Pharmacological Aspects of Hair Follicle Growth

January 1989

Hideo Uno

TLDR Minoxidil and 4-MA can help treat hair loss.

The document discussed the effects of minoxidil and 4-MA on hair growth and baldness prevention. Minoxidil, when applied topically, was effective in promoting hair growth in early-stage androgenetic alopecia and to some extent in alopecia areata. It stimulated mitosis in follicular cells, transforming vellus follicles into terminal ones. In macaque models, 4-MA, a 5α-reductase inhibitor, prevented baldness by reducing dihydrotestosterone activity, which is linked to hair follicle regression. The study highlighted the potential of these pharmacological agents in treating hair loss conditions.

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Research cited in this study

3 / 3 results

research Action of Topical Minoxidil in the Bald Stump-Tailed Macaque

78 citations , March 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Minoxidil promotes hair growth but stops working when discontinued.

research Biology of Hair Growth

46 citations , May 1986 in “Seminars in Reproductive Medicine”

Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone affect hair growth, and new techniques like the folliculogram help study it, but fully understanding hair growth is still complex.

research Effect of Cyproterone Acetate on Hair Growth, Sebaceous Secretion, and Endocrine Parameters in a Hirsute Subject

66 citations , October 1977 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement”

Cyproterone acetate reduces hair growth and oil production.

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research Androgenetic Alopecia

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Oral JAK inhibitors help regrow hair in alopecia patients.

research Hair Loss (Alopecia or Baldness)

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Baldness is often hereditary and linked to male hormones, becoming noticeable when half the hair is lost.

research Hair Restoration Surgery: Follicular Unit Grafting

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Follicular unit grafting is a procedure used to treat hair loss, where small hair grafts are placed into the scalp, with future treatments likely to involve smaller incisions and cell-based therapies.

Female-Patterned Alopecia in Teenage Brothers with Unusual Histologic Features