Involvement of Mechanical Stress in Androgenetic Alopecia

The document suggested that mechanical stress played a significant role in the patterning and progression of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) by influencing hair follicle miniaturization through mechanotransduction in dermal papilla cells. A strong correlation was found between stress distribution in the galea aponeurotica and AGA progression, indicating that mechanical stress, alongside androgen activity, could accelerate hair loss. The study proposed that treatments reducing scalp muscle tension, such as botulinum toxin Type A, might slow AGA progression. It also highlighted the potential of targeting mechanotransduction pathways as a promising research area, although reversing the fibrotic processes associated with advanced AGA remained challenging.