January 202355
A network meta-analysis of AGA treatments ranked laser comb and dutasteride highest in men, while finasteride and low-dose minoxidil did not beat placebo. A meta-analysis of PRP for hair loss found limited, mostly low-quality evidence of benefit. Adding PRP to topical minoxidil was reported no better than minoxidil alone for female pattern hair loss. 5% minoxidil plus microneedling gave the greatest hair-density gains, beating either treatment alone. Topical TH07 containing finasteride, latanoprost and minoxidil outperformed each ingredient alone in men with androgenetic alopecia. Teledermatology finasteride users mostly reported improved hair with 12% reporting treatment-related adverse events, though response was low and long-term data are lacking. PRP scalp injections improved patient-reported quality-of-life scores in pattern hair loss. High sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was associated with higher risk of male pattern hair loss in young men.
- Hair regrowth treatment efficacy and resistance in androgenetic alopecia: A systematic review and continuous Bayesian network meta-analysis A network meta-analysis of 17 trials ranked AGA treatments; laser comb and dutasteride led in men, while finasteride and low-dose minoxidil did not beat placebo.
- Platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. A meta-analysis found limited, mostly low-quality evidence that PRP benefits hair loss, with no serious adverse events.
- Comparative Efficacy of Topical Minoxidil Alone Against Combination of Topical Minoxidil and Platelet Rich Plasma in Women with Female Pattern Hair Loss-A Pilot, Open Randomised Trial. In 26 women, adding PRP to topical 2% minoxidil was no better than minoxidil alone for female pattern hair loss.
- Patient-reported treatment outcomes and safety of direct-to-consumer teledermatology for finasteride treatment in male androgenetic alopecia: A cross-sectional study In a German telehealth survey, 79% of finasteride users reported improved hair and 12% reported treatment-related adverse events, though only 191 of 2269 patients responded and long-term data are lacking.
- Relative Effects of Minoxidil 5%, Platelet-Rich Plasma, and Microneedling in Pattern Hair Loss: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis A network meta-analysis of 27 trials found 5% minoxidil plus microneedling gave the greatest hair-density gains at 6 months, beating either treatment alone.
- TH07 - A New Novel Topical Treatment for Androgenic Alopecia. A randomized proof-of-concept study found topical TH07 (finasteride, latanoprost, minoxidil) outperformed each ingredient alone in men with androgenetic alopecia, with no systemic adverse events reported.
- An umbrella review of the use of platelet‐rich plasma in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia An umbrella review of PRP for androgenetic alopecia recommends at least three monthly treatments with possible intensive maintenance and long-term follow-up.
- Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Janus Kinase Inhibitors Used in Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis A meta-analysis of JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata found baricitinib 4 mg and deuruxolitinib 12 mg twice daily most effective depending on severity definition.
- Topical Delivery of Atraric Acid Derived from Stereocaulon japonicum with Enhanced Skin Permeation and Hair Regrowth Activity for Androgenic Alopecia In mice, a topical atraric acid formulation increased hair regrowth by 58% and 42% over minoxidil and oral finasteride, respectively.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma for Treatment of Hair Loss Improves Patient-Reported Quality of Life In 92 patients, PRP scalp injections for pattern hair loss significantly improved validated quality-of-life scores after 3–5 months.
- One-step generation of core–shell biomimetic microspheres encapsulating double-layer cells using microfluidics for hair regeneration Microfluidic-made core-shell microspheres carrying two cell layers efficiently generated hair follicles when transplanted into nude mice.
- 3D printing of microneedle arrays for hair regeneration in a controllable region Custom 3D-printed microneedle arrays induced hair regrowth in precisely defined areas in mice by recruiting macrophages and activating hair-follicle stem cells.
- Enhanced skin penetration of Finasteride loaded DMSO-liposomes for the treatment of androgenic alopecia: comparison with conventional liposomes In rats, DMSO-liposome topical finasteride increased follicular density and anagen/telogen ratio more than conventional liposomes or finasteride solution.
- The Association between Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Male Pattern Hair Loss in Young Men In 1028 young Chinese men, high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was associated with higher risk of male pattern hair loss.
- Curcumin-zinc framework encapsulated microneedle patch for promoting hair growth A curcumin-zinc framework microneedle patch improved hair regrowth in mouse models of androgenic alopecia and wound healing.
