of alopecia, such as alopecia areata, are an autoimmune disease, a type of illness that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks part of the body, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Featured Fact-check

Viral image

stated on March 17, 2024 in a Facebook post

Image shows “chaos unfolds on Senate floor — Chuck Schumer rushes out.”

Pinkett Smith has alopecia areata. It’s unclear whether Rock knew about Pinkett Smith’s condition, the Associated Press reported.

Alopecia areata is "a disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles, often on the scalp or face, but sometimes on other parts of the body," the AP reported. "Sometimes hair falls out in chunks and only partial baldness results. Sometimes hair grows back but repeated bouts of baldness can also occur."

It is not life-threatening, but there is no cure.

The statement that alopecia "isn't a medical disease" contains an element of truth — the term alopecia broadly refers to hair loss from any cause, including normal aging. But the claim ignores critical facts: Some types of alopecia are an autoimmune disease.

We rate the claim that alopecia isn’t a medical disease Mostly False.