Jada Pinkett Smith shaved her head: ‘Willow made me do it… it was time’

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In 2018, Jada Pinkett-Smith revealed that she had been wearing headwraps and scarves because she had started losing her hair. Jada said that her hair started falling out in clumps in the shower one day. I could tell that it was a traumatic experience for Jada but she never mentioned it again, until recently. Earlier this week, Willow Smith posted a photo to Instagram where both she and Jada had freshly shaved heads. Jada posted a screenshot of Willow’s post, stating that she was motivated by her daughter to finally “let it go.” Below are a few more details from People:

On Monday, the actress re-posted an Instagram photo of herself and 20-year-old Willow Smith (who she shares with husband Will Smith) revealing her freshly shaved head. “Willow made me do it because it was time to let go,” she captioned the post.

“BUT … my 50’s are bout to be Divinely lit with this shed❣️😜” the Red Table Talk host added.

Willow, who has rocked a buzz cut on and off for years, was the first to unveil her mom’s new ‘do, posting the same photo with the caption, “💕🙏🏾”

[From People]

OMG! Jada looks stunning with her head shaved. Let me tell you shaving it all off is freeing AF. In 2018 I was under a lot of stress and like Jada my hair started falling out in clumps. So I decided to just shave it off. I shaved my hair off three times between 2018 and 2019 and it was the most freeing thing I ever did. In fact, I never felt sexier. Somehow, shaving off my hair made me feel more feminine which is the opposite of what we are taught. Now it grows back quite thick. Perhaps by shaving it off, Jada will give her hair follicles the opportunity to regenerate but if not, Jade wears a bald fade well. I also like that Beyonce’s mom, Tina Lawson, commented on the picture stating that Jada’s new look highlighted her “soulful eyes” and “beautiful face.” I agree, Jada looks stunning. I am happy that her daughter was so supportive and encouraged her mom to let go of her beliefs around hair. I will also add that Jada’s bald ‘do also makes her look more youthful. Jada better get it because I don’t think she has ever looked more beautiful. I am proud of her for taking the leap and am happy that she is allowing us in on her hair journey like several other notable Black women. I hope these Black women start a movement of embracing their hair in all of its variety. Until then, Jada betta get some hoops and a bold lipstick and rock that ish like 1980s Grace Jones because I am here for it.

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39 Responses to “Jada Pinkett Smith shaved her head: ‘Willow made me do it… it was time’”

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  1. Sierra says:

    She looks absolutely stunning with a shaved head….

  2. MattyLove says:

    Absolutely gorgeous! She should be cast as Cleopatra.

    • Tana says:

      I was thinking Nefertiti, but Cleopatra would work too. She could play anything looking so amazing.

  3. Heat says:

    She looks beautiful. I wish I could get away with a shaved head, but I’m afraid that my lumpy bumpy skull would look ridiculous.

    • Coji says:

      Same. Plus I have a very round face and I think it is something best suited for an angular face. I’d probably resemble Matt Lucas.

      I started losing hair in highschool and now at 50 it’s much worse. I have thought about a wig but I’m clueless about how to even start picking one.

      • Oya says:

        Youtube – search wig installation or review videos. There are plenty and you’ll learn a lot

      • BritDebbie says:

        Hi Coji,
        One of my friends from school has alopecia and she has some gorgous wigs. Her hair is consistently better looking than my natural hair any time we meet up. It has given her tonnes of confidence and she jokes she can change hairstyle every day. We are based in the UK and here is a really really basic guide.

        https://www.alopecia.org.uk/wigs

        She mentions that although wigs seem expensive, when you compare it to an outfit that you’d wear once a month, then it seems more reasonable. If a wig make you feel confident and beautiful every day then it is worth the price. Her first wigs were brought from a wig boutique and as big number birthday present.

        Hope this helps

    • Sally says:

      Lol yeah, my hair and I have been in a troublesome relationship for decades but I don’t want to shave it all off either. I have a very angular long head with a round face and I’d just look like some sort of alien.

