An Overview of Alopecias

March 2014 in “ Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine ”

Ji Qi, Luis A. Garza

From the encyclopedia

Minoxidil →

An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

Finasteride →

Frontline, gold standard treatment for combatting androgenic alopecia

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Studysummary The document explains different types of hair loss, their causes, and treatments, and suggests future research areas.

Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer

The document from 2014 provides a comprehensive overview of various forms of alopecia, detailing their clinical features, management strategies, and the pathogenesis research available at the time. It covers androgenetic alopecia (AGA), the most common form of hair loss, and its treatments like minoxidil and finasteride, as well as the role of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and genetic predispositions. Alopecia areata (AA) is described as an autoimmune condition with spontaneous hair regrowth in 80% of patients within a year, and treatments include corticosteroids and minoxidil, with research into immunosuppressive drugs. Other noncicatricial and cicatricial alopecias such as telogen effluvium, anagen effluvium, loose anagen syndrome, trichotillomania, traction alopecia, chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus, lichen planopilaris, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia are characterized by their unique clinical features and treatments. The document also discusses future research directions, including cellular therapies and RNA silencing, and the use of various research methods to advance understanding and treatment of alopecia. However, it does not provide specific data on study sizes or clinical trial results.

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Research cited in this study

29 / 29 results

research Prostaglandin D2 Inhibits Hair Growth and Is Elevated in Bald Scalp of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

205 citations , March 2012 in “Science Translational Medicine”

PGD2 stops hair growth and is higher in bald men with AGA.

research Androgen Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Risk for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Meta-Analysis

41 citations , October 2011 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology”

This meta-analysis suggests that the G allele of AR StuI polymorphism might be a potential risk factor for AGA, particularly in white populations.

research Sebaceous Gland Loss and Inflammation in Scarring Alopecia: A Potential Role in Pathogenesis

37 citations , June 2011 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

This study demonstrates that sebaceous gland loss is a common early feature in primary scarring alopecia and suggests that inflammation of sebaceous glands or ducts may contribute to follicular damage.

research Cytokeratin 15 Expression in Central, Centrifugal, Cicatricial Alopecia: New Observations in Normal and Diseased Hair Follicles

14 citations , January 2011 in “Journal of Cutaneous Pathology”

This study found that CK15 is an unreliable marker for assessing bulge zone integrity in cicatricial alopecia follicles due to its altered expression in diseased conditions.

Bald Scalp in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia Retains Hair Follicle Stem Cells but Lacks CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Progenitor Cells

research Bald Scalp in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia Retains Hair Follicle Stem Cells but Lacks CD200-Rich and CD34-Positive Hair Follicle Progenitor Cells

235 citations , January 2011 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation”

This study found that androgenetic alopecia may involve a defect in the conversion of hair follicle stem cells to progenitor cells, as demonstrated by a reduced presence of progenitor cells in bald scalp samples.

research Central Hair Loss in African American Women: Incidence and Potential Risk Factors

76 citations , November 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, a photographic scale and questionnaire revealed that extensive central scalp hair loss was observed in 5.6% of African American women, with an association to a history of tinea capitis.

research Genome-Wide Association Study in Alopecia Areata Implicates Both Innate and Adaptive Immunity

717 citations , June 2010 in “Nature”

This study identified key genetic regions associated with alopecia areata, highlighting both acquired and innate immune involvement, with a novel link to the upregulation of ULBP ligands in autoimmune disease.

research Alefacept for Severe Alopecia Areata: A Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

43 citations , November 2009 in “Archives of dermatology”

This study found that alefacept showed no significant improvement in treating severe alopecia areata compared to placebo over a 24-week period.

research Silencing the Androgen Receptor: New Skills for Antiandrogen Oligonucleotide Skin and Hair Therapy

8 citations , February 2009 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

Targeting androgen receptors with antiandrogen oligonucleotides could effectively treat hair loss.

Thyroid Hormones Directly Alter Human Hair Follicle Functions: Anagen Prolongation and Stimulation of Both Hair Matrix Keratinocyte Proliferation and Hair Pigmentation

research Thyroid Hormones Directly Alter Human Hair Follicle Functions: Anagen Prolongation and Stimulation of Both Hair Matrix Keratinocyte Proliferation and Hair Pigmentation

115 citations , August 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

In this study, T3 and T4 were found to directly influence human hair follicles in vitro, enhancing keratinocyte proliferation, prolonging the hair growth phase, and affecting pigmentation.

research Pseudopelade of Brocq: A Review of a Rare Hair Disorder Leading to Cicatricial Alopecia

39 citations , July 2008 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This review provides a practical approach to diagnosing pseudopelade of Brocq and updates on treatment options but reports no new clinical results.

research Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia

72 citations , July 2008 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This article reviews central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in African-descent females, discussing possible causes, associated styling habits, and potential treatments, but reports no new clinical findings; the authors call for further research.

