February 202554
Microneedling with minoxidil and finasteride improved density over monotherapy, while PRP plus topical minoxidil raised terminal density most, with oral minoxidil matching topical. Low-dose oral minoxidil showed no association with pericardial effusion in a large cohort. Polynucleotide scalp injections increased hair diameter and density in an uncontrolled study. Topical finasteride 0.25% spray produced twofold plasma accumulation in a phase 1 study. Minoxidil patch testing found 5% solutions sensitized 23–27% of users, falling to 4% at 2%. A review of alopecia drugs reported JAK inhibitors require immune monitoring. Injectable platelet-rich fibrin improved density in treatment-unresponsive patients.
- No association between low-dose oral minoxidil and pericardial effusion in a large retrospective cohort study of nonscarring alopecia patients In a large retrospective cohort of nonscarring alopecia patients, low-dose oral minoxidil was not associated with pericardial effusion.
- Clinical efficacy of microneedle combined with 5% Minoxidil solution and finasteride in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in males In a 45-man trial, microneedling combined with 5% minoxidil and finasteride improved hair density and regrowth more than minoxidil alone or minoxidil plus finasteride.
- Analysing efficacy of low-dose oral minoxidil, topical minoxidil, and platelet-rich plasma with topical minoxidil combination in patients with androgenetic alopecia: a randomized controlled observer blinded trial In a 75-patient randomized trial, PRP plus topical minoxidil raised terminal hair density most, while low-dose oral minoxidil matched topical minoxidil with mild side effects.
- Polynucleotides as a novel therapeutic approach in androgenetic alopecia: an analysis of effectiveness and safety In an uncontrolled 28-patient prospective study, four polynucleotide scalp injections significantly increased hair diameter and density with no serious side effects.
- The Pharmacokinetics of Topical Finasteride 0.25% Spray in Chinese Adult Male Volunteers with Androgenic Alopecia: A Phase I Study In a 12-man phase 1 study, once-daily topical finasteride 0.25% spray produced about twofold plasma accumulation over 7 days and was well tolerated.
- Efficacy, safety and tolerability of drugs for alopecia: a comprehensive review A review of alopecia drugs finds JAK inhibitors promising for alopecia areata but requiring monitoring for immune suppression, alongside standard AGA and scarring-alopecia treatments.
- Analysis of Common Treatment Drugs and Allergen Sensitization in Hair Loss Patients Patch testing in hair-loss patients found 5% minoxidil sensitizes 23–27% of users, dropping to 4% at 2%; adding Hasonide solution also reduced reactions.
- CS12192 Reverses Alopecia Areata by Selectively Targeting JAK3/JAK1/TBK1. In alopecia areata mice, the selective JAK3 inhibitor CS12192 regrew hair comparably to baricitinib with reportedly better safety.
- Black phosphorus nanosheets encapsulated microneedle for multifunctional therapy for androgenic alopecia In mice, black phosphorus microneedles releasing baicalin with mild laser heating regrew hair by modulating follicle gene expression.
- From Scalp Flaps to Follicular Units: A Historical Perspective on Hair Transplantation Techniques Review traces hair transplantation from 1822 scalp flaps to FUT, FUE, robotic procedures and bioengineered follicles, calling it the most effective restoration method.
- New tool in our arsenal: efficacy of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) in androgenetic alopecia treatment In 30 patients unresponsive to conventional treatments, six monthly injectable platelet-rich fibrin sessions improved hair density with an 80% response rate.
- Switching JAK inhibitors: evaluating baricitinib’s effectiveness in alopecia areata after tofacitinib failure In 26 alopecia areata patients switched from tofacitinib, baricitinib lowered SALT scores further, and two-thirds of tofacitinib non-responders improved.
- Pediatric Ewing's Sarcoma and Permanent Chemotherapy‐Induced Alopecia: A Case–Control Study Case–control study of pediatric Ewing's sarcoma survivors found permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia occurs; topical and oral minoxidil helped but rarely restored full regrowth.
- Application of platelet-rich plasma lysate combined with hyaluronic acid microneedles for the treatment of alopecia In mice, microneedle patches releasing platelet-rich plasma lysate regrew hair with fewer applications than daily minoxidil.
- Lasers for treatment of androgenetic alopecia: an in-depth analysis A review finds low-level and fractional laser therapies report improvements in pattern hair loss, but evidence is limited by small studies and bias concerns.