    • Esmom says:

      What about a super short pixie? I think it’s a haircut that is so flattering to many but for some reason we never see it anymore. I love the pixie I had in the 90s but I’ve never been brave enough to go that short again.

    • Oya says:

      I have a round face and a receding hairline and I looked damn good with a low low low fade (damn near bald) AND I was surprised that I DIDN’T have a lumpy bumpy head underneath. I say go for it and if it doesn’t look great there is always wigs until it grows back.

  4. NTheMiddle says:

    LOVE IT!

  5. Bibliomommy96 says:

    I have to agree that having short hair is so freeing! And I never felt as feminine. She looks gorgeous

  6. Lili says:

    Go Jada Welcome to the Club, I’ve been shaving my head for over 2 years now, and its quite freeing. She looks stunning as well .

    • Thirtynine says:

      Mmm, she looks amazing. I’ve shaved mine all off several times, and as Oya says, it makes you feel fantastic, and at the same time really feminine. I don’t have a beautifully shaped skull, no lumps and bumps, but the back of my head is flat, for some reason, but who cares, I love it. Jada and Willow are gorgeous here.

  7. Merricat says:

    Wow, she has a gorgeous, smooth head. She looks powerful.

  8. manda says:

    I worked with a woman who, unbeknownst to me, had alopecia, and one day she came to work without her wig, and SHE WAS STUNNING. Some people can really pull it off. I have always been curious to try but too chicken, too

    • Wiglet Watcher says:

      She shaved my head once With other girls in middle school and it was freeing. Now? I’m chicken with you.
      My hair is thick anyway and i love my grays so there’s no motivation.

      Jada has a perfect shape and she’s gorgeous to begin with.

  9. lucky says:

    They may be one of the most beautiful families in the US.

    • lucy2 says:

      Right? I just watched a little bit of the video, all 3 women are just gorgeous, the genetics in that family are incredible. Willow has grown up to be just stunning, with the best parts of both parents.

  10. Roo says:

    She is a beautiful woman, with amazing features. The bald head let’s us focus on her gorgeous face. Wow.

    • BothSidesNow says:

      Yes! She is stunning without hair, but shaving her head make it look like her features have been able to come out and shine!!

      I feel bad for women when they lose their hair as we generally rely on our hair for a multitude of reasons. We took a 3 week vacation in an RV and my hair was no longer then 1”!! It was freeing but also amazing that I was able to wash my hair and go, with a little product.

  11. Scarlett says:

    I just shaved my head too, turn 50 next year and I felt it was time, not going to lie, it feels so damn empowering and I feel like a badass. Jada looks fire!

  12. Giddy says:

    Forgive the commercial, but this might help someone else as it has helped me. I’ve been concerned for a while about my thinning hair. Then I read about Tea Tree Lemon Sage Thickening Shampoo. It really works for me! My hair seems thicker, has great body, and I don’t have to worry about disguising my widening part! I know that my hair is not actually thicker, but it looks and feels like it is and that’s good enough for me!

  13. Kaye says:

    I’m trying to get up the nerve to go all the way. I’m undergoing chemotherapy, and every strand of my hair that had any pigment at all just said “outta here” and fell out. Now I have white wispy hair and strongly resemble a baby bird. Only not as cute.

    • Sunny says:

      I went thru chemo last year and honestly, it was devastating to me. But it will grow back! Hugs to you!!

      • Swagger and Roll says:

        @Sunny – So understand the devastation that you experienced and am glad that yours grew back, but not everyone is so lucky. For some, it’s one more part of their old lives that can’t be regained.

    • RMS says:

      Kaye – I went through two stem cell transplants over the last year. Both ended up with me bald. Shaving my head completely when it started to go gave me such a sense of empowerment and control over my body. Also, if you shave it down, when it starts to grow back, its more even and thicker.

  14. Mina_Esq says:

    Wow, honestly both Jada and Willow look stunning! Absolutely stunning. A few years back, i started losing hair due to extreme stress. That, in turn, stressed me out even more. Vicious cycle! However, things improved over time.

