July 2024 in “Chinese Medical Journal” This study concluded that ACT injections, alone or combined with finasteride, have significant therapeutic effects and safety in treating androgenic alopecia, with promising clinical potential.
May 2024 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology” This study found that topical finasteride mixed with minoxidil improved hair appearance and self-esteem in men with androgenetic alopecia, but it was not superior to oral finasteride and had lower treatment adherence.
April 2024 in “JAMA dermatology” In this randomized clinical trial, oral minoxidil was not superior to topical minoxidil in increasing hair density in men with androgenetic alopecia over 24 weeks, though photographic analysis suggested oral minoxidil may work better on the vertex area of the scalp.
October 2023 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” In this study, a combination of 5% minoxidil lotion and 0.25% topical finasteride spray significantly increased hair density and improved photographic assessments in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to the treatments used alone, with all methods showing good tolerability.
This comprehensive review analyzes androgenetic alopecia treatments, discussing the mechanisms, costs, efficacy, and safety of FDA-approved drugs like minoxidil and finasteride, as well as newer non-FDA-approved options that have shown effectiveness across various studies.
May 2023 in “Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology” This review examines the efficacy of various novel treatments for androgenetic alopecia, including oral minoxidil and platelet-rich plasma, suggesting potential benefits but emphasizing the need for further high-quality clinical trials to thoroughly evaluate their effectiveness.
This review suggests that stem cells might be a promising addition or alternative to standard treatments for androgenic alopecia, but larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
December 2022 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” This study found that topical cetirizine increased hair shaft thickness and improved clinical outcomes from the patients' perspective in female androgenetic alopecia compared to minoxidil alone, with similar side effect profiles.
September 2022 in “Dermatology and therapy” This review discusses the pathological factors and comorbidities associated with androgenetic alopecia and reports no new clinical results, emphasizing the need for improved understanding and treatment in clinical practice.
1 citations
,
August 2022 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” In this study, the authors reported that oral dutasteride at 0.5 mg/day showed a probable greater efficacy in treating male androgenetic alopecia compared to finasteride and minoxidil, but it may cause sexual dysfunction and neuropsychiatric side effects.
June 2022 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” This study found that combining botulinum toxin A injections with finasteride and minoxidil increased hair density in patients with androgenic alopecia more effectively than finasteride and minoxidil alone.
13 citations
,
February 2022 in “JAMA Dermatology” This meta-analysis reported that 0.5 mg/d of dutasteride significantly increased total hair count at 24 weeks compared to finasteride and minoxidil in men with androgenetic alopecia.
1 citations
,
January 2022 in “Annals of Dermatology” In this South Korean retrospective study, dutasteride improved hair growth more effectively than finasteride in men with androgenic alopecia, and had a similar or possibly lower rate of adverse events, suggesting it as a viable treatment option.
17 citations
,
November 2021 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” This review discusses treatment options for androgenetic alopecia, highlighting the need for personalized, evidence-based approaches but reports no new clinical results.
11 citations
,
October 2021 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that topical finasteride significantly increased hair count in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo while maintaining similar efficacy to oral finasteride but with lower systemic exposure and a reduced impact on serum DHT levels, potentially minimizing sexual side effects.
5 citations
,
September 2021 in “Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology” This study found that 3D-cultured dermal papilla cells more accurately mimic in vivo conditions compared to 2D cultures, enhancing our understanding of molecular mechanisms in androgen-induced alopecia.
6 citations
,
August 2021 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This study concluded that a regimen containing functional antioxidants and barrier-enhancing agents reduced hair shedding and increased perceived hair fullness in participants with self-perceived hair thinning over 24 weeks.
August 2021 in “Annales pharmaceutiques françaises” This study used computer simulations to evaluate the absorption of oral and topical finasteride for treating androgenetic alopecia, finding that topical applications resulted in lower plasma concentrations, suggesting potential viability as a treatment option.
2 citations
,
August 2021 in “Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy” In this study, 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy did not improve hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia but was safe and slightly reduced scalp sebum secretion.
4 citations
,
July 2021 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This meta-analysis reported that finasteride 1 mg/day significantly increased hair count in male androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo, but highlighted persistent sexual side effects and associated depression risk.
15 citations
,
July 2021 in “JAMA Dermatology” This study found that androgenetic alopecia is significantly associated with moderate impairment of health-related quality of life and emotions, but not with depressive symptoms.
7 citations
,
April 2021 in “Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences” This study found that while both cetirizine 1% and minoxidil 5% increased hair density in men with androgenetic alopecia, minoxidil showed a significantly higher improvement, and both treatments lost effectiveness after 8 weeks without use; cetirizine was well-tolerated with no significant adverse reactions.
23 citations
,
January 2021 in “Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy” This study found that dihydrotestosterone induced hair loss and changes in hair morphology in male C57BL/6 mice, effects that could be partially reversed by the AR antagonist bicalutamide.
