Evaluation of Androgens in the Scalp Hair and Plasma of Patients with Male-Pattern Baldness Before and After Finasteride Administration

April 2006 in “ British Journal of Dermatology ”

Hoon Ryu, Ki Wook Kim, Eun Ah Yoo, Wonbo Sim, Bow Chung

finasteride androgens male-pattern baldness dihydrotestosterone DHT testosterone T vertex scalp hair Propecia MPB

TLDR Finasteride lowers scalp and blood DHT levels, potentially treating male-pattern baldness.

This study examined the effect of finasteride on androgen levels in the scalp hair and plasma of male-pattern baldness (MPB) patients. The results showed that finasteride significantly decreased the levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in both plasma and vertex scalp hair, while having no effect on testosterone (T) levels. The study suggests that finasteride may be an effective treatment for MPB by reducing the levels of DHT.

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Research cited in this study

9 / 9 results

research Molecular Mechanisms of Androgenetic Alopecia

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AGA causes hair loss by shrinking hair follicles due to DHT binding, and can be treated with finasteride and minoxidil.

research Changes in Hair Weight and Hair Count in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia After Treatment with Finasteride, 1 mg, Daily

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Finasteride effectively treats frontal hair loss with few side effects.

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Different Levels of 5α-Reductase Type I and II, Aromatase, and Androgen Receptor in Hair Follicles of Women and Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

research Different Levels of 5α-Reductase Type I and II, Aromatase, and Androgen Receptor in Hair Follicles of Women and Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

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People with hair loss have more androgen receptors and enzymes in certain follicles, with men and women showing different patterns.

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Too much androgen can cause hair loss; finasteride may help.

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Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

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