Lasers, Lights, and Compounds for Hair Loss in Aesthetics

This article discusses the staging of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in women of African descent and reports no new clinical results.

Oral minoxidil may improve hair loss in men and women, but has some side effects.

This review discusses the evidence for post-finasteride syndrome as a condition potentially induced by finasteride and dutasteride, associating them with sexual dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation in a subset of men, and reports no new clinical results.

This review examines the current evidence for platelet-rich plasma in dermatology, finding favorable outcomes particularly for androgenetic alopecia, but highlights the need for more rigorous clinical trials and standardized protocols.

This study observed that low-dose oral minoxidil and topical minoxidil 5% solution both improved hair density in women with female-pattern hair loss, but oral minoxidil may offer advantages in reducing hair shedding.

This article reviews ongoing concerns about the safety of 5α-reductase inhibitors like finasteride, highlighting the lack of long-term data on persistent depression and sexual side effects after drug discontinuation; no new clinical results are reported.

This research review found that platelet-rich plasma treatment generally produced successful hair regrowth in both androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata, despite study differences that limited direct statistical comparison.

This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of low-dose oral minoxidil (2.5-5 mg daily) in men with male androgenetic alopecia, aiming to contribute data to an area with limited previous reports. Results are not provided in the abstract.

This review found that low-level laser therapy significantly increased hair density in adults with androgenic alopecia compared to sham treatments, with greater effects observed at lower treatment frequencies.

This study found that using a fractional CO2 laser in combination with minoxidil significantly increased hair count and thickness in Egyptian men with androgenetic alopecia.

This study found that biotin supplementation is common among patients at a dermatology clinic despite a lack of evidence for its dermatologic benefits and potential interference with lab tests.

This review found that while finasteride may improve female pattern hair loss and hirsutism in women, more long-term studies are needed to optimize its use and assess potential consequences.

This study found that 78% of patients continued taking oral minoxidil for androgenetic or traction alopecia, with 33% reporting decreased hair shedding and 28% noting increased scalp hair.

This study found that a topical combination of 0.25% finasteride and 3% minoxidil may increase hair diameter more effectively than 3% minoxidil alone in postmenopausal women with female pattern hair loss.

This study found that a topical solution combining 0.25% finasteride with 3% minoxidil significantly improved hair growth, as measured by hair density, diameter, and global assessment, in men with androgenetic alopecia, compared to 3% minoxidil alone, over 24 weeks without systemic adverse effects reported.

This study found that combining fractional radiofrequency microneedling with 5% topical minoxidil improved hair count and thickness more than minoxidil alone in Chinese men with male pattern hair loss.

This study found that the new minoxidil formulation, DC0120, was noninferior to the marketed product ALOSTIL® in promoting hair growth for men with androgenetic alopecia over 16 weeks.

This review critiques the unwarranted promotion of biotin for hair and nail improvements, noting the lack of evidence for routine use and highlighting concerning trends in consumer and physician practices.

In this study, adding low-level light therapy to minoxidil significantly improved hair regrowth and patient satisfaction in treating androgenetic alopecia compared to minoxidil alone.

This literature review reported that fractional lasers, like the 1550-nm nonablative erbium-glass laser, may enhance hair regrowth by stimulating a wound healing process, but more randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm their effectiveness and optimize treatment parameters.

In this study, patients with mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia who received platelet-rich plasma injections with microneedling showed improvements in hair growth and thickness, as well as high satisfaction, over a three-month period compared to conventional therapy non-responders.

Combining platelet-rich plasma with 5% minoxidil solution improves hair regrowth in androgenetic alopecia patients.

This study found that combining ablative fractional CO₂ laser therapy with hair growth factors significantly increased hair density in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to using growth factors alone.

In this study, patients with alopecia areata experienced significant hair regrowth using topical latanoprost, minoxidil, or betamethasone valerate, with the addition of latanoprost enhancing the effectiveness of betamethasone valerate, showcasing these treatments as safe and effective options.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma injections significantly improved hair density, thickness, and patient satisfaction in women with female pattern hair loss compared to a placebo.

This study reports that plasma rich in growth factors appeared to improve hair follicle regeneration and patient satisfaction in individuals with androgenetic alopecia, though further trials are needed.

