Androgenetic Alopecia: Therapy Update
May 2023
in “Drugs”
TLDR There are many treatments for common hair loss, but more trials are needed to decide which are best.
Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA), a common form of hair loss, affects 80% of men and 50% of women by age 70. The FDA has approved two drugs for AGA: topical minoxidil and oral finoxidil. Other treatments include topical finasteride, dutasteride, oral minoxidil, spironolactone, flutamide, bicalutamide, clascoterone, pyrilutamide, and injectable treatments like botulinum A toxin and dutasteride mesotherapy. Non-drug treatments include Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment, Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), microneedling, and nutritional supplements. The document concludes that more large-scale, double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trials are needed to make informed decisions about AGA treatments.
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research Efficacy and safety of oral minoxidil in female androgenetic alopecia
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research Efficacy of Intralesional and Oral Dutasteride in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review
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research Finasteride and Its Potential for the Treatment of Female Pattern Hair Loss: Evidence to Date
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research Randomized trial of electrodynamic microneedle combined with 5% minoxidil topical solution for the treatment of Chinese male Androgenetic alopecia
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research A randomized, double-blind controlled study of the efficacy and safety of topical solution of 0.25% finasteride admixed with 3% minoxidil vs. 3% minoxidil solution in the treatment of male androgenetic alopecia
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research A randomized controlled, single-observer blinded study to determine the efficacy of topical minoxidil plus microneedling versus topical minoxidil alone in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia
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research Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Review of the Literature
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research Guidelines on the use of finasteride in androgenetic alopecia
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research Combined treatment with oral finasteride and topical minoxidil in male androgenetic alopecia: a randomized and comparative study in Chinese patients
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research Response to microneedling treatment in men with androgenetic alopecia who failed to respond to conventional therapy
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research Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial.
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research Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil on Hair Growth in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
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research Use of low-level laser therapy as monotherapy or concomitant therapy for male and female Androgenetic alopecia
Low-level laser therapy helps male and female hair loss alone or with other treatments.
research Androgenetic alopecia.
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research Efficacy and Safety of a Low-level Laser Device in the Treatment of Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Multicenter, Randomized, Sham Device-controlled, Double-blind Study
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research Low-Level Light Therapy for Androgenetic Alopecia: A 24-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham Device–Controlled Multicenter Trial
Low-level light therapy safely improves hair growth and thickness for androgenetic alopecia.
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research Utilizing Electromagnetic Radiation for Hair Growth
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research A randomized evaluator blinded study of effect of microneedling in androgenetic alopecia: A pilot study
research Efficacy and safety of 3% minoxidil versus combined 3% minoxidil / 0.1% finasteride in male pattern hair loss: a randomized, double-blind, comparative study.
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Finasteride works better than Serenoa repens for male hair loss.
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research A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the efficacy of a 24-week topical treatment by latanoprost 0.1% on hair growth and pigmentation in healthy volunteers with androgenetic alopecia
Latanoprost 0.1% may effectively treat hair loss.
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Laser hair-comb therapy doesn't improve male-pattern hair loss.
research Prostaglandin D 2 Inhibits Hair Growth and Is Elevated in Bald Scalp of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia
PGD2 stops hair growth and is higher in bald men with AGA.
research Evidence-based (S3) guideline for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in women and in men
Use minoxidil for hair loss; finasteride and dutasteride for men, dutasteride for women.
research Alopecia: evaluation and treatment
The document concludes that proper diagnosis and FDA-approved treatments for different types of hair loss exist, but treatments for severe cases often fail and future improvements may focus on hair follicle stem cells.
research Finasteride, 1 mg daily administration on male androgenetic alopecia in different age groups: 10-year follow-up
Finasteride effectively increases hair growth in men with AGA, works better for those over 30, and may cause some side effects.
research Persistent Sexual Side Effects of Finasteride for Male Pattern Hair Loss
Finasteride for hair loss can cause long-lasting sexual side effects like low libido and erectile dysfunction.
research Treatment of female pattern hair loss with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide
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research Prospective Cohort Study on the Effects and Tolerability of Flutamide in Patients with Female Pattern Hair Loss
Flutamide effectively treats female pattern hair loss with low doses showing good liver tolerance.
research THERAPEUTIC HOTLINE: Treatment of androgenic alopecia with finasteride may result in a high grade prostate cancer in patients: fact or fiction?
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research Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of dutasteride 0.5 mg once daily in male patients with male pattern hair loss: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study
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Spironolactone helps regrow hair in women with hair loss.
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Spironolactone successfully treated hair loss in a 9-year-old girl.
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Finasteride 1 mg helps prevent more hair loss in men with male pattern baldness.
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The dietary supplement helped increase hair growth in women with hair loss.
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Dutasteride more effective for hair growth, but has more side effects than finasteride.
research Treatment of female pattern hair loss with oral antiandrogens
Oral antiandrogens effectively treat female hair loss, with better results in higher hair loss grades.
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research An Open, Randomized, Comparative Study of Oral Finasteride and 5% Topical Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia
Oral finasteride works better than topical minoxidil for hair growth, both are safe.
research Androgenetic Alopecia in Women
Androgenetic alopecia in women needs more research and better management strategies.
research Treatment of hyperandrogenic alopecia in women
Flutamide may slightly improve hair loss in women, but finasteride does not work.
research A randomized clinical trial of 5% topical minoxidil versus 2% topical minoxidil and placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men
5% minoxidil works better for hair growth and density, with minor irritation.
research Comparative Efficacy of Various Treatment Regimens for Androgenetic Alopecia in Men
Best hair growth results from combining finasteride and minoxidil.
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research A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Determine the Effectiveness of Botanically Derived Inhibitors of 5-α-Reductase in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia
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research A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Determine the Effectiveness of Botanically Derived Inhibitors of 5-α-Reductase in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia
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