  15. DuchessL says:

    Jada is beautiful. Beautiful face and wonderful skin a 20 year old would wish for

  16. SusanRagain says:

    I have been cutting my own hair thru lockdown, it looks OK.
    I saw Princess Charlotte of Monaco with a short/punky cut and oh a whim, I cut over my ears down to skin level. Love it, I keep going a little shorter over all. 😀
    I really like how fast and easy my hair is now. I stopped coloring almost a year ago, decided to chop off any leftover color, I dislike to 2 color grow out look.

    Be yourself, whatever you like. As I age, I am going for clean and comfy. lol

  17. Esmom says:

    She looks beautiful, no surprise.

    Hair loss is scary, that’s for sure. My 20 yo son is nervous because of the history of baldness on both sides of our family, he can already see some recession of his hairline. I told him if he’s really nervous he could start minoxidil, which has worked for my brother in law. My other son, who happily buzzes his hair super short, said he looks forward to going bald, lol.

    As for female balding, I’ve noticed a spot on my crown that I have to hide now. It’s not really a spot but a part that seems to extend down the back of my head that is more visible. Hard to explain but it’s become distressing to me, I’m so self conscious all of a sudden. I cannot imagine going fully bald, it really takes courage. Kudos to Jada.

  18. original_kellybean says:

    Can someone please explain to me how someone her age has such perfect skin? I am the exact same age as her (49) and my facial skin has sun spots and is so uneven. I guess that’s what I get for loving the sun as a younger person. I am just going to assume she didn’t lay out in the sun. I guess having lots of money helps, too.

    • Anna says:

      Money helps. Be willing to bet she gets daily dermatology treatments and weekly and monthly and all that stuff.

    • Joanna says:

      Have you tried microdermabrasion? I think I’m spelling it wrong but I did it at a massage chain and liked the results. Jada is gorgeous but I would imagine her photo has been edited too

  19. Befy1202 says:

    I have alopecia universalis (total scalp and body hair loss) and it’s so empowering to see other women open up about their hair loss. Women like Jada, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Christie Valdesseri are helping to normalize hair loss for so many women. Jada looks amazing!

  20. Yup, Me says:

    She is stunning, as always – whether it’s the chunky braids she wore on A Different World, that super cute short style she wore in Low Down Dirty Shame (and then off and on for years after that) or the longer hair she wore for years. I’ve always found Jada to be gorgeous.

    I cut all of my hair off (the first time) shortly after turning 15 – I decided that I was ready to be done with the relaxers and was pleased to discover a head full of soft curls of a variety of textures. My mother kept it braided for me so it wasn’t as “traumatic” as it could have been to go from long hair to a TWA in one quick trip to the bathroom (I had thought about it for weeks and knew that if I was going to get it done that day, I needed to move fast before I lost my nerve).

    The next time I cut all of my hair off (this time I shaved my head completely) was when I was 23, after taking a trip to Africa to stay with family for 6 months. I got a lot of attention for my hair and my skin and I didn’t like how I felt defined by those features for so much of the trip. So once I got home, I shaved off all of my hair (I still laugh when I think of the face of the young man at the barber shop, watching my natural, bra strap length hair fall to the floor 😆). It felt SOOOO GOOD. The shower hitting my head after a fresh shave (the 3 mm guide on the clippers was my cut level) felt amazing.

  21. Rare0217 says:

    I shaved my head last month. As a black woman I’ve always felt like a slave to my crown. It has been freeing.

  22. Anna says:

    I shaved off all my hair in 1991, right before it became a new craze with Erykah Badu and all, and it was one of the best decisions I made (except for shaving in December in the cold weather!). I got more compliments on being bald than any other “hair”style I’ve ever rocked. Now that I’m approaching 50, I’m not so sure. I like the softness that my hair gives to my face as the lines are forming and making me look a little more harsh…

  23. MissySnow says:

    My beauty shop caters to men and women so I just switched over from having curls to shaving my head about fifteen years ago and it is marvelous! The women were in the front of the shop and the barbers cut hair in the back and it was great that I already knew everyone who worked in the building.

    Shaving your head is awesome and totally freeing! I no longer worry about getting a perm and making sure every strand is in place and it is so easy when you go into menopause!