The Possible Use of Latanoprost in Hair Therapy

The document reviewed the role of latanoprost, a prostaglandin analogue originally used for glaucoma treatment, in hair growth therapy. The descriptive review analyzed publications from databases such as MEDLINE, PUBMED, BVS, Periódicos Capes, and SCIELO during June and July 2018, focusing on studies that involved human subjects. Out of 111 articles related to latanoprost and hair growth, only nine met the inclusion criteria. These studies were mostly case-control types, assessing the topical use of 0.005% latanoprost on scalp hair and eyelashes, particularly for alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia, with participant numbers ranging from 1 to 54. However, not all included studies evaluated the efficacy of latanoprost or described the methods of hair growth assessment adequately. The conclusion was that while it is not possible to affirm latanoprost's effectiveness as a hair therapy, the findings are promising and support further research to better investigate its efficacy, safety, optimal dosage, and treatment duration.