July 202622
Oral finasteride versus dutasteride in men improved hair density equally, with erectile dysfunction more frequent on finasteride. Intradermal 10% glucose injections were reported to add terminal hairs per square centimetre over hyaluronic acid alone. A network meta-analysis of off-label therapies ranked topical minoxidil 5% most effective for male pattern hair loss, ahead of topical melatonin, saw palmetto and topical finasteride. Topical latanoprost acid in women was found to increase target-area hair counts across doses. Microneedling mesotherapy combining finasteride and latanoprost gave the highest improvement rates of four protocols, with women responding better than men. A liposomal Sesbania grandiflora supplement was reported to improve hair density and reduce hair fall versus placebo. A review of regenerative add-ons to transplantation found PRP had the strongest evidence while exosomes lacked clinical validation.
- Efficacy and safety of oral finasteride versus dutasteride in moderate-to-severe androgenetic alopecia in males based on trichoscopic and laboratory findings: a clinical comparison in Iran In a 46-man trial, finasteride and dutasteride improved hair density equally with similar safety; erectile dysfunction was more frequent with finasteride, and dutasteride lowered PSA more.
- Intradermal Injections of 10% Glucose (Sihler G) for Scalp Hair Regrowth: A Randomized, Evaluator-Blinded Pilot Study In a 40-person pilot trial, intradermal 10% glucose plus hyaluronic acid added 13 more terminal hairs/cm² than hyaluronic acid alone, with only mild transient adverse events.
- Beyond Minoxidil: Off-Label Therapies for Male Androgenetic Alopecia—A Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analyses A network meta-analysis of 23 studies ranked topical minoxidil 5% most effective for male pattern hair loss, ahead of off-label options like topical melatonin, saw palmetto and topical finasteride.
- Intra-Individual Comparative Study of Methotrexate versus Triamcinolone Acetonide Delivered via Microneedling for Recalcitrant Alopecia Areata In 34 patients with recalcitrant alopecia areata, microneedling-delivered methotrexate reduced SALT scores more and relapsed less than triamcinolone, with only mild transient adverse effects.
- Efficacy and Safety of Oral Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Adults and Adolescents with Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials A meta-analysis of 12 trials (4,141 patients) found oral JAK inhibitors far more effective than placebo in alopecia areata, with more total adverse events but no increase in serious events.
- JAK Inhibitor Safety in Atopic Dermatitis and Alopecia Areata: A 4.5-Year Real-World Retrospective Cohort Study In a 376-patient real-world cohort, JAK inhibitors were mostly well tolerated: cholesterol increase, weight gain and infections were commonest; cardiovascular events and clots were very rare, though real-world risks need continued monitoring.
- Optimization and Characterization of TSG-Enriched Polygonum multiflorum Extract and Its Dual Mechanism Against Androgenetic Alopecia via 5α-Reductase Inhibition and Wnt/β-Catenin Activation In a mouse model of androgenetic alopecia, an enriched Polygonum multiflorum extract accelerated hair regrowth by inhibiting 5α-reductase comparably to finasteride and activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
- Long-term real-world outcomes and tolerability of baricitinib in alopecia areata, totalis, and universalis: A retrospective single-center cohort of 330 patients with trichoscopy monitoring a retrospective single-center cohort tracking long-term outcomes and tolerability of baricitinib in 330 patients with alopecia areata, totalis and universalis using trichoscopy.
- Topical latanoprost acid for female androgenetic alopecia: a pilot proof-of-concept trial with mechanistic evidence of prostaglandin F2α receptor activation In a 29-woman pilot trial, topical latanoprost acid increased target-area hair counts by 17–24 hairs/cm² across doses over six months, with no serious adverse events.
- A Disulfide‐Sticker Strategy for Marine Adhesive Coatings: From Deciphering Self‐Assembly Mechanism to Functional Application in Hair Regeneration In a mouse model of androgenetic alopecia, a scallop-adhesive-protein coating promoted hair regeneration better than minoxidil by boosting angiogenesis, scavenging ROS and activating Wnt signaling.
- Novel Dual Soft Drug Strategy Enables Development of Topical Androgen Receptor Antagonists with Enhanced Efficacy and Optimized Safety for Androgenetic Alopecia A new 'dual soft drug' topical androgen receptor antagonist matched pyrilutamide's efficacy in hair-growth mice with faster onset and preserved safety, aiming to limit systemic exposure.
- Adjunctive regenerative therapies in hair transplantation: a comprehensive review of platelet-rich plasma, exosomes, and emerging methods A review of regenerative add-ons to hair transplantation found PRP has the strongest evidence, while exosomes and emerging methods lack robust clinical validation.
- Efficacy and Safety of Microneedling Combined With Mesotherapy for Androgenic Alopecia: A Retrospective Study Comparing Four Treatment Protocols In a 63-patient retrospective study, microneedling mesotherapy combining finasteride and latanoprost gave the highest improvement rates, and women responded better than men.
- Targeted Follicular Delivery via Liposomal Encapsulation of Sesbania grandiflora - Enhances Hair and Scalp Health: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study In a 180-day placebo-controlled trial, an oral liposomal Sesbania grandiflora supplement significantly improved hair density, thickness, growth rate and reduced hair fall, with no product-related adverse events.
- Long-term efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in the treatment of alopecia areata: A retrospective study In 30 patients on upadacitinib for at least 12 months, alopecia areata response rates reached 56–90% and rose over time, with no serious adverse events; atopic patients responded earlier.
- Lichen Planopilaris After Hair Transplantation and Facial Surgical Procedures: A Systematic Review A systematic review of 66 cases found lichen planopilaris can appear years after hair transplant or facial surgery, though causality is unestablished and the complication is rare.
- Single-cell transcriptomics reveals epithelial-stromal crosstalk underlying fibrotic remodeling in frontal fibrosing alopecia Single-cell sequencing of frontal fibrosing alopecia scalp showed stress-driven reprogramming of follicular epithelial cells alongside a conserved fibroblast activation program driving fibrosis.
- Melatonin Promotes Human Hair Follicle Stem Cell Proliferation by Suppressing 5-AR: Implications for Treating Androgenetic Alopecia In cultured human hair follicle stem cells, melatonin boosted proliferation and migration while lowering 5-alpha-reductase levels, a lab finding whose mechanism remains unclear.
- A dual-mechanism injectable hydrogel integrating reactive oxygen species regulationand low-level laser therapy for androgenetic alopecia remediation An experimental injectable hydrogel combining ROS-scavenging nanozymes with photothermal agents was designed to clear oxidative stress and improve scalp microcirculation for androgenetic alopecia.
- Comparative alopecia outcomes after copper and hormonal intrauterine device placement: A TriNetX database retrospective cohort study a TriNetX database retrospective cohort comparing alopecia outcomes after copper versus hormonal intrauterine device placement.
- Pharmacological Insights into Medicinal Plants and Phytomolecules for the Management of Alopecia with Mechanistic Perspectives and Therapeutic Potential A review of medicinal plants for alopecia identified anti-alopecia mechanisms such as 5α-reductase inhibition and Wnt/β-catenin activation, but says clinical trials are still needed.
- Perifollicular fibrosis and inflammation in androgenetic alopecia and seborrheic dermatitis: diagnostic challenges in differentiation from fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution A biopsy study of 56 men found perifollicular fibrosis and inflammation are common in both androgenetic alopecia and seborrheic dermatitis, so they cannot alone diagnose scarring alopecia.