The results show aromatherapy to be a safe and effective treatment for alopecia areata. We also successfully applied an evidence-based method to an alternative therapy. With herbalism as its basis, aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils and essences derived from plants, flowers, and wood resins, which are generally massaged into the skin. These essential oils have been used to complement traditional medicine with some benefit. 4 Significant, consistent improvement in behavior occurred in 1 of 4 patients with dementia 5 in 10 repeated experiments.
Aromatherapy is also useful in hospice care.
As examples of proven therapeutic benefit, use of sandalwood oil has been shown to significantly inhibit skin papillomas in mice. Tea tree oil is an effective bacteriocide 8 and fungicide, especially for Malassezia furfur . 9 Use of essential oils can also alter the barrier functions of the skin 10 and induce contact dermatitis. These oils have been anecdotally used to treat alopecia for more than 100 years. To date, there have been no controlled trials to evaluate this treatment.