Topical Cetirizine for the Management of Androgenic Alopecia: Results of a Pilot Study
September 2023
in “
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
”
TLDR Topical cetirizine may help increase hair length in male pattern baldness and could be an alternative to minoxidil with fewer side effects.
A pilot study conducted in 2019-2020 involving 33 males with androgenic alopecia (AGA) examined the effects of topical cetirizine 1% and topical diclofenac 3% compared to the conventional treatment, minoxidil. The participants were divided into three groups of 11, each receiving one of the treatments. After 4 months, the only variable that improved in the cetirizine group was hair length, while no significant improvement was detected in the diclofenac group. However, the minoxidil group demonstrated a significant improvement in every single covariate after treatment. The study concluded that topical cetirizine 1% might be an option for treating AGA, particularly in those who do not respond to topical minoxidil, due to its fewer potential adverse effects. However, more extensive research is required to confirm these findings.