Clinical Efficacy of Catgut Embedment Combined with Moxibustion and Bloodletting in the Treatment of Androgenic Alopecia

In 2015, a study involving 84 patients with androgenic alopecia compared the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine techniques (catgut embedment, moxibustion, and bloodletting) to the drug finasteride. After 3 months of treatment and a 3-month follow-up, the traditional techniques showed better results than finasteride. The study suggested these techniques might work by reducing serum testosterone levels and the testosterone to estradiol ratio. It also noted that factors like long-term mental stress, irregular eating and drinking habits, psychological imbalance, and bacterial infections could induce or worsen androgenic alopecia.