Placebo Response in Alopecia Studies

This study assessed the placebo response in alopecia treatments and found that hair counts increased in minoxidil studies using subjective investigator-counted hair scores but decreased in finasteride studies using objective computerized software. The results suggested that the placebo effect observed in older minoxidil studies might be due to subjective assessment rather than actual improvement. The study concluded that the placebo effect in alopecia treatments is likely an artifact of study design and not an effective treatment strategy.