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The Journal of Dermatological Treatment Dec 2023Mesotherapy is a technique by which lower doses of therapeutic agents and bioactive substances are administered by intradermal injections to the skin. Through... (Review)
Review
Mesotherapy is a technique by which lower doses of therapeutic agents and bioactive substances are administered by intradermal injections to the skin. Through intradermal injections, mesotherapy can increase the residence time of therapeutic agents in the affected area, thus allowing for the use of lower doses and longer intervals between sessions which may in turn improve the treatment outcome and patient compliance. This systematic review aims to summarize the current literature that evaluates the efficacy of this technique for the treatment of hair loss and provides an overview of the results observed. Of the 416 records identified, 27 articles met the inclusion criteria. To date, mesotherapy using 6 classes of agents and their combinations have been studied; this includes dutasteride, minoxidil, growth factors or autologous suspension, botulinum toxin A, stem cells, and mesh solutions/multivitamins. While several studies report statistically significant improvements in hair growth after treatment, there is currently a lack of standardized regimens. The emergence of adverse effects after mesotherapy has been reported. Further large-scale and controlled clinical trials are warranted to evaluate the utility of mesotherapy for hair loss disorders.
Topics: Humans; Mesotherapy; Alopecia; Minoxidil; Treatment Outcome; Injections, Intradermal
PubMed: 37558233
DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2023.2245084 -
Journal of the European Academy of... Feb 2024Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a scarring alopecia with fronto-temporo-parietal hairline recession. Although no proven treatment for FFA exists, dutasteride has... (Review)
Review
Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a scarring alopecia with fronto-temporo-parietal hairline recession. Although no proven treatment for FFA exists, dutasteride has been suggested as a potential treatment option. We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic response of oral dutasteride in FFA patients. The identification and selection of studies were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis 2020 criteria. To assess the risk of bias for each study, we used the Cochrane's risk of bias in non-randomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) assessment tool. A random effects model meta-analysis was performed. Estimated proportion of stabilization for eligible studies was calculated to evaluate the effectiveness of dutasteride for treating FFA. Among patients who achieved stabilization, subgroup analysis was conducted on those showing improvement. Seven studies including 366 patients who received oral dutasteride were identified. The estimated proportion of patients who experienced stabilization of FFA with oral dutasteride was 0.628 (95% CI: 0.398-0.859). In subgroup analyses of patients who experienced improvement, the estimated proportion of improvement was 0.356 (95% CI: 0.163-0.549). In this systematic review and meta-analysis, oral dutasteride revealed to be a good treatment option for disease stabilization or improvement in patients with FFA.
PubMed: 38357767
DOI: 10.1111/jdv.19802 -
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy :... Jun 2024We aimed to determine the efficacy of the various available oral, topical, and procedural treatment options for hair loss in individuals with androgenic alopecia. Using...
We aimed to determine the efficacy of the various available oral, topical, and procedural treatment options for hair loss in individuals with androgenic alopecia. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review of the National Library of Medicine was performed. Overall, 141 unique studies met our inclusion criteria. We demonstrate that many over the counter (e.g. topical minoxidil, supplements, low-level light treatment), prescription (e.g. oral minoxidil, finasteride, dutasteride), and procedural (e.g. platelet-rich plasma, fractionated lasers, hair transplantation) treatments successfully promote hair growth, highlighting the superiority of a multifaceted and individualized approach to management.
PubMed: 38852607
DOI: 10.1080/14764172.2024.2362126 -
European Urology Focus Apr 20245α-Reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) are widely prescribed for treatment of benign prostatic obstruction and androgenic alopecia. Several studies with controversial... (Review)
Review
5α-Reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) are widely prescribed for treatment of benign prostatic obstruction and androgenic alopecia. Several studies with controversial findings regarding 5-ARI exposure have been published over a number of years, and concerns were recently raised about the potential risks of depression and suicide associated with 5-ARIs. To investigate this association, we conducted a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis. Five studies involving 2213600 patients met our inclusion criteria. We found no statistically significant association between 5-ARI exposure and the risk of depression (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-2.00; p = 0.23) or suicide (aHR 1.30, 95% CI 0.65-2.61; p = 0.45). Subgroup analyses for finasteride and dutasteride revealed similar results. When restricting the analysis to patients without a prior diagnosis of depression, we observed similar findings (aHR for suicide 1.00, 95% CI 0.68-1.46; p = 0.98). PATIENT SUMMARY: We reviewed study data for more than two million patients taking drugs called 5α-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs), which are widely prescribed for urinary problems caused by benign prostate enlargement and for male-pattern hair loss. In a pooled analysis we found no evidence of an association between 5-ARI use and the risk of depression or suicide.
PubMed: 38692949
DOI: 10.1016/j.euf.2024.04.009