Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Dermatology
  • Dermatology Guidelines
  • Hair loss is not loss...

Hair loss is not loss of hope- Latest management options

Written By : Dr Manoj Kumar Nayak |Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2021-07-29T10:00:46+05:30  |  Updated On 9 Oct 2023 3:00 PM IST
Hair loss is not loss of hope- Latest management options
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

Hair loss is not loss of hope, asserts a review of management options.

Hair loss is a common complaint of dermatologic patients which may be due to genetic, metabolic disorders or inflammatory or non-inflammatory dermatologic diseases. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss seen. Both medical and surgical therapies as sole treatment or in combination have been used in its management. A review of the options in management has been published recently in Dermatology Clinics.

Medical therapy

Minoxidil

It increases the anagen phase of hair follicles. It is available in liquid or foam preparations with usual concentration of 5%. It can be given with steroid and retinoic acid. A 2% formulation is available for women but most clinicians advise stronger concentration unless there are adverse effects. Low dose oral minoxidil has also been used. A starting dose of 1.25 mg/day with hiking upto 2.5 mg is used if the patient does not have any adverse reactions like hypotension, edema, and excess hair growth in undesirable areas.

Finasteride

The authors suggest taking finasteride 1 mg per day for almost all male patients, unless there is a contraindication. Male patients are afraid of change in libido and/or erectile dysfunction due to the drug which is rare and normalizes after stoppage of the drug. Literature stating this side effect to be permanent do not have adequate statistical analysis.

Finasteride can be considered for female pattern alopecia in women of non-childbearing age or who are unable to become pregnant as it can cause fetal abnormalities. Response is variable.

Reports on its new congener dutasteride indicate that it can permanently lower sperm counts in some individuals taking the medication. This class of drugs may lead to exacerbation of depression.

Spironolactone

It possesses antiandrogen properties. It can be used in females with hair loss due to polycystic ovarian syndrome and menopause. The starting dose is often 50 mg per day and increased to 100 mg BID if tolerated. Care must be taken to avoid hypokalemia.

Low-level light lasers

It acts through activation of cyclic AMP using a wavelength of 635- 650 nm. The efficacy thought to be similar to topical minoxidil. It has been approved as safe under Food and Drug Administration 510(K) guidelines.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

Growth factors released from platelets on activation leads to new hair growth. Patients may experience burning sensation post procedure. The concentration of the platelets and amount of leukocytes determine the ability of PRP to produce positive results. The author has found that injection at about the level of the bulb and placement of material in retrograde manner while withdrawing upto the level of sebaceous gland leads to better efficacy.

The author has suggested a PRP session with a waiting period of 1 to 2 months. If there is a response, next session is given at about 3 months. If there is a positive response author has suggested 2 to 4 sessions per year.

PRP can be used in hair transplant procedures both pre and post procedure. PRP can be beneficial in atrophic skin and cicatricial alopecia planned for hair transplant. PRP improves graft survival, allows dense packing of grafts, and causes faster growth of the grafts.

Microneedling

Leads to new hair growth and can be combined with PRP

Exosomes

Vesicles derived from cells of mice which can induce hair growth by affecting β-catenin.

Stem cells

Cell enriched autologous fat grafts that contain multipotent stem cells can generate new hair and restart hair growth in miniaturizing hair. It also improves the texture, vascularity in atrophic skin and makes it suitable for graft placement.

Surgical therapy

Hair transplantation

Follicular unit transplantation (FUT)-

In this a strip of hair bearing tissue is obtained and dissected down to individual follicular units and then transplanted. Hairs just superior to the nuchal ridge and extending to the lateral aspects of the scalp, ending close to the insertion of the ears are usually selected for best yield. It is cheaper than follicular unit excision (FUE). It leaves a residual linear scar which can be mitigated using trichophytic closure like "ledge closure".

FUE- Individual follicular units are harvested using either a handheld punch or robotic device. Long hair FUE techniques are available, but the sessions are usually smaller, more tedious, and more expensive.

Patients undergoing FUT may switch over to FUE or vice-versa depending on scalp laxity and requirement of grafts. In case of decreased graft availability on scalp, body, chest and beard hairs can be used to supplement the donor hair available. It may not provide a good match in terms of caliber, curl, and other growth characteristics. It is best used when there is surrounding scalp hair to blend in.

Flaps, expansion, and scalp reduction surgeries are obsolete now. Expanders and flaps can be very useful in trauma and cancer surgery cases where portions of hair bearing scalp are lost. In case of expanders patients must endure the discomfort of actual expansion over several weeks to months and having a large "balloon" on the head until the expansion is completed.

Scalp micropigmentation

It is a method of tattooing the scalp performed by those who have experience of tattooing for breast reconstruction of the nipple complex. It simulates the appearance of hair at the skin level. It is used in areas where there is still some hair to camouflage the area. It works best in women as their hairline is retained.

Thus this review provides optimum knowledge to dermatologists regarding varied treatment options for hair loss ensuring adequate care for the patient.

Source- Rose PT. Combination Approaches for Combatting Hair Loss. Dermatol Clin. 2021 Jul;39(3):479-485. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2021.04.004. Epub 2021 May 15. PMID: 34053599.

hairlossalopeciaandrogenic alopecianon-scarring alopecia
Source : Dermatologic Clinics
Dr Manoj Kumar Nayak
Dr Manoj Kumar Nayak

    MBBS

    Dr Manoj Kumar Nayak has completed his M.B.B.S. from the prestigious institute Bangalore medical college and research institute, Bengaluru. He completed his M.D. Dermatology from AIIMS Rishikesh. He is actively involved in the field of dermatology with special interests in vitiligo, immunobullous disorders, psoriasis and procedural dermatology. His continued interest in academics and recent developments serves as an inspiration to work with medical dialogues.He can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.

    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
    Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

    Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

    Show Full Article
    Next Story

    Editorial

    Vestibular Migraine: Clinical Update and Role of Buccal Prochlorperazine

    Vestibular Migraine: Clinical Update and Role of Buccal Prochlorperazine

    U.S. FDA Drug Safety Alert: Warning Issued for Severe Itching After Stopping Long-Term Cetirizine or Levocetirizine Use

    U.S. FDA Drug Safety Alert: Warning Issued for Severe Itching After Stopping Long-Term Cetirizine or...

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Prudent Guideline-Based Approach

    Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Prudent Guideline-Based Approach

    Prediabetes and CKD: An Overlooked Interaction in Early Metabolic Disease

    Prediabetes and CKD: An Overlooked Interaction in Early Metabolic Disease

    Environmental Impact on Seborrheic Dermatitis, Tinea versicolor and Dandruff: The Role of Selenium Sulfide in Seborrheic Dermatitis Management

    Environmental Impact on Seborrheic Dermatitis, Tinea versicolor and Dandruff: The Role of Selenium...

    View All

    Journal Club Today

    Face Wash vs Cleanser: Myths Busted for Sensitive Skin by Dr Aman Dua

    Face Wash vs Cleanser: Myths Busted for Sensitive Skin by Dr Aman Dua

    View All

    Health News Today

    Health Bulletin 21/June/2025

    Health Bulletin 21/June/2025

    View All
    © 2022 All Rights Reserved.
    Powered By: Hocalwire
    X
    We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok