Jada Pinkett Smith Explains Her Decision To Shave Her Head

Jada Pinkett Smith is rocking a new hairstyle? Not long ago, that wouldn’t have been huge news – after all, the actress was famed for constantly refreshing her look. But this time it’s different: Jada has never looked like this before. And why did she do it? Well, the answer to that question could shock you...

Owning the look

We hope you’re ready! Anyway, for the last few years, you might’ve noticed that Jada has been obscuring her hair in front of the cameras. Yes, the Hollywood star is often pictured wearing some stylish headscarves, owning the look on her Instagram page. What’s under all that fabric now, though?

Hair-free

Honestly? Not that much. Scratch that, actually – there’s nothing at all. We’re serious! Yep, Jada is completely bald at the moment, with her daughter Willow Smith revealing her mom’s new style on social media in July 2021. It’s quite the departure from some of the actress’ past looks on the red carpet, right?

No stranger to the shave

Now the Smith family aren’t strangers to braving the shave. For instance, Jada’s husband Will Smith rocked a bald head when playing the DC Comics character Deadshot in 2016 movie Suicide Squad. And their son Jaden followed suit around three years later, but his trim took place in a very public setting.

Public stunt

You see, Jaden was in the middle of a gig in Canada when he decided to shave his head. The stage essentially became his barbershop, as the crowd watched on in August 2019. We can only imagine their surprise. As for his sister Willow, she’s also known for her dramatic haircuts.

Making a statement

The first of those took place in 2012, with Will looking back on that particular surprise in 2016 via a Footnotes video clip released to accompany a new Jay-Z track, “Adnis”. He said, “We came downstairs and [Willow] had shaved her head bald. She shaved her head bald in the middle of her ‘Whip My Hair’ tour.” As it turns out, this had been Willow’s way of protesting against a decision she hadn’t liked.

Actually supportive

Yes, after Willow had informed Will that she didn’t want to finish the upcoming gigs, he had pushed her to carry on. So the determined 11-year-old starlet then decided to grab a razor and say goodbye to her hair. How had Jada reacted, though? Well, the actress was very supportive of her child’s new look.

Owning ones body

Communicating via Facebook in 2012, Jada wrote, “The question why I would let Willow cut her hair, first the let must be challenged. This is a world where women [and] girls are constantly reminded that they don’t belong to themselves. That their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self-determination.”

Power of ownership

Jada then added, “I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are her domain.” Powerful stuff, wouldn’t you agree? Anyway, Willow braved the shave for a second time some eight years later, when she took part in an eye-opening performance art piece.

Following a trend

During that, Willow followed her brother’s lead and shaved off her hair mid-concert in July 2021, too. The music star was fronting a gig on Facebook Live at the time, with the clippers coming out as she sang “Whip My Hair.” Something tells us that wasn’t just a well-timed coincidence!

Symbolic moments

So what prompted Willow to kiss goodbye to her locks this time? She provided an answer in a backstage video, which also shed some light on the previous two haircuts as well. Jada’s daughter said, “I’m always shaving my head at monumental times in my life, when things are really changing. And this is definitely one of those moments.”

Myriad of styles

Willow’s bold decision certainly caught the attention of her fan base, drawing a largely positive response online. That’s got us wondering, though – did her mom get the same reaction after buzzing off her hair? Like we mentioned earlier, Jada has showcased several different styles down the years, but never the bald look.

Following a progression

In fact, Jada’s look has followed a clear progression through the years, and the actress hasn’t been afraid to mix things up. For instance, after appearing at Boomerang’s Hollywood opening in 1992 with a fairly plain ponytail, the actress slowly evolved a new style across the following years. On that note, let’s fast-forward to 1998.

Looking back

Jada’s long hair was gone by that stage – she had decided to sport a pixie cut instead. She tried out light and dark colors across that year, with each choice suiting her stunning appearance. Not everyone has that impressive ability! Yet the Hollywood star didn’t stick with her short locks forever.

Experimenting

By 2004 Jada’s hair was extremely long, as she started to experiment with varying looks. Yep, from braids to curls, the famous mom gave them all a whirl. But in recent times she’s sported shorter styles, too, leading to the big reveal in July 2021. It’s been quite a journey for her follicles!

The announcement

So that brings us back to the announcement itself. As we noted before, Willow broke the news on her Instagram page, posting a picture of her mom’s shaved head. From there, Jada then took a screenshot of that post and shared it via her own account later in the day.

Blowing up

Unsurprisingly, both of those posts rapidly went viral. Willow’s has since earned more 543,000 likes and Jada’s is at over 783,000 likes at the time of writing. Talk about making a splash! Yet that still leaves us with the question we asked earlier – and how did social media users actually react to the haircut?

Words of praise

Well, much as with Willow’s live buzz on stage, Jada’s effort was warmly received by a lot of people in the comments section. One user wrote, “Very few people can pull that off and you are one of them. Stunning.” Meanwhile, another individual gushed, “[You’re] gorgeous either way. Hair doesn’t define who we are. Your light just shined brighter.”

Jumping on the bandwagon

Plus, Jada’s new appearance also seemed to inspire several people in the comments as well. One wrote, “Absolutely stunning. I’ve been thinking about doing this for so many years. [I] might have to jump on it too!” Mind you, while users continued to praise her on social media, we can’t help but ponder – what actually prompted the mom to get rid of her hair?

