'The Braxtons' Star Towanda Braxton Revealed Why She Kept Her Alopecia Diagnosis From Fans

When Toni Braxton and the rest of the Braxton family returned for The Braxtons on WeTV, Towanda Braxton used the platform to deliver a powerful message.

After Braxton Family Values ended its reality-TV run in 2020, Towanda began publicly rocking a bald look, sparking concern from fans. Here's what she said about going bald.

Why is Towanda Braxton bald?

In the August 2024 season premiere of The Braxtons , Towanda and her sister Trina Braxton sat down for lunch to discuss why Towanda shaved her head during their four-year hiatus. During the scene, Towanda told Trina that many of their fans were worried about her health after seeing her bald look for several years. She then recalled that she and the rest of her sisters decided to shave their heads in solidarity with Traci Braxton , who died in March 2022 of esophageal cancer.

While Towanda had previously told fans she went bald to support Traci, she shared on the show that a more personal reason influenced her decision. She used her confessional to reveal she had alopecia and was struggling with it while Traci was alive.

"I hadn't exactly told the world that I have alopecia," Towanda said. "A lot of people assume a lot of different things. I took pride in how I looked and, I have to be honest, I didn't think about my body. It was what was going on on the inside. And that was 'oh my gosh, people are going to know I have alopecia.'"

Towanda also confirmed that Traci convinced her to go bald.

In a touching scene from the premiere, Traci massaged her scalp and showed several patches on her head. Bald patches are a symptom of alopecia, per WebMD . And while Towanda initially kept her alopecia diagnosis a secret, she is now joining other celebrities in proudly sharing their journey with the condition, telling her sister, "I am who I am, you accept me, or you just don't accept me."

Catch new episodes of The Braxtons on Fridays on WeTV at 9:30 p.m. EST.