JoJo Siwa has been rocking the spotlight ever since she was nine years old on Dance Moms. Until recently, she’s also been rocking her signature high ponytail and larger-than-life colorful bows. “JoJo with the bow bow,” as some fans affectionately call her.
Earlier this year, Siwa traded in her ponytail for a slicked pixie cut, which prompted some curious questions from fans who noticed a small bald spot on the side of her temple. Siwa took to her TikTok — where she sports an impressive 42.4 million followers — to address the issue.
Anyone who’s watched Dance Moms is aware of how competitive — and stressful — the show can be for its young contestants. So much so, that it caused a stress rash for Siwa. The So You Think You Can Dance judge explained in a follow-up TikTok video that her bald spot is not from all the years of donning a tight ponytail — which can, in their own right, cause traction alopecia from constant pulling to the hair — and instead from a “really bad stress rash” she had while on Dance Moms.
“I would pick at it all day long,” Siwa said, referring to the stress rash. This damaged “every single hair follicle that has ever been right there,” she explained.
Luckily, stress rashes aren’t permanent, and neither are their side effects. In a comment to a fan on her original video, Siwa explained that her hair is “finally growing again,” after eight years.
A lot has changed for Siwa in the last year; placing second on Dancing with the Stars, becoming a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, and coming out as member of the LGBTQ community. She shared on The Kelly Clarkson Show last year that her signature bows were on a “long vacation.” They haven’t been back since, and by the looks of things, Siwa is more than happy to be stepping out of from under the shadow of her Dance Moms and Nickelodeon personality, even if that means explaining a few things along the way, such as resulting stress rashes and bald spots.