Jada's news

As we suggested back at the start, the answer might knock you off your feet, so make sure you’re sitting down! Yes, Jada has been dealing with a form of alopecia for a while now, with the actress bringing it up for the first time in 2018. It’s a condition that causes your hair to fall out at a concerning rate. And it was at the heart of a remarkable controversy at the 2022 Academy Awards, of course.

Unpredictable disorder

According to the WebMD website, alopecia is classed as an “autoimmune disorder” and not every sufferer is affected the same way. For instance, while certain individuals might shed a small amount of hair that returns, different patients could say goodbye to significantly more. To say it’s unpredictable would be quite an understatement.

What's the cause?

So how do people develop alopecia? Well, there are a few different causes that physicians have highlighted in the past. Do you want some examples? Okay then. Factors including mental strain, an increase in testosterone levels, thyroid ailments and cigarette-smoking have all been flagged up as potential triggers. And it doesn’t end there.

Product stress

According to a doctor named Jyoti Gupta, trips to the hairdressers could be problematic as well. You see, she informed the website of newspaper The Indian Express that extensions, bleach and flat irons might spark some unwanted problems in the future. Oh, and we can’t forget about a lack of dietary nutrition, either.

Important vitamins

Dr. Gupta revealed that if your body doesn’t get enough vitamin D, protein, iron or zinc, your hair could ultimately suffer. That’s a lot to take in, right? But going back to Jada, what sparked her alopecia? When did she first notice that her locks were falling out? The Hollywood actress tried to answer those questions when she brought the subject up in 2018.

Scary moment

Speaking on an episode of her Facebook Live! TV show Red Table Talk, Jada admitted that she was wearing headscarves due to her alopecia. Then, she dived into how she felt about it. Willow’s mom said, “I’m going to tell you, it was terrifying when it first started. I was in the shower one day, and then just handfuls of hair [came out] in my hands.”

Questions remain

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, am I going bald?’” Jada continued. “It was one of those times in my life where I was literally shaking with fear. That’s why I cut my hair [short], and why I continue to cut it.” At that stage, the Collateral star went on to state how important her locks really were to her.

Shifting perspective

Jada noted, “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. And then one day, you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I might not have that choice anymore.’ I had a lot of hair! Thick, thick hair!”

The root cause

We get the feeling that Jada isn’t alone on that front. Yet that still begs the question – what sparked the problem in the first place? Well, according to the actress, no one has been able to put their finger on it. That must be enormously frustrating! All she had to go on was speculation, with some believing “stress” was the big catalyst.

Brave the shave

Mind you, regardless of the cause, Jada subsequently took an introspective look at herself once her hair had started to fall out. And that led her to ask an intriguing question on Red Table Talk. From there, the mom unloaded her feelings in front of the camera, which might give some insight into why she later decided to brave the shave in 2021.

Taking a bigger perspective

Jada said, “Even in my terror and fear, [I asked], ‘Why are you so terrified that you might lose your hair?’ I really had to put it on a spiritual perspective, like the higher power takes so much from people. People are out here with cancer. People have sick children. I watch the higher power take things every day.”

Least of her worries

“And by golly, if the higher power wants to take your hair...that’s it?!” Jada added. “When I looked at it from that perspective, it really did settle me. Like, when I think about, ‘What else would you lose? What else would you put on the table for God to take?’ Take the hair!”

Open-mindedness

Interesting words, wouldn’t you agree? Anyway, that video proved to be a big hit when it was posted on Facebook in May 2018. It’s since earned about 16 million views, over 140,000 likes and generated roughly 16,000 comments. Something tells us Jada’s openness played a significant role in that.

Fans react

So what happened next? Not long after the video dropped on social media, Jada offered an update via her Instagram page. Apparently, she received an overwhelming response about her hair story, with people looking to help her out in whatever way they could. And she seemed more than willing to listen.

Taking everything into account

Jada said, “I just want to say a thank you to everyone for all the outreach, from all the doctors and all the holistic practitioners, who have been reaching out to me for this head of mine, I appreciate it so much. And I’m taking into consideration all the recommendations that are coming my way.”

Helping, but not curing

“I’m getting my little steroid injections, and they seem to be helping, but not curing,” Jada revealed. “But they seem to be helping, [and] I’m open to other ideas.” On that note, it’s probably safe to say that shaving her head bald wasn’t on the table at that stage! What changed her mind, then?

Unveiling a new look

Well, the answer can ultimately be found in the Instagram post that unveiled Jada’s eye-popping new look in July 2021. You see, the actress was given a little push by someone close to home who knew all about shaving their head in dramatic fashion. Care to guess who it was?

Daughter wisdom

Jada wrote, “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go. But my 50s are about to be divinely lit with this shed.” Yep, it was her daughter. Seems pretty obvious now, right? Speaking of Willow, she also shared a message to go alongside the photo in her Instagram post.

The best kind of gift

Willow said, “A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return.” That’s a passage from the Bhagavad Gita, part of the Mahabharata Hindu scripture, but apparently it best described how she felt helping her mom out. How heartwarming!

No longer afraid

In the days after those posts were shared, Jada continued to drop images of herself sporting the new look on Instagram. She even drew up a composite shot that highlighted how her appearance had changed with no hair. It was quite a sight. The most telling thing, though, is that the actress hasn’t been covering her head.

Here to stay

Yes, Jada appears to be fully embracing her buzz cut in those images. Plus, in her previous message she mentioned rocking this look into her 50s. The Hollywood star doesn’t hit the big five-oh until September 2021 – suggesting the new style is here to stay for a while. We wonder what her husband thinks of that idea?