- Trichoscopic Patterns and Confocal Microscopy Features of Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia In 24 chemotherapy patients, trichoscopy and confocal microscopy showed anagen effluvium features with prominent black dots and abnormal hair shafts.
- Effect of fractional laser alone or in combination on alopecia areata: A systematic review and meta‐analysis A meta-analysis found fractional laser, alone or combined with minoxidil or corticosteroids, effective for alopecia areata without increasing adverse effects.
- Progenitor-derived endothelin controls dermal sheath contraction for hair follicle regression In a mechanistic study, endothelin signaling from dying progenitors was found to drive dermal sheath contraction and hair follicle regression; blocking it halted regression.
- Association between genetically predicted leukocyte telomere length and non-scarring alopecia: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study A Mendelian randomization study found genetically shorter leukocyte telomeres increased androgenetic alopecia risk about fourfold, with no link to alopecia areata.
- Selective Janus kinase 1 inhibition resolves inflammation and restores hair growth offering a viable treatment option for alopecia areata In AA-model mice, selective JAK1 inhibition restored hair growth and resolved inflammation, but topical treatment failed and prolonged systemic dosing was needed for remission.
- The burden of alopecia areata: A scoping review focusing on quality of life, mental health and work productivity A scoping review found over 75% of alopecia areata patients report impaired quality of life, with 30-68% showing anxiety or depression signs.
- Stauntonia hexaphylla Extract Ameliorates Androgenic Alopecia by Inhibiting Androgen Signaling in Testosterone-induced Alopecia Mice In testosterone-induced alopecia mice, Stauntonia hexaphylla extract reduced 5α-reductase and androgen signaling and increased follicle number.
- Systematic Review of Psychological Interventions for Quality of Life, Mental Health, and Hair Growth in Alopecia Areata and Scarring Alopecia A systematic review found mindfulness, hypnotherapy and coping strategies improved quality of life in alopecia areata, with mixed evidence for hair growth.
- Exploring the overlap between alopecia areata and major depressive disorder: Epidemiological and genetic perspectives Epidemiological and genetic analyses found increased depression prevalence in alopecia areata patients, with genetic overlap confined to the MHC immune region.
- Oral Low-Dose Naltrexone in the Treatment of Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Lichen Planopilaris: An Uncontrolled Open-Label Prospective Study In an uncontrolled study of 26 patients, low-dose naltrexone significantly reduced erythema at 12 months in frontal fibrosing alopecia and lichen planopilaris.
- Integrative and Mechanistic Approach to the Hair Growth Cycle and Hair Loss A review describes the hair growth cycle and the factors that shift follicles between growth and shedding phases.
- A retrospective study of oral tofacitinib therapy for alopecia areata a retrospective study of oral tofacitinib therapy for alopecia areata.
- A Full Factorial Design to Optimize Aminexil Nano Lipid Formulation to Improve Skin Permeation and Efficacy Against Alopecia An aminexil nanostructured lipid carrier penetrated skin well and promoted hair growth better than a market product in chemotherapy-induced alopecia rats.
- Female pattern hair loss A chapter reviews treatment options for female pattern hair loss, including when to check B12, folate, thyroid and androgens.
- Quality of life in children and adolescents with alopecia areata—A systematic review A systematic review of eight studies found alopecia areata substantially impairs children's quality of life, especially embarrassment, self-consciousness and bullying.
- A comparative study of histopathologic features in alopecia areata and pattern hair loss A retrospective biopsy review identified catagen/telogen shift, melanin in fibrous tracts, and dystrophic follicles as features distinguishing alopecia areata from pattern hair loss.
- Anagen hair follicles transplanted into mature human scars remodel fibrotic tissue In a small pilot study, transplanting hair follicles into mature human scars thickened skin, added blood vessels, and reduced fibrotic collagen and pro-fibrotic signals.
- Treatment of moderate-to-severe alopecia areata in adolescents with baricitinib: A retrospective review of 29 patients a retrospective review of baricitinib treatment in 29 adolescents with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata.
- Alopecia Areata: A Review of the Role of Oxidative Stress, Possible Biomarkers, and Potential Novel Therapeutic Approaches A review links oxidative stress to alopecia areata pathogenesis, proposing biomarkers and antioxidant nutraceuticals as adjuncts to JAK inhibitors.
