Joshua Dobbs, the quarterback for the Cardinals, has always embraced challenges, both on and off the field. From the age of 10, he has battled alopecia areata, a condition that attacks hair follicles and leads to hair loss. Dobbs has been a strong advocate, using his platform to raise awareness about this condition and its impact on people’s lives.
This is nice: #Cardinals QB Josh Dobbs, who has had alopecia since he was 10, talking with Ellie, a Cardinals cheerleader who also has alopecia.
Alopecia is a disease that attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss.
(🎥: @AZCardinals) pic.twitter.com/uq4Y62uBmx
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 22, 2023
On September 22, Dobbs shared his experiences with Ellie, a Cardinals cheerleader who also suffers from alopecia. He asked Ellie about her journey with alopecia, and she revealed, “I was diagnosed in January. Very recent, and right before auditions in May, I had lost almost 85% of my hair. So I shaved it all and showed up to auditions with no hair. It’s like I have no choice.”
Dobbs then shared his own story, saying, “Mine started when I was in 3rd grade, my hair grew back in high school, and then my hair grew back. But in college, it just slowly started to fade. I would have to shave it sporadically. One day my razor broke, and I was like, ‘Damn, I have to go buy a new razor,’ and then my hair never grew back after that.”
The two shared a laugh, with Ellie adding, “The razor breaking was the canon event.”
Joshua Dobbs, NFL quarterback (Jacksonville Jaguars) is a leading advocate for those with alopecia areata, a hair loss condition he has had since childhood.
He spoke to NIH MedlinePlus magazine about his personal experience with alopecia: https://t.co/JeXOSduLhH @josh_dobbs1 pic.twitter.com/GkQwOtcnp2
— MedlinePlus.gov (@medlineplus) September 27, 2019
Dobbs has been battling alopecia areata since the age of 10. The condition initially caused hair loss in a specific spot on his head but has since developed into alopecia totalis, resulting in the loss of hair on his head and face, including his eyelashes.
As a strong advocate for raising awareness about alopecia, especially among young people, Dobbs has used his position to normalize the condition. “Cortisone shots kept my alopecia at bay again until my senior year, when my eyebrows and eyelashes started to fall out. In college, I had to get weekly cortisone shots to help prevent hair loss, but even those became less and less effective for me. So after football season my junior year, I decided to shave my head. After that, my hair stopped growing and I have been completely bald ever since.”
"Coronavirus may be the big health story today, but autoimmune conditions like #alopecia areata are with us every day."
Watch “Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and patient advocate Joshua Dobbs PSA” on #Vimeo https://t.co/Kc3uNojAwm pic.twitter.com/UsYg8l7LwT
— Cheltenham (@cheltenham_ave) March 10, 2020
Dobbs has also spoken about the support he has received from family and friends, as well as his meeting with Charlie Villanueva, a former NBA player who also had alopecia and served as an inspiration to Dobbs.
His message to young people affected by alopecia is one of inspiration and empowerment: “Keep in mind that all of your dreams can be accomplished without your hair. Alopecia shouldn’t stand in your way. You do live in a society that is filled with social media and a focus on beauty. But at the end of the day, if you are comfortable in your own skin—whether you have long hair or no hair—you can be successful and happy.”
