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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Your Face: A Window Into Your Health
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Women’s Hair Loss: Causes, Treatments, and Solutions
Hair loss in women has many causes. Menopause is one cause of hair loss in women over 50. Hormones, medications, and stress are...
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Skin Quiz: Acne, Dry Skin, Dandruff & More
What's that all over you? Skin, of course! Test your knowledge of your most amazing organ with the Skin Quiz!
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Hair Loss Quiz: Test Your Medical IQ
True or false: Genetic hair loss comes from the mother's side of the family. Take the Hair Loss Quiz to learn about your hair....
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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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Picture of Traction Alopecia
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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Picture of Hair Transplant
Surgical approaches include various versions of hair transplantation (taking hair from the back and putting it near the front) or...
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Picture of Hair Grafts
1–4 hair grafts. See a picture of Hair Grafts and learn more about the health topic.
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Picture of Trachyonychia
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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Picture of Female Pattern Baldness
Mistakenly thought to be a strictly male disease, women make up a significant percentage of American hair loss sufferers. See a...
SLIDESHOW
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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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.
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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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How Do I Know if My Child Has Alopecia Areata?
Alopecia areata is a condition that occurs when your child's immune system attacks the hair follicles, causing hair loss. Your child will have patchy hair loss that may occur anywhere on the body where hair grows.
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Alopecia Areata: How Is It Treated and Can It Be Cured?
Many people experience an autoimmune disorder of the skin that causes hair loss on the scalp, face, and other areas of the body. Learn what medical treatments can help ease your alopecia areata symptoms and help you manage this condition.
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How Do I Know If I Have Telogen Effluvium or Androgenetic Alopecia?
What is the difference between telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia? Learn about these hair loss conditions and how to treat them.
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What Are the Main Causes of Alopecia Areata?
What is alopecia areata? Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that can cause hair loss. Learn the signs of alopecia areata, what causes it, how doctors diagnose it, and what you can do to treat it.
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Why Would You Need Plasmapheresis?
Plasmapheresis is a procedure that removes antibodies against the person's own body cells and tissues (autoantibodies) from the blood. Medical professionals may use plasmapheresis to treat neurological or autoimmune diseases, toxins in the blood, and lower cholesterol that hasn't responded to medications or dietary changes.
Treatment & Diagnosis
Medications & Supplements
Prevention & Wellness
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