Measuring Finasteride Efficacy Using Hair Cortex Changes

The article discusses the difficulty in measuring the efficacy of finasteride and describes a potential method using changes in the hair cortex. The method involves using a mixture of cyanoacrylate and ether to create a replica of the hair shaft, which can be observed under a microscope. The study involved a 39-year-old man with androgenetic alopecia who had been taking finasteride for a year and stopped four months before examination. The changes in the thickness of the hair shaft and in the imbrication of scales that followed the interruption of the drug were easily seen. The method is easy and cheap, and the microscope is available in every medical office. However, a larger number of subjects is needed to validate the instrument.