- Transdermal Delivery of Valproate–Choline Ionic Liquid Induces Hair Regrowth In mice, a valproate–choline ionic liquid penetrated skin and regrew hair via Wnt/β-catenin signaling without skin irritation or systemic toxicity.
- Modulating metal-organic frameworks by surface engineering of stearic acid modification for follicular drug delivery and enhanced hair growth promotion In testosterone-challenged mice, stearic-acid-modified metal-organic framework nanoparticles carrying cardamonin promoted hair regrowth via Wnt/β-catenin and other pathways.
- Approaches to management of endocrine therapy–induced alopecia in breast cancer patients A review outlines prescription and over-the-counter options for endocrine-therapy-induced alopecia in breast cancer, noting evidence is lacking.
- Patterns of clinical response in patients with alopecia areata treated with ritlecitinib in the ALLEGRO clinical development programme In the ALLEGRO program, about 45% of ritlecitinib-treated alopecia areata patients were SALT responders by 24 months, with up to 11% needing over a year.
- S100A8 induces cyclophosphamide-induced alopecia via NCF2/NOX2-mediated ferroptosis In a mouse model of cyclophosphamide-induced alopecia, blocking S100A8 with paquinimod reduced hair loss by inhibiting ferroptosis.
- Oral Tofacitinib for the Management of Moderate to Severe Alopecia Areata in Children and Adolescents: A Retrospective Study of 36 Patients In 36 children with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata, oral tofacitinib achieved SALT75 in 72% and complete regrowth in 53%; two stopped for adverse events.
- An International Multicenter, Retrospective Cohort Study of 203 Patients with Pediatric Androgenetic Alopecia In 203 pediatric androgenetic alopecia patients, onset averaged age 13; topical minoxidil was the commonest treatment and was well tolerated.
- RNase L represses hair follicle regeneration through altered innate immune signaling Mice lacking RNase L show enhanced wound-induced hair regrowth, and caspase inhibition promoted regeneration in multiple tissues.
- Scalp hair parameter changes in transgender individuals commencing gender-affirming hormone therapy: A 24-week prospective observational study A 24-week prospective study tracks scalp hair changes in transgender people starting masculinizing or feminizing hormone therapy.
- Epidemiological landscape of androgenetic alopecia in the US: An All of Us cross-sectional study A US cross-sectional study finds finasteride prescribing fell sharply after post-finasteride syndrome reports, with oral minoxidil favored in younger males.
- Efficacy and safety of JAK inhibitors in treating lichen planopilaris or frontal fibrosing alopecia A paper examines the efficacy and safety of JAK inhibitors for lichen planopilaris or frontal fibrosing alopecia.
- Spatiotemporal Switches in Progenitor Cell Fate Govern Upper Hair Follicle Growth and Maintenance Fate-mapping shows the follicle infundibulum is maintained by stochastic progenitor choices with bursts of expansion tied to hair growth phases.
- Bulge-Derived Epithelial Cells Isolated from Human Hair Follicles Using Enzymatic Digestion or Explants Result in Comparable Tissue-Engineered Skin Enzymatic digestion of hair-follicle bulges yielded 5.3 times more epithelial cells than explant culture for tissue-engineered skin.
- Therapeutic Potential of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Extract for Hair Health Enhancement: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial In a 100-person randomized trial, Gynostemma pentaphyllum extract improved hair elasticity, density and diameter over 24 weeks with no serious adverse events.
- Dual Relief: How Atopic Dermatitis Treatments Affect Alopecia Areata—A Small Retrospective Cohort Study In six patients with atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, JAK inhibitors improved both conditions while dupilumab coincided with new or worsening alopecia in two.
- Alopecia Areata Incognita: Current Evidence A review finds alopecia areata incognita causes sudden diffuse shedding, is often underdiagnosed, and usually responds well to topical steroids.
- Wnt signaling modulates mechanotransduction in the epidermis to drive hair follicle regeneration Lab study shows Wnt signaling softens cell nuclei and coordinates tissue mechanics so wounds can regenerate hair follicles.
- Influencing hair regrowth with EGCG by targeting glycogen synthase kinase-3β activity: a molecular dynamics study Molecular dynamics simulations suggest EGCG is the most stable GSK3β inhibitor among three compounds tested for potential hair regrowth.
