October 202248
Adding weekly microneedling to 2% minoxidil raised the effective rate to 85% versus 45% in women. Microneedling plus PRP increased hair count more than PRP alone. Microneedling alone in men produced no improvement in scalp coverage or density. PRP plus 1550 nm fractional laser improved density more than either treatment alone. A safety letter on low-dose oral minoxidil in women described a serious complication, with 1.2% stopping the drug over adverse effects in one large study. A cannabinoid review found topical CBD extract increased nonvellus hair by 93.5% in one trial, though high concentrations may cause hair loss and safety remains unclear. A PRP meta-analysis in women found increased terminal hair density but not thickness. Microneedling delivery of triamcinolone gave the best regrowth in alopecia areata. Baricitinib phase III appraisal confirmed efficacy for severe alopecia areata.
- Retrospective analysis of the risk of hyperkalaemia in women older than 65 years of age prescribed spironolactone for female-pattern hair loss A retrospective study examined hyperkalaemia risk in 87 women over 65 prescribed spironolactone for female pattern hair loss, many with hypertension or on potassium-sparing drugs.
- Serious complication of low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss A letter describes a serious complication of low-dose oral minoxidil for female pattern hair loss, noting that in the largest study (1404 patients) adverse effects led 1.2% to stop the drug.
- Comparison of Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) With PRP Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia In 60 pattern hair loss patients, PRP plus microneedling increased hair count more than PRP alone (24.5% vs 17.9%), especially in grades 2–3.
- Randomized trial of microneedling combined with 2% minoxidil topical solution for the treatment of female pattern hair loss in a Chinese population In 40 women with pattern hair loss, adding weekly microneedling to 2% minoxidil raised the effective rate to 85% versus 45% with minoxidil alone.
- Efficacy and Safety of Scalp Microneedling in Male Pattern Hair Loss In male pattern hair loss, microneedling alone (26 participants) produced no improvement in scalp coverage or hair density, and no adverse events.
- A cannabinoid Hairy‐Tale: Hair loss or hair gain? A review of cannabinoids and hair reports one trial where daily topical CBD extract increased nonvellus hair by 93.5% over 6 months in 35 AGA patients, but high CBD concentrations (≥10 μM) may cause hair loss and further safety studies are needed.
- Evaluating the Efficacy of Platelet Rich Plasma and 1550 nm Fractional Laser in Combination and Alone for the Management of Androgenetic Alopecia In 60 pattern hair loss patients, PRP plus 1550 nm fractional laser improved hair density more than either alone, with no side effects reported.
- Regenerative medicine strategies for hair growth and regeneration: A narrative review of literature A review summarizes stem cell, secretome, exosome and platelet-rich plasma approaches as emerging regenerative options for hair loss.
- Transepidermal Delivery of Triamcinolone Acetonide or Platelet Rich Plasma using either Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser or Microneedling in Treatment of Alopecia Areata In 60 alopecia areata patients, microneedling delivery of triamcinolone gave the best regrowth outcomes among laser/microneedling combinations with triamcinolone or PRP.
- The Philippines stingless bee propolis promotes hair growth through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway In mice, Philippines stingless bee propolis extract promoted hair growth by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hair follicles.
- Bioengineered polyester nanoparticles for the synergistic treatment of androgenic alopecia via the suppression of 5α-reductase and knockdown of androgen receptor Nanoparticles delivering dutasteride plus androgen-receptor siRNA suppressed 5α-reductase and showed strong therapeutic effect in an AGA mouse model.
- Two phase III trials of baricitinib for alopecia areata: a critically appraised research paper A critical appraisal of the BRAVE-AA1 and BRAVE-AA2 phase III trials confirms oral baricitinib (2 mg or 4 mg daily) is effective for severe alopecia areata, representing a potential watershed moment.
- Scalp biomarkers during dupilumab treatment support Th2 pathway pathogenicity in alopecia areata In a randomized trial, dupilumab suppressed Th2 scalp biomarkers and boosted hair keratins in alopecia areata patients before visible regrowth, especially with atopy.