research EDA2R Is Associated With Androgenetic Alopecia

82 citations , April 2008 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

EDA2R gene linked to hair loss.

research Role of β-Catenin in Epidermal Stem Cell Expansion, Lineage Selection, and Cancer

61 citations , January 2008 in “Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology”

This review examines beta-catenin's role in stem cell renewal, lineage selection, and tumor formation in the epidermis and reports no new experimental findings.

research Maintenance of Hair Follicle Immune Privilege Is Linked to Prevention of NK Cell Attack

253 citations , December 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study suggests that human hair follicles may actively suppress natural killer cells, which contrasts with the observed defects in NK cell regulation in alopecia areata.

research Probing the Effects of Stress Mediators on the Human Hair Follicle

159 citations , November 2007 in “American Journal of Pathology”

In this study, researchers found that substance P triggered premature catagen development and immune changes in human scalp hair follicles, providing a possible biological link between stress and hair loss conditions like telogen effluvium and alopecia areata.

research Premature Senescence of Balding Dermal Papilla Cells In Vitro Is Associated With p16INK4a Expression

141 citations , November 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that balding dermal papilla cells show premature senescence and altered expression of stress and DNA damage markers, suggesting sensitivity to environmental stress in androgenetic alopecia.

research Dihydrotestosterone-Inducible Dickkopf 1 from Balding Dermal Papilla Cells Causes Apoptosis in Follicular Keratinocytes

171 citations , July 2007 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

The researchers reported that DHT-inducible DKK-1 may play a significant role in DHT-driven balding by inhibiting hair follicle cell growth and promoting apoptosis in androgenetic alopecia.

research A Case-Series of 29 Patients with Lichen Planopilaris: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Experience on Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment

113 citations , May 2007 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study suggests that tetracycline may be more effective for treating lichen planopilaris than previously thought, alongside topical high-potency and intralesional corticosteroids.

research Protection Against Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia

97 citations , September 2006 in “Pharmaceutical Research”

This review discusses advances in protecting against chemotherapy-induced alopecia and reports no new clinical results; calcitriol and cyclosporine A emerged as promising agents in animal models with broader efficacy across multiple chemotherapy drugs.

research Hair Growth Inhibition by Psychoemotional Stress: A Mouse Model for Neural Mechanisms in Hair Growth Control

127 citations , December 2005 in “Experimental Dermatology”

This study provides evidence that psychoemotional stress inhibits hair growth in mice by affecting the brain-hair follicle axis, with specific neuropeptides and treatments modulating this effect.

research Modulation of Hair Growth with Small Molecule Agonists of the Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

113 citations , September 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that a topical hedgehog agonist can stimulate hair growth by promoting the transition from the resting to growth phase of the hair cycle in adult mouse skin.

Atrophic Telogen Effluvium from Cytotoxic Drugs and a Randomized Controlled Trial to Investigate the Possible Protective Effect of Pretreatment with a Topical Vitamin D3 Analogue in Humans

research Atrophic Telogen Effluvium from Cytotoxic Drugs and a Randomized Controlled Trial to Investigate the Possible Protective Effect of Pretreatment with a Topical Vitamin D3 Analogue in Humans

47 citations , July 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This study found no protective effect of topical calcipotriol on hair loss in chemotherapy patients, and the authors propose the term "atrophic telogen effluvium" for this type of hair loss.

research Human Hair Follicles Display a Functional Equivalent of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis and Synthesize Cortisol

489 citations , June 2005 in “The FASEB Journal”

This study found that human scalp hair follicles can respond to corticotropin releasing hormone stimulation similarly to the classical HPA axis, including up-regulating cortisol production and activating neuroendocrine feedback loops.

research Medical and Surgical Therapies for Alopecias in Black Women

105 citations , April 2004 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

This review discusses medical and surgical therapies for alopecias in Black women, focusing on the impact of hair-care practices and the importance of patient education, but reports no new clinical results.

research Minoxidil: Mechanisms of Action on Hair Growth

397 citations , February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

This article reviews the mechanisms by which minoxidil stimulates hair growth and reports no new clinical findings.

research Prostaglandin Analogs for Hair Growth: Great Expectations

20 citations , January 2003 in “Dermatology online journal”

This review discusses the potential of prostaglandin analogs for hair growth and forms of alopecia, and reports no new clinical results.

research Incidence of Female Androgenetic Alopecia (Female Pattern Alopecia)

89 citations , January 2001 in “Dermatologic Surgery”

Hair loss in women is common, starts in late 20s, and affects 30% of women over 50.

research The Biology of Hair Follicles

1113 citations , August 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine”

This article discusses the biologic and psychosocial significance of hair, the current limitations in hair growth drugs, and anticipates future therapies based on advancing hair follicle research.