- Therapeutic Applications of Hair Follicle Transplantation Beyond Hair Restoration A review finds follicular unit excision shows promise for chronic ulcers, hyperhidrosis, vitiligo and scar remodeling beyond hair restoration.
- Unhealthy diet and lifestyle factors linked to female androgenetic alopecia: a community-based study from Jidong study, China In a 3,008-woman Chinese community study, snoring, frequent bacon and preserved-meat intake, and drinking unboiled water were associated with female pattern hair loss.
- Clinical Implications of Genetic Discoveries on Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia a piece discusses clinical implications of genetic discoveries on frontal fibrosing alopecia.
- A Three-Step Diagnostic Algorithm for Alopecia: Pattern Analysis in Trichoscopy A review proposes a three-step trichoscopy algorithm—distribution, scarring status, then specific clues—to diagnose alopecia types non-invasively.
- [[Translated article]]Low-dose oral minoxidil for frontal fibrosing alopecia: a 122-patient case series In a 122-patient series, low-dose oral minoxidil improved the frontotemporal hairline in 45% of frontal fibrosing alopecia patients; hypertrichosis was commonest side effect.
- Enhanced Hair Regrowth Through Dual‐Wavelength Low‐Level Laser Therapy: A Comparative Study on Mice In mice, dual-wavelength low-level laser therapy regrew hair better than single-wavelength treatment over 14 days.
- A Phase 1, Open‐Label Study of the Pharmacokinetics of Ritlecitinib in Children Aged 6–12 Years With Alopecia Areata In 15 children aged 6–12 with alopecia areata, 7 days of ritlecitinib 20 mg was generally well tolerated; one child discontinued for urticaria.
- The role of lipids in promoting hair growth through HIF-1 signaling pathway Lab work shows lipid supplementation promotes dermal papilla cell growth and hair-shaft elongation via HIF-1 signaling, reduced in AGA scalps.
- The impact, prevalence, and association of different forms of hair loss among individuals with anxiety disorder: Systematic review and meta-analysis A meta-analysis of 24 studies finds anxiety disorders in about 47% of people with hair loss.
- Boosting Skin Microcirculation for Androgenetic Alopecia: Does It Work? A commentary asks whether boosting skin microcirculation works for androgenetic alopecia.
- 308 nm–Excimer light together with topical betamethasone valerate in treating alopecia areata In a 30-patient trial, combining 308-nm excimer light with topical betamethasone gave over 50% regrowth in 60% of alopecia areata patches, beating either alone.
- Anti-androgenetic effect of diphlorethohydroxycarmalol on testosterone-induced hair loss by inhibiting 5α-reductase and promoting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in human dermal papilla cells In human dermal papilla cells, the marine compound diphlorethohydroxycarmalol inhibited 5α-reductase and activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
- Oral dutasteride can be considered a first‐line treatment for frontal fibrosing alopecia until high‐quality clinical trials could show better results with other therapies the authors argue oral dutasteride can be considered first-line for frontal fibrosing alopecia until better trial evidence emerges.
- Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp due to EGFR inhibitors: A multicentric study by EADV task force of ‘Dermatology for Cancer Patients’ A 46-patient multicentre study finds EGFR inhibitors can trigger erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp, with scarring alopecia, around 17 weeks after starting treatment.
- Patient-reported outcome improvements following scalp hair regrowth among patients with Alopecia Areata: analysis of the ALLEGRO-2b/3 trial In ALLEGRO-2b/3, alopecia areata patients with meaningful scalp regrowth reported greater improvements in emotional symptoms, mental health, and satisfaction than non-responders.
- Causal Relationship Between Blood Metabolomics and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study A Mendelian randomization study links 23 blood metabolites and fructose/mannose metabolism to female pattern hair loss.
- Research progress on the pathogenesis of androgenetic alopecia A review outlines androgenetic alopecia mechanisms, highlighting 5-alpha reductase, androgen receptors, microinflammation, and follicle stem cell loss.
- Enhanced hair regrowth with five monthly sessions of minoxidil-dutasteride-copper peptides tattooing for androgenetic alopecia assessed by artificial intelligence and blinded evaluators
- Upadacitinib for Alopecia: Current Evidence and Clinical Insights
- Caffeine as an Active Ingredient in Cosmetic Preparations Against Hair Loss: A Systematic Review of Available Clinical Evidence
- Inhibition of the Hippo pathway by verteporfin reduces the proliferation and stemness of rat hair follicle neural crest stem cells under hypoxia