Scientists examining Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa have proposed that the subject, Lisa Gherardini, was experiencing early-stage alopecia areata, a condition causing hair loss. The findings suggest that the absence of eyebrows and eyelashes, along with a receding hairline visible in the 16th-century portrait, are indicators of the autoimmune disorder.
Dr. Luigi Laino, from the Institute of Dermatology and Trichology in Rome, reviewed the artwork and concluded that these features point towards the balding condition, rather than being solely a result of contemporary fashion trends. Previous studies had attributed these characteristics to the prevailing styles of the time.
Alopecia areata can lead to rapid and complete hair loss when the immune system targets hair follicles. The condition affects an estimated 400,000 people in the UK, with onset most common between the ages of 25 and 29. Factors such as stress and hormonal changes can trigger the condition. Researchers noted that Gherardini's life circumstances, including marrying at 15, experiencing the loss of two children, and living amidst the threat of plague, could have contributed to stress-related hair loss.
Laino stated in Clinics in Dermatology that the portrait, completed around 1519, "has always shown" clinical signs of the condition. He advocates for the "most contemplated face in the history of art" to be recognized for these indications of alopecia areata.