Jada Pinkett Smith reveals surprising struggle

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith has revealed on her Facebook show “Red Table Talk” that she suffers from alopecia and it is causing her to lose her hair.

Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

Pinkett Smith, 46, star of “Girls Trip” and the classic “Set It Off,” said that she was in the shower one day and noticed that her hair was coming out in clumps, TMZ reported. Pinkett told fans that she was “literally shaking with fear.”

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Pinkett Smith also said, “My hair has been a big part of me. Taking care of my hair has been a beautiful ritual.”

The actress, who is married to actor and rapper Will Smith, said her battle with the disorder is the reason she’s been wearing turbans lately. In January, she began wearing an asymmetrical bob.

Doctors have not been able to pinpoint the cause of the alopecia, but friends believe it is stress, Pinkett said.

Pinkett Smith said she has tried several different ways to mask her ordeal, first cutting her hair short and then experimenting with hair wraps and turbans, Page Six reported.

“When my hair is wrapped, I feel like a queen,” she said.

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Pinkett Smith co-hosts the online Facebook program with daughter Willow, 17, and mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris. They refer to it as a multi-generational family talk show.

Pinkett Smith is executive producer along with Ellen Rakieten and Miguel Melendez, TheGrio has reported.

Alopecia causes hair loss not only on the scalp, but also the face and other parts of the body, according to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation.

As many as 6.8 million people in the United States are affected and people have a lifetime risk of 2.1% of contracting it. Most often, the ailment first appears in childhood. It affects people of all backgrounds. Treatments available include oral and injectable medications, the foundation reports.

Pinkett Smith recently observed her 20^th anniversary of being married to Will Smith. The couple shut down rumors that they were headed for an expensive divorce.