- Use of autologous platelet-rich plasma in androgenetic alopecia in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis A meta-analysis of seven studies found PRP increased terminal hair density in female pattern hair loss but not hair thickness, with no major side effects; larger trials are needed.
- Machine Learning Guided Discovery of Superoxide Dismutase Nanozymes for Androgenetic Alopecia A machine-learning-designed nanozyme microneedle patch regenerated hair better than minoxidil in preclinical testing, with less frequent application.
- Comparison of efficacy, safety and satisfaction of latanoprost versus minoxidil, betamethasone and in combination in patients with alopecia areata: A blinded multiple group randomized controlled trial A randomized trial of 108 alopecia areata patients found latanoprost combined with betamethasone or minoxidil improved regrowth more than minoxidil or betamethasone alone, with no adverse effects.
- An overview of the genetic aspects of hair loss and its connection with nutrition A review of genetics and nutrition in hair loss finds the Mediterranean diet may play a role but evidence is conflicting and data remain limited.
- Female pattern hair loss and polycystic ovarian syndrome: more than just hirsutism A review of pattern hair loss in PCOS notes diagnosis challenges, hirsutism trade-offs of treatments, and limited evidence for newer options like laser and PRP.
- Activated Platelet Rich Plasma versus Non-Activated Platelet Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata A trial of 40 alopecia areata patients found activated and non-activated PRP equally safe and effective, so activation before injection is unnecessary.
- Impaired Cardiometabolic Effects of Bromocriptine in Men With Early‐Onset Androgenic Alopecia Men with early-onset pattern baldness showed blunted cardiometabolic responses to bromocriptine treatment for high prolactin.
- Treatment Patterns and Treatment Satisfaction Among Adults with Alopecia Areata in the United States A 2019 survey of 442 US alopecia areata patients found corticosteroids dominated treatment, with 24% dissatisfied and 29% neutral, showing significant unmet need.
- An assessment for measuring loneliness, anxiety, and depression in male patients with androgenetic alopecia undergoing hair transplantation surgery: A before‐after study In 35 men, hair transplant surgery significantly reduced loneliness, anxiety and depression scores after surgery.
- Emerging drugs for the treatment of alopecia areata A review of alopecia areata treatments notes oral baricitinib is the first drug approved for AA, with more effective options coming, though no treatment works for everyone and relapse after stopping is common.
- Cucurbitacin promotes hair growth in mice by inhibiting the expression of fibroblast growth factor 18 In mice, cucurbitacin cream lowered FGF18 and pushed follicles into the growth phase three days earlier, speeding hair regrowth.
- Dutasteride nanoemulsion preparation to inhibit 5-alpha-hair follicle reductase enzymes in the hair follicle; an ex vivo study. A dutasteride nanoemulsion released drug through rat skin for 6 days ex vivo, suggesting a sustained-release delivery system.
- Ex Vivo Treatment with Allogenic Mesenchymal Stem Cells of a Healthy Donor on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Severe Alopecia Areata: Targeting Dysregulated T Cells and the Acquisition of Immunotolerance In lab dishes, donor mesenchymal stem cells suppressed inflammatory signals and boosted regulatory T cells in blood cells from severe alopecia areata patients.
- Skin‐on‐a‐chip strategies for human hair follicle regeneration A review summarizes hair follicle organoid and organ-on-a-chip systems and future directions for regenerative alopecia research.
- Injectable and biofunctionalized fibrin hydrogels co-embedded with stem cells induce hair follicle genesis Fibrin hydrogels carrying skin-derived stem cells generated de novo hair follicles with blood vessels and sebaceous glands in mice, without teratoma formation.
- The physiological and pharmacological roles of prostaglandins in hair growth A review describes how prostaglandins D2, I2, E2 and F2α are implicated in hair loss and possible therapeutic angles.
- The effect of COVID‐19 on development of hair and nail disorders: a Turkish multicenter, controlled study A Turkish multicenter study of 2171 post-COVID patients found telogen effluvium in 85% of those with hair loss, tied to severe infection.
