Therapeutic Approaches to the Management of Common Baldness

The document, published in 1999, discusses the management of common baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia. This condition, which affects both sexes of all races, is an androgen-dependent hair loss that follows specific patterns. It is a physiological process that can take on disease quality due to psychosocial components. The authors emphasized the importance of considering these factors when discussing treatment options, as a cure cannot be offered. Cosmetic measures include back-combing, perms, hairpieces, and wigs. Medical therapies include systemic antiandrogens and topical minoxidil, while surgical options comprise follicular transplantation, scalp reduction, and rotation. The authors also stressed the need for careful consideration of the differential diagnosis, which could include drug-induced hair thinning, anagen effluvium, diffuse alopecia areata, metabolic disturbances, nutritional deficiencies, and acute as well as chronic telogen effluvium.