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Armani Latimer isn’t just a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader—she’s a game-changer, a role model, and a voice for self-love and acceptance. And we are here for it!
Armani made history on December 9 by taking the field without her wig for the first time to raise awareness for Alopecia. Armani’s wig flip moment was shared with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and their My Cause My Boots platform. “Confidence takes center stage for Alopecia Awareness #MyCauseMyBoots | #DCCheerleaders.”
The viral performance wasn’t just another cheer presentation—it was a powerful statement about beauty, confidence, and resilience. Fans, cheer teammates, and celebrities quickly jumped into Armani’s comment section with love.
One friend wrote, “I will cry every time I watch this 
Armani, you are truly my idol in every single way. You embody everything a leader should be, have truly become my best friend, and my rock!! I’m so excited that the world gets to see how inspiring and amazing you are!!!!”
See Armani’s emotional performance below.
Armani Latimer is one of many managing Alopecia. What is its impact – and what is it?
While anyone can develop Alopecia, research suggests that African Americans may be disproportionately affected. Jada Pinkett Smith made headlines in 2022 for speaking about her condition, and Congresswoman Ayana Pressley has taken the issue to the federal government. According to The Conversation, around 1 million people in the U.S. have Alopecia Areata.
For Black Americans, contributing factors can include certain hairstyles that cause tension and changes to the hair follicle. The American Academy of Dermatology Association explains that Alopecia is an autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy hair follicles, leading to hair loss on the scalp or other areas of the body.
For Armani, her Alopecia diagnosis presented challenges—not just physically but emotionally. As she shared in an interview with Women’s Health. She has navigated her condition since she was 12. Managing it while accelerating in her career and sport has been challenging.
Armani has been managing Alopecia since age 12 – and at times it has been challenging.
“My Alopecia was hard to navigate during my early cheering days. It was such a tumultuous time that I was only able to give about 50 percent of my effort,” she explained to Women’s Health. “Some people picked up on the fact that I was more withdrawn and not my bubbly self, and having teammates that I could sit and cry with about what I was going through was healing.”
Through the support of her family, friends, and cheerleading teammates, she found the strength to embrace her condition and her unique beauty. Her journey is one so many of us can relate to.
“Over the years, the biggest challenge I had to overcome was being honest with myself,” Armani shared. “Telling people about my Alopecia Areata wasn’t hard, but fully accepting that my life looked a little different than everyone else’s, especially being someone in the spotlight, was. People see cheerleaders and assume they’re flawless.”
By taking the field bald Armani shattered traditional beauty standards and redefined what it means to be a cheerleader. Her courage reminds us all that beauty isn’t about fitting into a mold; it’s about owning your story and celebrating who you are: a baddie!
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