Management of hair loss
[2] Oils with fatty acids that has been studied to prevent dermatitis includes:[3][4] The scalp must be cleaned from sebum, sweat, and dirt, prior to topical application, for agents to penetrate it.
[6] Commonly, patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis experience mild redness, scaly skin lesions and in some cases hair loss.
[10] Combination therapy of LLLT or microneedling with finasteride[11] or minoxidil demonstrated substantive increases in hair count.
[12] The topical bioavailability of synthetic medicines such as antiandrogens, as well as phytochemicals such as quercetin, has been improved with incorporation of drugs in nanoparticles, or microneedling.
[14] Three medications have evidence to support their use in male pattern hair loss: finasteride, dutasteride and minoxidil.
[26] Dutasteride is also used in the treatment of male pattern hair loss and appears to have better effectiveness than finasteride for the condition.
[27][28][29] While used off-label for male pattern hair loss in most of the world, dutasteride is specifically approved for this indication in South Korea and Japan.
[34] There is tentative evidence for flutamide in women; however, it is associated with relatively high rates of liver problems and strong recommendations have been made against its use.
The types of devices (hat, comb, helmet) and duration did not alter the effectiveness,[43] with more emphasis to be placed on lasers compared to LEDs.
[45] Medical reviews suggest that LLLT is as effective or potentially more than other non invasive and traditional therapies like minoxidil and finasteride but further studies such as RCTs, long term follow up studies, and larger double blinded trials need to be conducted to confirm the initial findings.
[51] Factors that determine efficacy include amount of sessions, double versus single centrifugation, age and gender, and where the PRP is inserted.
[52] Future larger randomized controlled trials and other high quality studies are still recommended to be carried out and published for a stronger consensus.
Compounds found in onion that stimulates hair growth: Dietary supplements are not typically recommended.
[70] While lacking both evidence and expert recommendation, there is a large market for hair growth supplements, especially for products that contain biotin.
The fashion accessory has also been shown to be a source of psychological support for women undergoing chemotherapy, with cancer survivors in one study describing their wig as a "constant companion".
[80] Female androgenic alopecia is characterized by diffuse crown thinning without hairline recession, and like its male counterpart rarely leads to total hair loss.
Other options include topical or systemic spironolactone or flutamide, although they have a high incidence of feminising side effects and are better tolerated in female androgenic hair loss.
[88] Latanoprost has shown ability to promote scalp hair density and pigmentation,[89] and is theorized to function at the dermal papilla.
[92] Estrogens are indirect anti-androgens and can be used to treat androgenetic hair loss in women with oral contraceptives.
Systemic estrogen increases SHBG, which binds androgens, including testosterone and DHT, in turn reducing their bioavailability.
[14] In December 2012, topical application of IGF-1 in a liposomal vehicle led to thicker and more rapid hair growth in transgenic mice with androgenic alopecia.
The study did not show measurable systemic levels or hematopoietic side effects, suggesting potential for use in humans.
[95] Topical capsaicin also stimulates IGF at hair follicles via release of vanilloid receptor-1, which in turn leads to more CGRP.
[100] From 2005 to 2007, Curis and Procter & Gamble collaborated on developing a topical hedgehog agonist for hair loss; the agent did not meet safety standards, and the program was terminated.
[101][102] In 2008, researchers at the University of Bonn announced they have found the genetic basis of two distinct forms of inherited hair loss.
They found the gene P2RY5 causes a rare, inherited form of hair loss called hypotrichosis simplex.
Research has suggested SOX21 as a master regulator of hair shaft cuticle differentiation, with its disruption causing cyclical alopecia in mice models.
