The Girl With a Pearl Earring: A Dermatological Puzzle

    July 2025 in “ Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ”
    Giampiero Girolomoni, Paolo Gisondi, Martina Maurelli
    TLDR The girl in "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" might have had alopecia areata, causing her lack of eyebrows and sparse eyelashes.
    The article explores the dermatological aspects of Johannes Vermeer's painting "The Girl with a Pearl Earring," focusing on the possibility that the subject may have had alopecia areata, as she appears to lack eyebrows and lashes. The painting's subject, possibly a 'tronie' or the artist's daughter, wears an unusual turban that might suggest scalp alopecia. Sparse eyelashes detected through advanced imaging suggest madarosis, which can result from various causes, including alopecia areata, syphilis, or other conditions. Despite these medical speculations, the painting remains a representation of idealized beauty.
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