February 202129
Low-dose oral minoxidil caused hypertrichosis in 15.1% of 1404 patients, with infrequent systemic effects and no life-threatening events, though the retrospective study had no control group. Platelet-rich plasma with 5% minoxidil improved hair growth over minoxidil alone. Pumpkin seed oil performed comparably to 5% minoxidil foam for female pattern hair loss. Physcion from Polygonum multiflorum inhibited 5α-reductase and promoted hair growth in vitro and in mice. Artificial hair implantation was found mostly poor quality with reported complications; the practice is banned by the US FDA. Lyophilized growth factor injections improved trichoscopic hair parameters in female pattern hair loss. Mitochondrial pyruvate carrier inhibitors promoted hair growth in shaved mice. Pentoxifylline plus topical steroids ranked highest for alopecia areata, though no best treatment could be named. Oral tofacitinib helped all areata patients but only half of universalis cases, with relapses after stopping.
- Safety of low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss: A multicenter study of 1404 patients In 1404 patients on low-dose oral minoxidil, hypertrichosis affected 15.1% and systemic effects were infrequent with no life-threatening events, but the study was retrospective without a control group.
- Comparison of 5% minoxidil lotion monotherapy versus its combination with autologous platelet rich plasma in androgenetic alopecia in hundred males In 100 men with pattern hair loss, adding platelet-rich plasma injections to 5% minoxidil gave statistically better hair growth than minoxidil alone over 12 months.
- Pumpkin seed oil vs. minoxidil 5% topical foam for the treatment of female pattern hair loss: A randomized comparative trial In a 60-woman randomized trial, pumpkin seed oil improved female pattern hair loss measures comparably to minoxidil 5% foam over 3 months.
- Physcion, a novel inhibitor of 5α-reductase that promotes hair growth in vitro and in vivo Physcion from Polygonum multiflorum inhibits 5α-reductase and promotes hair growth in vitro and in mice.
- Treatments for alopecia areata: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis A 54-trial network meta-analysis ranks pentoxifylline plus topical steroids highest for alopecia areata but cannot name a best treatment.
- Artificial hair implantation for hair restoration A review finds artificial hair implant studies mostly poor quality with reported complications; the practice is banned by the US FDA.
- Lyophilized growth factor intralesional injection in female pattern hair loss: A clinical and trichoscopic study In 20 women with pattern hair loss, three intralesional growth-factor injections improved trichoscopic hair parameters with no reported safety issues.
- Experience with oral tofacitinib in severe alopecia areata with different clinical responses In 13 patients, oral tofacitinib helped all 3 areata patients but only half of universalis cases, with relapses after stopping.
- Development of Novel Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier Inhibitors to Treat Hair Loss New mitochondrial pyruvate carrier inhibitor analogues of UK-5099 promoted obvious hair growth in shaved mice.
- Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of four patients with alopecia areata Four alopecia areata patients averaged 67% hair regrowth after a single intradermal injection of Wharton's jelly stem cells, with no side effects.
- The Angiogenic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from the Hair Follicle Outer Root Sheath Stem cells from plucked hair follicles differentiated into vascular cells with strong angiogenic potential for tissue grafting.
- The Potential Relevance of the Microbiome to Hair Physiology and Regeneration: The Emerging Role of Metagenomics A review explores how the hair follicle microbiome may influence immune privilege, inflammation, and hair loss disorders.
- Preview long hair follicular unit excision: An up‐and‐coming technique A review finds long-hair FUE, which avoids shaving the donor area, gives graft survival and outcomes comparable to shaven FUE, though slower.
- Development and Qualification of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Finasteride and Minoxidil Following Scalp Application A computer model successfully predicted scalp and plasma drug levels after topical finasteride and minoxidil application.
- Functional hair follicle regeneration: an updated review A review summarizes cell sources and bioengineering strategies for regenerating functional hair follicles, still a major challenge.
- Effective strategies to reduce pain during platelet-rich plasma scalp injections: A randomized split-scalp study a randomized split-scalp study tested strategies to reduce pain during platelet-rich plasma scalp injections.
- Transcriptome Profiling of Pilosebaceous Units in Male Androgenetic Alopecia Reveals Altered Junctional Networks transcriptome profiling of pilosebaceous units in male androgenetic alopecia reveals altered junctional networks.
- Observation of the Expression of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and the Potential Effect of Promoting Hair Growth Treated with Chinese Herbal BeauTop In mice, oral Chinese herbal formula BeauTop increased VEGF expression, follicle counts, and hair coverage versus controls.
- Assessment, reliability, and validity of trichoscopy in the evaluation of alopecia in women Trichoscopy agreed well with clinical diagnosis and reliably distinguished alopecia types in women, including doubtful cases.
- Italian Survey for the Evaluation of the Effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Alopecia Areata Recurrence In an Italian survey, 42.5% of COVID-infected alopecia areata patients relapsed versus 12.5% without infection.
- Facial Hair Transplantation for Transgender Patients: A Literature Review and Guidelines for Practice A review finds facial hair transplantation safe and effective for transmasculine patients, recommending deferral until one year after testosterone starts.
- Expansion and characterization of epithelial stem cells with potential for cyclical hair regeneration CD34/CD49f/Itgβ5-triple-positive bulge cells drive long-term hair cycling, identifying the key regenerative stem cell subpopulation.
- Can an in vitro hair drug model be developed using dermal papilla cells alone? Dermal papilla spheroids alone recapitulated drug responses, suggesting a quick first-pass screen for hair drugs.
- Human epithelial stem cell survival within their niche requires “tonic” cannabinoid receptor 1‐signalling—Lessons from the hair follicle In human follicles, tonic CB1 signalling keeps bulge stem cells alive while promoting apoptosis in their differentiated progeny.
- The role of prostaglandins in androgenetic alopecia Scalp biopsies showed bald areas had higher PGD2 and prostacyclin but lower PGE2 and PGF2α than haired areas, suggesting receptor targets.
- Association of fibrosis in the bulge portion with hair follicle miniaturization in androgenetic alopecia a study links fibrosis around the follicle bulge to hair follicle miniaturization in androgenetic alopecia.
- Hair growth promoting effect of bioactive extract from deer antler velvet-loaded niosomes and microspicules serum Deer antler velvet extract in niosome-microspicule serum stimulated dermal papilla cells and increased hair elongation on human scalp in lab testing.
- [A new treatment for androgenetic alopecia : platelet-rich plasma injections]. a French review presents platelet-rich plasma injections as a treatment option for androgenetic alopecia.
- Association of Early-onset Androgenetic Alopecia and Metabolic Syndrome In a case-control study, young men with early-onset pattern hair loss had about four times the rate of metabolic syndrome as matched controls.