Fewer than 45% of women go through life with a full head of hair. Female pattern hair loss is the commonest cause of hair loss in women and prevalence increases with advancing age. Affected women may experience psychological distress and impaired social functioning. In most cases the diagnosis can be made clinically and the condition treated medically. While many women using oral antiandrogens ...

Hair loss is a common complaint in the outpatient setting. Frequently, patients conduct their own research on hair loss diagnosis and treatment and are faced with a number of manufacturers' claims that their products will benefit hair loss. This paper explores the truth behind those claims of hair regrowth. We intend for this information to serve as a "consumer report" for healthcare providers ...

I read the article by Dr. Molina et al. on alopecia areata incognita (AAI) with great interest. As the author of the original 1987 article in which the existence of AAI was hypothesized, I feel entitled to present my dissenting opinion with respect to some of statements made by Dr. Molina et al. The case Dr. Molina et al. described and successfully cured is not a case of AAI but rather of diffu...

The literature reveals what little is known about nutritional factors and hair loss. What we do know emanates from studies in protein-energy malnutrition, starvation, and eating disorders. In otherwise healthy individuals, nutritional factors appear to play a role in subjects with persistent increased hair shedding. Hård, 40 years ago, demonstrated the importance of iron supplements in nonanaem...

BACKGROUND Pattern hair loss is a very common problem. Although effective therapeutics for the treatment of pattern hair loss have been used, novel therapeutic modalities are still required to enhance hair growth. OBJECTIVE We investigated the efficacy and safety of a complex (ALAVAX) of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and glycyl-histidyl-lysine (GHK) peptide for the treatment of pattern hair l...

BACKGROUND Telogen effluvium (TE) is a type of acquired, diffuse alopecia that occurs due to an abnormal shift of scalp hair follicles from anagen to telogen, leading to premature shedding of hair. Previous studies have suggested the existence of a neuroimmunologic "brain-hair follicle" axis, in which mast cells have been implicated as an important link between the nervous system and immunologi...

BACKGROUND To pical minoxidil solution 2% stimulates new hair growth and helps stop the loss of hair in men with androgenetic alopecia and women with female pattern hair loss. Results can be variable, and historic experience suggests that higher concentrations of topical minoxidil may enhance efficacy. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this 48-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multic...