This study observed that autologous platelet-rich plasma treatment improved hair count and density in areas with androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo, with differing outcomes based on the PRP collection device used.

This study found no significant benefit from PRP injections for treating androgenetic alopecia in men, highlighting the need for larger, well-designed trials to assess its effectiveness and safety.

This study found that PRP injections improved hair density, quality, and thickness in males with androgenic alopecia compared to placebo, with reported high patient satisfaction and no major side effects.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma was more effective for treating alopecia areata than topical 5% minoxidil, leading to earlier hair regrowth and reduction in hair abnormalities.

This review discusses the current evidence and highlights gaps in research needed for the wider acceptance of low-level laser therapy as a treatment for hair loss; no new clinical results are provided.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma did not significantly improve hair mass index or hair count in women with female androgenetic alopecia, though some patients perceived benefits in hair quality.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma was not effective in treating androgenetic alopecia in men with grade 4–6 hair loss.

This study found that a marine complex supplement significantly reduced hair shedding and increased hair growth in men with thinning hair over 180 days.

This study concluded that 5α-reductase inhibitors were linked to increased sexual dysfunction in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, but not in men with androgenetic alopecia.

This review examines medical literature on postfinasteride syndrome and reports no new results; the authors call for more controlled studies on permanent sexual dysfunction and mood changes linked to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.

This article reviews the characteristics and distribution of alopecia areata and reports no new clinical results.

This study found that intra-operative platelet-rich plasma therapy may enhance hair regrowth, increase graft density, and activate dormant follicles more effectively than normal saline in follicular unit extraction hair transplant patients.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma injections significantly increased hair count and density in patients with male pattern hair loss without major side effects, suggesting it may be a safe and effective treatment option.

This study found that low-level laser therapy with an 830-nm wavelength most significantly stimulated hair growth in rats, compared to other wavelengths tested.

This study found that an oral marine protein supplement significantly increased hair growth and reduced hair shedding in women with temporary thinning hair over 90 days compared to a placebo.

This study observed that autologous PRP and PDRN injections improved hair thickness and density in women with pattern hair loss, with combined therapy showing greater improvement in thickness than PDRN alone.

This study found that Er–YAG laser treatment significantly enhanced skin absorption and follicular delivery of antialopecia drugs, suggesting a potential laser-assisted approach to treat alopecia.

This study found that both topical and oral finasteride significantly reduced plasma DHT after one week, with lower finasteride plasma exposure for the topical formulation.

This study found that caffeine enhanced hair growth and keratinocyte proliferation in human hair follicles, with female follicles showing greater sensitivity than male ones.

In this study, platelet-rich plasma significantly increased hair regrowth and reduced symptoms of alopecia areata compared to triamcinolone acetonide or placebo, with no observed side effects.

This study found that non-ablative and/or ablative fractional lasers promoted hair growth in patients with certain uncommon hair disorders, though effectiveness varied among different conditions.

This review discusses the use of electromagnetic radiation, including low-level laser therapy, for hair loss management, but it reports no new clinical results and suggests further research.

This study found that autologous platelet-rich plasma increased hair growth potential by enhancing dermal papilla cell proliferation and stimulating key signaling pathways in both cell cultures and mice models.

This study found that treatment with a 1550 nm fractional erbium–glass laser increased hair density and thickness in women with female pattern hair loss, suggesting it may be an effective and safe option.

This study suggests that a 1,550-nm fractional erbium-glass laser may stimulate hair growth in both an alopecia mouse model and human subjects with male pattern hair loss, though further research is needed to determine its clinical applications.

This study found that both topical and oral finasteride had similar therapeutic effects in treating male androgenic alopecia, with no significant differences in hair thickness, counts, or bald area size.

In this study, caffeine applied in a shampoo penetrated hair follicles faster and more effectively than through the skin surface within the first 20 minutes.

This study found that caffeine can stimulate hair growth in vitro and counteract testosterone-induced growth suppression in hair follicles from male AGA patients.

This study reported that a 0.005% finasteride solution may encourage hair regrowth and reduce balding areas in patients with androgenic alopecia, without significant absorption or adverse effects.