Androgenetic alopecia and the effectiveness of the combinations of the available treatments and monotherapy with 5ɑ-reductase inhibitors

Sammanfattning: Androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern baldness, affects the majority of menat some point during their life. This can significantly damage the mental health of theindividuals suffering, especially at a young age. The pathophysiology is not fullyunderstood, but according to the scientific literature, it is mediated by androgensignaling in the scalp. A lack of androgen signaling completely eliminates thepossibility of developing the condition. This is the primary reason behind theeffectiveness of 5ɑ-reductase inhibitors, which effectively reduce androgen signaling bylowering dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations by 98%. These medications areassociated with adverse effects such as sexual dysfunction and anxiety. Use of topicalforms of 5ɑ-reductase inhibitors and minoxidil is therefore on the rise. The purpose ofthis work was to examine the effectiveness of the combinations of the availabletreatments and the most effective monotherapy option. The results indicate thatdutasteride is the most effective option as monotherapy and that a combination of a5ɑ-reductase inhibitor and minoxidil is more effective than either on their own. It wasalso shown that microneedling is a valid adjuvant therapy to minoxidil.