More women have it than you’d think — including these celebs
Though often associated with men, hair loss in women and nonbinary people is more common than you’d think — even among celebrities.
Hair loss is completely normal. According to a 2018 study, one in four women experience some sort of female pattern hair loss by the time they reach 49 years old. Fifty percent of women experience some form of female pattern hair loss by the time they reach 79 years old.
Hair loss became even more common during the pandemic; Losing hair after COVID is one of the virus's most common symptoms.
Regardless of why you’re experiencing hair loss, in any form, remember that you’re not alone. Even celebrities, with higher access to medications and hair extensions to hide their hair loss, experience hair loss.
It’s a completely normal experience, and while you may feel discomfort, it doesn’t change how beautiful you are. To show that you’re in good company, we’ve compiled a list of famous celebrities with hair loss.
Jada Pinkett Smith
The Girls Trip actress has been extremely transparent about her alopecia since first speaking about it in a 2018 episode of Red Table Talk.
"It was terrifying when it first started,” she said. “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?'”
At the 2022 Oscars, comedian and host Chris Rock referred to Smith’s hair loss in a joke, leading her husband to comment on live TV. Following the incident, the actress dedicated an entire episode of Red Table Talk to sharing people’s stories on alopecia.
“There's so many people walking around who have alopecia that we don't even know. So I felt like it was so important to just allow the alopecia community, our brothers and sisters, to tell their story,” she said.
Khloe Kardashian
The Kardashian had COVID-19 early on in the pandemic in March 2020 — when much was still unknown about the virus. In an interview with Refinery29, the reality star revealed that she experienced hair loss from COVID and lost her hair in “chunks.”
“I actually lost a great deal of my hair,” she said. “I was really bummed — you don't feel good about yourself.”
With patience, collagen supplements and DIY mayo hair masks, the Kardashian says her hair grew back stronger & thicker a year and a half later.
Viola Davis
Like thousands of other women, Viola Davis has experienced alopecia. In an interview with Vulture, the actress revealed that she lost half of her hair to stress-related alopecia at the age 28.
“I woke up one day and it looked like I had a Mohawk,” she said. “Big splash of bald on the top of my head.”
Davis said she began wearing a wig everywhere — whether that be while in a jacuzzi or while working out or just hanging out in the house. It took her a while to allow herself to wear her natural hair. Now, her natural hair is “an option … when it used to never be an option. I had something to hide.”
Tyra Banks
Hair loss from stress is fairly common. While writing her book “Modelland” in 2011, this top model’s stress reached such a high that she started to experience hair loss, according to an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
“How can I say this without tearing up? I got a little alopecia from the stress,” she said. Luckily, stress shedding is typically temporary.
According to a dermatologist who spoke to MSNBC, “When the body recovers from stress, hair will get back up to its normal ... ratio of growth over time."
Kristin Davis
Contrary to what fans might think, Davis did not just wake up with Charlotte’s Sex and the City hair. In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, the actress said that her hair started falling out almost immediately after the famous show wrapped.
“My hair just was not what it used to be. It was very fine, like it had gone away, there just was hardly any hair there,” Davis said.
Alyssa Milano
Like many others, the actres experienced hair loss after having COVID-19. In a video posted to her Instagram, Milano opened up about her experience, showing how chunks of her hair would fall upon her brushing it.
“Thought I’d show you what COVID-19 does to your hair. Please take this seriously,” she wrote in the caption.
Kiera Knightly
Though you’d never be able to tell, Knightly has suffered from hair loss after years of dying her hair different colors from films. In 2016, she told InStyle UK that she’s been wearing wigs ever since to hide her fallen hair.
“It got so bad that my hair literally began to fall out of my head!” she said. “So for the past five years I’ve used wigs, which is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to my hair.”
Selma Blair
The Legally Blonde actress is just one of the 40-50% of women who experience postpartum hair loss, according to the American Pregnancy Association. After giving birth to her son Arthur in 2011, Blair said she began to notice chunks of her hair falling out in the shower.
In 2018, the actress then began chemotherapy treatments to battle her multiple sclerosis (MS) — hair loss becoming a side effect. Blair’s been really open about her hair loss experience on her Instagram, writing “Of course it fell out. Shiny. Pale dome. Nice enough. It took two months to begin regrowth And it came in fine and pale and very sparse.”
Experiencing any form of hair loss or hair shedding can be an extremely uncomfortable time for anyone. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone in your experience, and there are veritable resources available to help you in your hair growth journey.
Let us follow along in your hair journey by tagging us on Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest, Twitter & Facebook and use the hashtag #INHBabe!
