There aren’t many women who can hold the titles of Miss Black America New York and Playboy Playmate of the Year, but beauty queen Jordan Emanuel has both of them covered. Within four months, the philanthropist and DJ won each one of these coveted crowns that instantly launched her modeling career to new heights. Since her big wins, Jordan has gone on to work with Rimmel London cosmetics, and this past summer, she joined the SavagexFenty roster as a brand ambassador. While Jordan is steadily building her career in the entertainment industry, she is also taking the opportunity to share the story of her struggle behind the scenes with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder affecting over 6 million people around the country.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, alopecia is a disease that attacks the hair follicles, resulting in hair loss in different areas of the body. Alopecia can occur at any age, and many of those who experience it are usually healthy individuals.
Alopecia can show up in a variety of ways. The most common is the appearance of round bald patches that occur throughout the scalp and excessive thinning of the hair. This type of alopecia is known as alopecia areata. Another form of the disorder is called alopecia totalis. This occurs when a person loses all of the hair on their scalp, and it is the type of alopecia Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley suffers from. The third type of alopecia is called universalis, and it is a rare form that happens when the sufferer loses all body hair.
The good news is that even though the disease is unpredictable at times, the hair loss is not always permanent, and it can grow back again with treatment. We had the opportunity to talk with Jordan about her experience with alopecia and her key advice for other women who are looking for solutions.