Promising therapies for treating a ... | Article | H1 Connect

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is an increasingly common complaint of dermatology clinic patients (it may affect up to 70% of men and 40% of women at some point in their lifetime). Currently, minoxidil, finasteride and surgical hair transplantation are the gold standard therapies for AGA. However, current investigations concerning new treatment approaches have led clinicians to look at the near future with hope. We recommend this article because it concisely reviews both current therapeutic options and future promising therapies for this condition. Also, it briefly assesses the clinical presentation, biochemistry, and the genetics and diagnostic tests for male and female AGA. We summarize here the most interesting topics from this article. The efficacy of dutasteride 2.5mg/day was superior to that of finasteride 5mg/day in one study {1}. Latanoprost significantly increased hair density compared with baseline and placebo and may also encourage pigmentation {2}. Ketoconazole shampoo may be utilized in conjunction with other AGA treatments. Regarding anti-androgens, cyproterone acetate and spironolactone may be of benefit (88% of women receiving oral antiandrogens could expect to see no progression of their female pattern hair loss [FPHL] or improvement {3}). Laser/light treatment for hair loss has become very popular in the last few years; it has also been promoted as a preventative measure against AGA. Concerning this therapeutic approach, Leavitt et al. have demonstrated that a lower-level laser therapy device that contains a single laser module that emulates 9 beams at a wavelength of 655nm is an effective, well tolerated and safe laser phototherapy device for the treatment of AGA in males {4}. Several companies and academic research groups are focused on the development of cell-mediated treatments for AGA. These approaches are still in phase I or II trials. Platelet rich plasma isolated from whole blood is used either as monotherapy, in conjunction with other treatments or to encourage surgical transplanted graft growth. It has been demonstrated to lead to a thickened epithelium, to the proliferation of collagen fibers and fibroblasts, and to an increase in vessels around follicles {5}. In summary, the present article revises in a concise form some relevant literature concerning the existent knowledge regarding AGA therapies. However, the clinical data supporting the use of these recently introduced therapies are still very limited, and further studies are necessary to establish more definitive conclusions.