10 citations
,
December 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study found that topical minoxidil 5% gel and spironolactone 1% gel were both effective treatments for androgenetic alopecia, with a combination of both providing the best clinical response and achieving 100% effectiveness among participants.
7 citations
,
December 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy” In this study, intradermal injections of 0.5% minoxidil significantly improved hair growth and volume in women with female androgenetic alopecia compared to a placebo, with a good safety profile reported.
6 citations
,
November 2020 in “Chinese Medical Journal” This study found that among Chinese males with male androgenic alopecia, combination therapy using topical minoxidil and nano-microneedle-assisted fibroblast growth factor significantly improved hair density, diameter, and follicular unit density over 16 weeks, outperforming individual treatments.
59 citations
,
March 2020 in “Journal of Biomedical Science” This study explored the complex roles of niche cells in regulating hair follicle stem cells, identifying specific cell functions such as signaling, sensing, and relaying messages, which could provide insights into treating hair loss conditions like androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata.
15 citations
,
January 2020 in “BioMed Research International” In this study of patients with androgenetic alopecia, botulinum toxin type A was found to significantly increase hair counts and improve hair density and coverage, with enhanced results observed when combined with oral finasteride, revealing a safe and effective treatment approach without adverse effects.
17 citations
,
January 2020 in “The World Journal of Men's Health” This article discusses the potential health risks associated with long-term use of finasteride and dutasteride for prostate and hair loss treatments, suggesting risks may include non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and other metabolic issues.
53 citations
,
August 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study observed that low-dose oral minoxidil and topical minoxidil 5% solution both improved hair density in women with female-pattern hair loss, but oral minoxidil may offer advantages in reducing hair shedding.
117 citations
,
August 2019 in “Drug Design Development and Therapy” This review article provides an updated overview of the pharmacology, mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and adverse events associated with topical minoxidil, a widely used treatment for androgenetic alopecia and other hair loss conditions, while noting that its exact mechanism is still not fully understood.
13 citations
,
March 2019 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” This review explores the inconsistent therapeutic effects and side effects of finasteride for androgenic alopecia, highlighting the need for further research to better predict individual patient responses.
38 citations
,
February 2019 in “Clinical Interventions in Aging” This meta-analysis found that dutasteride was more effective than finasteride in increasing hair count and improving photographic assessments for men with androgenetic alopecia, while both drugs had similar rates of sexual dysfunction-related adverse effects.
28 citations
,
November 2018 in “Journal of structural biology” This study found statistically significant patterns in hair morphology and ultrastructure linked to biogeographic ancestry among European, African, and East Asian populations.
43 citations
,
July 2018 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that a topical solution combining 0.25% finasteride with 3% minoxidil significantly improved hair growth, as measured by hair density, diameter, and global assessment, in men with androgenetic alopecia, compared to 3% minoxidil alone, over 24 weeks without systemic adverse effects reported.
23 citations
,
April 2018 in “PubMed” This review finds preliminary evidence suggesting that topical finasteride may significantly reduce hair loss and increase hair counts in treating androgenetic alopecia, with a promising safety profile.
153 citations
,
March 2017 in “Endocrine” This review examines recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms of androgenetic alopecia, highlighting two major genetic risk loci, but does not report new clinical findings.
33 citations
,
August 2016 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” In this study of men with androgenetic alopecia, dutasteride was shown to be more effective than finasteride in increasing hair count and reversing hair miniaturization over 24 weeks, with both treatments displaying similar side effect profiles.
32 citations
,
February 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” This study found that in Japanese male patients with androgenetic alopecia, dutasteride 0.5 mg daily over 52 weeks was associated with improvements in hair growth and appearance, with reported adverse events mostly mild.
42 citations
,
December 2015 in “International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics” This study found that applying a novel 0.25% finasteride solution to the scalp can effectively reduce scalp DHT levels in men with androgenetic alopecia, potentially reducing systemic side-effects.
32 citations
,
June 2015 in “Dermatologic Therapy” In this study, finasteride was found to be more effective than 5% minoxidil for treating male androgenetic alopecia in Chinese patients, with combination therapy showing the greatest improvement.
23 citations
,
June 2014 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” This study found that the HPCH-based formulation P-08–016 may facilitate finasteride deposition in the dermis, potentially offering an alternative to systemic therapy by minimizing systemic absorption.
14 citations
,
June 2014 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” This study validated the differential stripping technique on hairless rat skin and found that the P-08–016 formulation delivered more finasteride to the epidermis and appendages compared to P-10–008.
269 citations
,
August 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that 5% topical minoxidil significantly increased hair regrowth and improved psychosocial perceptions of hair loss in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to 2% topical minoxidil and placebo over 48 weeks.
123 citations
,
February 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Minoxidil can cause skin allergy; use alternative solvents or treatments if allergic.
121 citations
,
March 1989 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Minoxidil can help grow hair in mice by making cells grow and improving hair quality. More research needed.