May 201316
A US primary care review recommended topical minoxidil or finasteride as first-line pattern hair loss treatments. A multimodal minoxidil microemulsion was found to grow more, thicker hair than minoxidil alone. Twelve months of 2% topical minoxidil improved quality-of-life scores in women with female pattern hair loss. Moderate-to-severe pattern hair loss predicted triple the mortality risk from diabetes and double from heart disease. Scalp cooling with Paxman or cold cap cut docetaxel-induced alopecia risk by 78%, though 13% stopped after one cycle, mostly due to cold sensation. An Ishige sinicola alga extract inhibited 5-alpha-reductase and promoted hair growth in mice.
- Androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) in the United States: What treatments should primary care providers recommend? A US review recommends topical minoxidil 2–5% twice daily or finasteride 1 mg daily as first-line AGA treatments, with the laser comb for non-responders.
- Preparation and evaluation of a multimodal minoxidil microemulsion versus minoxidil alone in the treatment of androgenic alopecia of mixed etiology: a pilot study In a 32-man pilot trial, a minoxidil microemulsion with diclofenac and tea tree oil grew significantly more, thicker hair than minoxidil alone.
- The Promoting Effect of Ishige sinicola on Hair Growth In mice and cultured follicles, an Ishige sinicola alga extract inhibited 5-alpha-reductase and promoted hair growth via dermal papilla proliferation.
- Quality of life in women with female pattern hair loss and the impact of topical minoxidil treatment on quality of life in these patients In 125 women with female pattern hair loss, 12 months of 2% topical minoxidil significantly improved quality-of-life scores.
- Efficacy and tolerability of two scalp cooling systems for the prevention of alopecia associated with docetaxel treatment In a 238-patient trial, scalp cooling with Paxman or cold cap cut docetaxel-induced alopecia risk by 78%; 13% stopped cooling after one cycle, mostly due to cold sensation.
- Association of Androgenetic Alopecia With Mortality From Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Disease In a Taiwanese cohort, moderate-to-severe pattern hair loss independently predicted roughly triple the risk of death from diabetes and double from heart disease.
- Evidence for a polygenic contribution to androgenetic alopecia A genetic study found a polygenic component explains 1.4–4.5% of pattern hair loss risk.
- Aromatase inhibitors induce ‘male pattern hair loss’ in women? a letter asks whether aromatase inhibitors induce male-pattern hair loss in women.
- The changes in the hair cycle during gestation and the post-partum period In 116 women, anagen hair rose during pregnancy and telogen rose after delivery, but changes were modest in most women.
- Local circadian clock gates cell cycle progression of transient amplifying cells during regenerative hair cycling In mice, hair grows faster in the morning and follicles are more vulnerable to radiation-induced hair loss at the daily mitotic peak.
- Many Paths to Alopecia via Compromised Regeneration of Hair Follicle Stem Cells A review describes how compromised regeneration of hair follicle stem cells can cause alopecia and suggests new drug targets.
- Elastic staining versus fluorescent and polarized microscopy in the diagnosis of alopecia In 60 alopecia biopsies, elastic staining most reliably distinguished scarring from nonscarring alopecia; polarized microscopy was specific but less sensitive.
- Technical Considerations for Follicular Unit Extraction in African-American Hair a paper discusses technical considerations for follicular unit extraction in African-American hair.
- Methods of hair loss evaluation: a comparison of TrichoScan<sup>®</sup>with the modified wash test In 41 hair-loss patients, the modified wash test agreed with clinical diagnosis better than TrichoScan, especially for telogen effluvium.
- Hair biology and its comprehensive sequence in female pattern baldness: diagnosis and treatment modalities--Part I. A review outlines hair-cycle biology and the Ludwig classification of female pattern baldness.
- Risk Factors for Male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: The Role of Metabolic Syndrome and Androgenetic Alopecia in a Latin American Population In 907 Latin American men, baldness was linked to urinary symptoms only through age and metabolic factors, not independently.