Alopecia areata is a condition that causes hair loss on the scalp and sometimes other parts of the body. It is believed to be caused by an abnormality of the immune system that causes the body's immune system to attack the hair follicles. Typically, hair regrows within a year without treatment. Steroid injections, creams, and shampoos may be used during treatment. Read more: Alopecia Areata Article
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Hair Loss: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention
Learn about hair loss in women and men. Discover hair loss causes and treatments as well as how to prevent hair loss.
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Picture of Alopecia Areata
A common hair loss condition, alopecia areata, usually starts as a single quarter-sized circle of perfectly smooth baldness. See...
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Tight braids and ponytails can pull hard enough on hairs to make them fall out. See a picture of Traction Alopecia and learn more...
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1–4 hair grafts. See a picture of Hair Grafts and learn more about the health topic.
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Trachyonychia (twenty nail dystrophy of childhood). See a picture of Trachyonychia and learn more about the health topic.
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Picture of Alopecia Areata (Nails)
Pitting in organized transverse rows giving the nail a "hammered brass" appearance. See a picture of Alopecia Areata (Nails) and...
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Picture of Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, which is where hair...
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Mistakenly thought to be a strictly male disease, women make up a significant percentage of American hair loss sufferers. See a...
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Women’s Hair Loss: Causes, Treatments, and Solutions
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Hair Loss: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention See SlideshowRelated Disease Conditions
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Hair Loss (Alopecia)
There are many causes of scalp hair loss. This featured article covers the common ones such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata, trichotillomania, and tinea capitis), telogen effluvium, and androgenetic alopecia (male-pattern baldness, female-pattern baldness).
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Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a condition in which the skin turns white due to the loss of pigment from the melanocytes, cells that produce the pigment melanin that gives the skin color.
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Leprosy
Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is a disfiguring disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. The disease is spread from person to person through nasal secretions or droplets. Symptoms and signs of leprosy include numbness, loss of temperature sensation, painless ulcers, eye damage, loss of digits, and facial disfigurement. Leprosy is treated with antibiotics and the dosage and length of time of administration depends upon which form of leprosy the patient has.
Treatment & Diagnosis
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Prevention & Wellness
- Health Tip: Understanding Alopecia Areata
- Hair Styles That Can Lead to Hair Loss
- An Eczema Drug Helped Regrow a Girl's Hair -- Could It Help Others?
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- Drug Restores Hair in Alopecia Patients: FAQ
- Early Research With Drug Restores Hair in Patients With Alopecia
- Hairless Man Now Hairy, Thanks to Arthritis Drug
- Scientists Find Possible Genetic Roots of Type of Hair Loss
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