Towanda Braxton Wears Her Alopecia Loud And Proud: ‘Being Bald Is Amazing’

Alopecia is no setback for actress Towanda Braxton, who has been publicly sharing her hair journey in hopes of inspiring others who suffer from the condition.

The 50-year-old television personality opened up about her diagnosis during the Aug. 8 premiere of The Braxtons at the West Cultural Arts Center. “I have alopecia, and I’m just wearing it loud and proud,” Towanda told People about the diagnosis she discovered through doctors. Alopecia, which Pfizer stated and-conditions/alopecia-areata#:~:text=Yes%2C%20alopecia%20areata%20is%20an%20autoimmune%20disease.&text=It%20happens%20when%20a%20person's,follicles%2C%20leading%20to%20hair%20loss.&text=There%20also%20appears%20to%20be,a%20kind%20of%20eczem%20a).">disproportionately affects Black people more than their white counterparts, is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss in patches or larger areas of the scalp or body.

Finding out about her alopecia diagnosis from her doctors was a relief for the reality star. “…I was like, ‘Okay, I hate being right about that, but I was right about that,’ you know?” she said, noting there are many types of alopecia that individuals experience due to the immune system’s attack of the hair follicles. The Envision star shared some advice saying: “Find out which one you have

. So just in case you have children, they’ll know how to treat it.”

A 2023 report by the American Academy of Dermatology Association revealed that nearly 15% of Black women are affected by hair loss in the center or crown of the scalp, known as central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Black women are prone to traction alopecia, a type of hair loss caused by heat, chemicals, and several hairstyles like braids, weaves, and dreadlocks that may tightly

pull at the root of the hair and cause tension. Dermatologist Crystal Aguh, who specializes in hair loss, suggests looser protective styles and removing extensions after a certain period of time.

For Towanda, who currently flaunts a clean-shaved head, “being bald is amazing.” However, she confirmed in a recent interview with V-103 Atlanta that she initially shaved her head in solidarity when her late sister Traci Braxton, who died in 2022, got sick. “I cut it then, and then the entire journey, I didn’t have any hair, but y’all didn’t know I didn’t have any hair,” she said.

Sitting beside her sister Trina Braxton, Towanda revealed that fans will have the opportunity to witness exclusive footage of her hair patches as she shares moments of her alopecia journey on the new season of The Braxtons, which airs on Aug. 9 at 9:30 p.m., on We TV.