- An integrative analysis of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competitive endogenous RNA network reveals potential mechanisms in the murine hair follicle cycle In mice, an analysis mapped an RNA network regulating the hair follicle cycle and flagged gene GSPT1 as downregulated in androgenetic alopecia.
- Serum Ferritin Levels amongst Individuals with Androgenetic Alopecia in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. In 114 Nigerians, serum ferritin did not differ between pattern hair loss patients and controls, though premature-onset cases had lower ferritin than adult-onset cases.
- AIRE Deficiency Leads to the Development of Alopecia Areata‒Like Lesions in Mice AIRE-deficient mice spontaneously develop alopecia areata-like lesions with immune privilege collapse and JAK-STAT activation, providing a new disease model.
- Study on the mechanism of cadmium chloride pollution accelerating skin tissue metabolism disorder, aging and inhibiting hair regeneration In mice, cadmium chloride exposure caused skin metabolic disorder, accelerated aging, damaged hair follicle stem cells, and impaired hair regeneration.
- Ox40-Cre–mediated deletion of BRD4 reveals an unexpected phenotype of hair follicle stem cells in alopecia In mice, deleting BRD4 in OX40-expressing hair follicle stem cells killed the cells and caused alopecia with skin inflammation.
- Digital health platforms expand access and improve care for male androgenetic alopecia Among 8983 users of a hair-loss telehealth platform, 81% reported regrowth or halted loss at ~6 months and 91% rarely missed doses.
- Age-associated thin hair displays molecular, structural and mechanical characteristic changes A lab study of women over 50 found age-thinned hairs differ structurally and mechanically from thick hairs, reflecting an 'aged hair program'.
- Hair Follicle Classification and Hair Loss Severity Estimation Using Mask R-CNN A deep-learning algorithm classified hair follicles and graded hair loss severity from scalp images with 4–15% better accuracy than prior methods.
- How Our Microbiome Influences the Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata A review summarizes evidence linking gut and skin microbiota to alopecia areata development without drawing firm conclusions.
- Evaluation of the serum C‐reactive protein–albumin ratio and its relationship with disease severity IN alopecia areata: A prospective case–control study In 65 alopecia areata patients, the serum C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio was elevated and correlated with disease severity, indicating systemic inflammation.
- The Association Between Hair Loss and COVID-19: The Impact of Hair Loss After COVID-19 Infection on the Quality of Life Among Residents in Saudi Arabia A Saudi survey of 806 people found 53% reported hair loss after COVID-19, linked to fever, female sex and prior hair loss.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Androgenetic Alopecia Based on Animal Experiments: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis A meta-analysis of rodent studies found traditional Chinese medicine increased follicle numbers and lowered testosterone in AGA animal models, but authors urge caution over study quality.
- Dermoscopic Findings of Alopecia in Patients with Hypothyroidism A study of 164 patients found distinct dermoscopic signs of inflammation in hypothyroid patients with hair loss versus those with normal thyroid.
- Comparative study between topical application of triamcinolone acetonide after fractional carbon dioxide laser versus microneedling in the treatment of resistant alopecia areata In 30 resistant alopecia areata patients, fractional CO2 laser and microneedling delivery of triamcinolone showed no significant difference in overall effectiveness.
- Transcriptomic analysis identifies regulators of the Wnt signalling and hypoxia-inducible factor pathways as possible mediators of androgenetic alopecia Transcriptomic analysis identified Wnt signalling and hypoxia-inducible factor pathway regulators as possible mediators of androgenetic alopecia.
- Stem cell secretome as a mechanism for restoring hair loss due to stress, particularly alopecia areata: narrative review A narrative review finds stem cell secretions show promise for stress-related alopecia areata in lab and animal studies, but human trials are needed.
- Eyebrow and Eyelash Alopecia: A Clinical Review A review summarizes causes, diagnosis, trichoscopy and treatment of eyebrow and eyelash hair loss (madarosis).
- Impacts of manipulating cell sorting on in vitro hair follicle regeneration In vitro, a ROCK inhibitor reshaped cell aggregates into core-shell structures that sprouted hair shafts with ~100% efficiency.