4 citations
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May 2020 in “Annals of palliative medicine” In this clinical study, plum blossom needle acupuncture and qi-invigorating therapy were reported to be more effective than conventional Western medicine for treating seborrheic alopecia, as they improved hormone levels, reduced hair loss, and stimulated hair growth among the 87 patients observed.
January 2026 in “MEDS Clinical Medicine” This review discusses the combined use of plum-blossom and Daoma needle therapy for androgenic alopecia, emphasizing its potential benefits and the need for further clinical research, but reports no new results.
In this study, adding plum blossom needle tapping to finasteride treatment significantly improved the clinical efficacy and symptom scores for male patients with androgenic alopecia compared to finasteride alone.
In this study, researchers aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combining plum-blossom needle tapping with ginger juice rubbing to prevent hair loss in obese women after metabolic bariatric surgery, through a randomized controlled trial involving 96 participants.
March 2021 in “Annals of palliative medicine” This meta-analysis found that plum-blossom needling, as an add-on therapy, provided moderate beneficial effects on hair regrowth in alopecia areata patients compared to conventional treatment alone.
3 citations
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June 2011 in “Journal of acupuncture and tuina science/Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science” This study reported that acupuncture therapy was more effective than medication in treating alopecia areata, showing higher curative and total effective rates after four months.
August 2011 in “동의생리병리학회지” This study found that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy increased hair follicle growth and enhanced the expression of several growth factors in hair follicle cycles compared to a control group.
May 2026 in “Complementary Medicine Research” This case report documented the successful treatment of a 61-year-old male's persistent alopecia areata with acupuncture therapy, showing significant improvement within 2 months and complete resolution in 9 months, underscoring acupuncture's potential role in managing long-standing alopecia without drugs.
This case study reported that acupuncture therapy successfully resolved long-standing alopecia areata in a 61-year-old male after nine months of treatment, suggesting potential efficacy without pharmacological intervention.
This case report describes a 61-year-old man with long-standing alopecia areata who experienced complete hair regrowth following nine months of acupuncture therapy, suggesting potential efficacy for this non-pharmacological treatment in managing the condition.
December 2025 in “JURNAL ILMU KEDOKTERAN DAN KESEHATAN” This study reported that a 29-year-old woman with telogen effluvium experienced improved hair growth and reduced hair loss through 12 sessions of plum blossom acupuncture combined with electroacupuncture, as evidenced by new hair growth, improved hair-pull test results, and decreased telogen phase hair percentage.
May 2022 in “Journal of clinical and nursing research” This review article found that fire needle acupuncture has shown promise in treating alopecia areata by acting directly on skin lesions and regulating Qi and blood, aiming to offer diagnostic and treatment insights for managing the condition.
August 2023 in “International journal of research in Ayurveda and pharmacy” This review discusses the potential role of Garudan kizhangu ennai, a polyherbal Siddha formulation, in managing alopecia areata and highlights its various pharmacological properties, although further clinical studies are needed to confirm its efficacy.
40 citations
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August 2018 in “Skin appendage disorders” This review examines complementary and alternative medicine for alopecia and finds limited support from robust clinical trials, highlighting the need for standardized studies to evaluate efficacy and safety.
June 2022 in “Frontiers in Medicine” This review discusses acupuncture and moxibustion for alopecia and reports evidence suggesting their efficacy for various types of hair loss, but notes barriers like cost and aversion to needles.
January 2026 in “Medicine” This study suggests that Hejie Shengfa Decoction may help treat alopecia areata by influencing immune and inflammatory pathways, regulating apoptosis, and enhancing the follicular microenvironment.
May 2019 in “Journal of Acupuncture Research” This study found that pharmacopuncture and topical application of Sebalgukhwa-san extract improved hair growth, density, and thickness in an alopecia mouse model without affecting liver function.
June 2023 in “Stem cell reviews and reports” This review summarizes current methods, effectiveness, and clinical progress of stem cell therapies for androgenetic alopecia, highlighting their potential for hair regrowth and follicle repair despite unclear long-term effects and mechanisms.
January 2022 in “International Journal of Frontiers in Medicine” In this study, the researchers explored the traditional Chinese medicine approach to treating seborrheic alopecia, emphasizing the interplay between zang-fu organs, qi, blood, and body fluids, and highlighted treatments focusing on wind, dampness, heat, blood stasis, and deficiency.
August 2024 in “Clinical and Medical Engineering Live” This abstract highlights that alopecia treatment requires moving beyond outdated methods to a sophisticated approach that considers the complex interplay between genetic susceptibility and immune response in different types of hair loss. Results are not reported.
December 2024 in “Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology” This review discusses the potential of hair follicle stem cells in hair regeneration therapies but reports no new clinical results, highlighting the need for further research to address existing challenges in their application.
14 citations
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October 2020 in “Natural Products and Bioprospecting” This review discusses current topical treatments, natural products, and complementary therapies for androgenetic alopecia, but it reports no new clinical results.
23 citations
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July 2018 in “BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine” This study used association rule mining and network analysis to identify frequently combined herb sets for treating alopecia from 56 articles, highlighting the potential of Polygonum multiflorum, Angelica sinensis, and Ligusticum chuanxiong in traditional medicine and suggesting further bioinformatics research to understand their efficacy.
2 citations
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March 2015 in “World journal of acupuncture-moxibustion” This study concluded that catgut embedment combined with moxibustion and bloodletting may be more effective than finasteride for treating androgenic alopecia, possibly due to reductions in testosterone and the testosterone/estradiol ratio.
August 2025 in “MedScien” This study highlights factors contributing to increasing seborrheic alopecia among teenagers, including hormonal, lifestyle, and psychological influences, and suggests integrated treatment strategies including medication, lifestyle adjustments, and psychological interventions.
August 2024 in “Journal of Contemporary Medical Practice” In this analysis, Professor Ma Shuanquan attributes androgenetic alopecia to liver, spleen, and kidney dysfunctions and describes a treatment approach using Chinese medicines focused on these organs, suggesting individualization and noting significant therapeutic effects.
December 2022 in “Journal of complementary medicine & alternative healthcare” This case report describes significant improvement in adolescent alopecia with a 10-month regimen of traditional Chinese medicine, including oral and external treatments.
January 2022 in “Frontiers in Medical Science Research” This article discusses the perspectives of Western and Chinese medicine on alopecia areata and proposes that blood stasis may be a key factor, recommending treatments focused on blood circulation.
November 2023 in “International journal of biology, pharmacy and allied sciences” This source discusses various causes of hair loss, including conditions like alopecia areata and infections like ringworm, and notes that herbal formulations are gaining attention as potential treatments due to their minimal side effects compared to synthetic drugs.
October 2023 in “Cognizance journal” This study explores using agent-based modeling and nutrition science to predict and treat oral and dental diseases as alternatives to traditional incarceration for managing criminal behavior, but results are not reported.