- Pediatric androgenetic alopecia: an updated review A review of pediatric androgenetic alopecia notes topical/oral minoxidil and topical finasteride may be useful despite no approved therapy.
- MicroRNA-1246 Inhibits NFATc1 Phosphorylation and Regulates T Helper 17 Cell Activation in the Pathogenesis of Severe Alopecia Areata Lab experiments showed miR-1246 suppresses NFAT signaling and Th17 activation in cells from severe alopecia areata patients.
- Janus Kinase Inhibitors in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata A review summarizes the role, efficacy and safety of JAK inhibitors in alopecia areata, noting baricitinib as the first approved on-label treatment.
- Alopecia Areata in Skin of Color Patients: New Considerations Sparked by the Approval of Baricitinib A commentary highlights alopecia areata treatment disparities in skin of color patients following baricitinib approval.
- Cellular Senescence: Ageing and Androgenetic Alopecia A review discusses how cellular senescence links ageing and androgenetic alopecia and possible senescence-targeting therapies.
- Bimatoprost versus clobetasol propionate in scalp alopecia areata: A prospective non-randomized open-label clinical trial In a 50-patient trial, bimatoprost and clobetasol gave similar regrowth in scalp alopecia areata, with bimatoprost causing fewer side effects and faster pigmented regrowth.
- Adipose tissue in the treatment of androgenic alopecia. A review (in Czech) of adipose-derived stem cells for treating androgenic alopecia in clinical studies.
- Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Alopecia Areata in Korea: Part I Topical and Device-based Treatment Korean consensus guidelines support topical corticosteroids, intralesional steroid injections and contact immunotherapy for alopecia areata.
- Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Alopecia Areata in Korea: Part II Systemic Treatment Korean consensus guidelines support systemic corticosteroids, oral cyclosporine and oral JAK inhibitors for severe alopecia areata.
- Alopecia Areata Barbae in a Nutshell A review of beard alopecia areata finds topical and oral JAK inhibitors achieve up to 75% beard regrowth in about 12 months.
- Scalp Seborrheic Dermatitis: What We Know So Far A review of scalp seborrheic dermatitis covers its causes, trichoscopy signs and therapies, mainly antifungals and corticosteroids.
- The AR/miR-221/IGF-1 pathway mediates the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia In AGA patient hair follicles, androgen receptor drives miR-221, which suppresses IGF-1 and hair-cell growth, identifying a potential therapeutic target.
- Which is the ideal JAK inhibitor for alopecia areata – Baricitinib, tofacitinib, ritlecitinib or ifidancitinib - Revisiting the immunomechanisms of the JAK pathway A review suggests JAK3-selective inhibitors may offer a better side-effect profile than other JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata, though head-to-head data are lacking.
- Association between Family History and Male Androgenetic Alopecia with Female Pattern Hair Loss In a case-control study, men with androgenetic alopecia and a maternal family history were more likely to show a female pattern of loss.
- Clinical Findings, Response to Steroid Treatment, and Recurrence Rate in Alopecia Areata Patients with or without a Nonsynonymous Variant of Coiled-Coil Alpha-Helical Rod Protein 1 Alopecia areata patients with a CCHCR1 gene variant had higher recurrence rates and hair-shaft abnormalities.
- Alopecia Areata: A Review of the Genetic Variants and Immunodeficiency Disorders Associated with Alopecia Areata A review examines genetic variants and immunodeficiency disorders associated with alopecia areata and potential gene targets for future therapies.
- Normal Trichoscopic Findings after Hair Transplantation in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Prospective Case Series A small prospective series catalogued normal trichoscopic findings in the weeks after FUE hair transplantation.
- Sensitive Scalp and Trichodynia: Epidemiology, Etiopathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Management A review outlines how to diagnose and treat sensitive scalp and trichodynia (scalp pain/itch, sometimes linked to hair loss) via scalp care and topical or systemic drugs.
- γ-Aminobutyric acid promotes the inhibition of hair growth induced by chronic restraint stress
- Hair loss after drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms ( DRESS ): A multicentric retrospective case series
- Hair Regrowth with Novel Hemp Extract