Ethics of hair loss treatments
Objectives: 1.Each treatment option comes with its own risks and benefits with varying costs and side effect profiles that are important to consider when initiating therapy.
2. In this lecture I will discuss treatment options like FDA-approved therapies which include topical minoxidil and oral finasteride, often used as first line treatments.However, a variety of off-label options exist including hormone therapy, supplements, low level laser light therapy, platelet rich plasma injections, microneedling, bone marrow derived conditioned media, exosomes, and hair transplantation to consider
Introduction: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of non-scarring hair loss, and is mediated by 5 alpha-reductase and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The underlying mechanism involves androgen-sensitive hair follicles which undergo miniaturization via progressive shortening of successive anagen cycles. This leads to the characteristic receding frontal hairline in men and diffuse hair thinning in women. AGA may be distressing and have a negative impact on an affected individual’s quality of life. A variety of medical, surgical, and nutraceutical treatment options are available in the market to slo
Materials / method: A literature search was conducted using electronic databases (Medline, Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, EBSCO) and textbooks, in addition to the authors’ clinical experience in treating androgenetic alopecia, and the findings are presented here.
Results: AGA-related hair thinning begins between 12-40 years of age in individuals with a genetic predisposition. FDA-approved therapies include topical minoxidil and oral finasteride which are often used as first line treatments. However, a variety of off-label options exist including low level laser light therapy, platelet rich plasma injections, and hair transplantation all of which may be considered as alternative treatments in the appropriate patients.
Conclusion: AGA affects approximately 80% of men and 50% of women with a multifactorial etiology and polygenic inheritance. Despite its high prevalence, AGA remains a challenging condition to treat as approved treatment options are limited and many require high rates of compliance. Each treatment option comes with its own risks and benefits with varying costs and side effect profiles that are important to consider when initiating therapy.
