
Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives

Respiratory health harms often follow flooding: Taking these steps can help

Could tea tree oil help treat acne or athlete’s foot?

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): What to know if you have diabetes or prediabetes or are at risk for these conditions

What could be causing your blurry vision?

Avocado nutrition: Health benefits and easy recipes

Swimming lessons save lives: What parents should know

Preventing and treating iliotibial (IT) band syndrome: Tips for pain-free movement

Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health

What can magnesium do for you and how much do you need?
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a disease in which hair suddenly falls out, leaving round bald patches. In about half of people with alopecia areata, the hair grows back, but may fall out again. In some people, it never grows back.
What causes alopecia areata is still unknown. Scientists suspect it is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles. The painless hair loss mainly affects the scalp, but eyebrows and eyelashes may fall out as well.
Several treatments exist, but with limited effectiveness. These treatments include
- applying a cream containing a corticosteroid drug or minoxidil (Rogaine)
- injecting a corticosteroid drug directly into bald patches
- exposing the bald areas to ultraviolet light
- taking antiviral drugs.
Each treatment has been effective for some people, but none is universally successful. In addition, each has its own side effects or drawbacks.
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives

Respiratory health harms often follow flooding: Taking these steps can help

Could tea tree oil help treat acne or athlete’s foot?

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): What to know if you have diabetes or prediabetes or are at risk for these conditions

What could be causing your blurry vision?

Avocado nutrition: Health benefits and easy recipes

Swimming lessons save lives: What parents should know

Preventing and treating iliotibial (IT) band syndrome: Tips for pain-free movement

Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health

What can magnesium do for you and how much do you need?
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