This comprehensive review analyzes androgenetic alopecia treatments, discussing the mechanisms, costs, efficacy, and safety of FDA-approved drugs like minoxidil and finasteride, as well as newer non-FDA-approved options that have shown effectiveness across various studies.
1 citations
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August 2022 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” In this study, the authors reported that oral dutasteride at 0.5 mg/day showed a probable greater efficacy in treating male androgenetic alopecia compared to finasteride and minoxidil, but it may cause sexual dysfunction and neuropsychiatric side effects.
June 2022 in “Frontiers in Medicine” This review discusses acupuncture and moxibustion for alopecia and reports evidence suggesting their efficacy for various types of hair loss, but notes barriers like cost and aversion to needles.
2 citations
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December 2021 in “Dermatology and therapy” This review reports that clinical studies generally showed favorable results for microneedling as an adjunct therapy for androgenic alopecia and alopecia areata, despite the low quality of existing data.
290 citations
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August 2021 in “Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology” JAK inhibitors show promise for treating alopecia areata, but more research is needed.
4 citations
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July 2021 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This meta-analysis reported that finasteride 1 mg/day significantly increased hair count in male androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo, but highlighted persistent sexual side effects and associated depression risk.
March 2021 in “Annals of palliative medicine” This meta-analysis found that plum-blossom needling, as an add-on therapy, provided moderate beneficial effects on hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients compared to conventional treatment alone.
117 citations
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August 2019 in “Drug Design Development and Therapy” This review article provides an updated overview of the pharmacology, mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and adverse events associated with topical minoxidil, a widely used treatment for androgenetic alopecia and other hair loss conditions, while noting that its exact mechanism is still not fully understood.
290 citations
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December 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This article reviews the epidemiology, clinical evaluation, and pathogenesis of alopecia areata and highlights recent advancements, but it does not report new clinical findings.
136 citations
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January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” This study found that adding microneedling to minoxidil treatment significantly improved hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to minoxidil alone across all assessed measures.
152 citations
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April 2012 in “Recent Patents on Inflammation & Allergy Drug Discovery” This review describes minoxidil's hair regrowth mechanism and discusses dermatological applications, but reports no new clinical results, emphasizing the need for regular use and addressing allergic reactions.
