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Jada Pinkett Smith updated her followers about the status of her alopecia on Instagram earlier this week.

On Dec. 28, The Matrix Resurrections star shared a candid post where she said one day she woke up with a bald spot due to alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

RELATED CONTENT: “A Dermatologist Explains Why Survivors Of COVID-19 Are Losing Their Hair”

Wanting the address the bald patch before her fans did, Pinkett noted that the spot is definitely going to be harder for her to hide. As you can see in the video she posted, the patch is a small streak of baldness behind her hairline. 

“Now at this point, I can only laugh,” Pinkett said while grazing over the patch with her finger. “Y’all know I’ve been struggling with alopecia, and just all of a sudden one day, look at this line right here. It just showed up like that. Now this is going to be a little more difficult for me to hide, so I thought I’d just share it so y’all not asking any questions.”

Pinkett also joked about throwing some rhinestones on top of the patch to cover up the balding and giving herself a “little crown.”

The actress explained she didn’t want anyone to mistake the line of baldness as a surgery scar.

“Mama’s gonna have to take it down to the scalp so nobody thinks she got brain surgery or something,” the actress wrote in the caption. “Me and this alopecia are going to be friends… period!”

Pinkett first openly discussed her alopecia diagnosis during a 2018 episode of her Facebook Watch series Red Table Talk

“It was terrifying when it first started,” she said about her initial stages of hair loss. “I was in the shower one day and then just handfuls of hair just in my hands.” 

“That’s why I cut it and I continue to cut it,” The Matrix Resurrections star added.

Many who face hair loss due to alopecia are often otherwise healthy, reports the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Since there are various types of alopecia, seeing a specialist such as a board-certified dermatologist is crucial, especially if you feel you’re experiencing symptoms like losing a lot of hair in a small amount of time, small bald patches and reddish, brittle nails. A medical professional will help you rule out other possible factors (such as a fungal infection, stress, etc.) and give you an alopecia diagnosis if that’s the cause of your hair loss. Bloodwork and or a scalp biopsy may be necessary for your doctor to confirm your results, according to Healthline.

RELATED CONTENT: “Rep. Ayanna Pressley Is Pushing For Medicare To Cover Wig Costs For Those Who Suffer Hair Loss”

Earlier this year, Jada opened up about being inspired by her daughter Willow and shaving her head as she embraced turning 50. Read about that and some other fabulous baldies we love down below.

RELATED CONTENT: “Jada’s New Baldie and 10 Black Women Whose Bald Heads Are Banging”

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