Dutasteride Mesotherapy for Androgenetic Alopecia: What do we know?
Abstract
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a commondermatologic condition that can cause a significant amount of distress for some patients. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an endogenous hormone, plays a major role in this form of hair loss, causing scalp hairs to undergo miniaturization and reducing the amount of time they spend in the anagen growth phase. Dutasteride is one of several treatment options for AGA. It works by inhibiting 5-α reductase (5-aR) types I and II, ultimately reducing the levels of DHT in the scalp. This can be contrasted to another 5-aR inhibitor, finasteride, which only inhibits the 5-aR type II. Although dutasteride is potentially more potent than finasteride, its longer half-life (~5 weeks), similar side effect profile, and lack of Health Canada approval for AGA make some prescribers more likely to choose finasteride over dutasteride.
Mesotherapy involves injections of a substance, such as vitamins or a medication, into the skin at the correct layer to achieve a desired therapeutic effect while minimizing systemic absorption and adverse effects. The use of dutasteride mesotherapy for AGA has been described somewhat recently; however, a large pool of data is not available to determine its appropriate place in the AGA treatment ladder. Despite this, an increasing number of publications are appearing over time regarding dutasteride mesotherapy. This paper will provide a concise review of potential dosing and injection techniques, adverse effects, and outcomes of dutasteride mesotherapy.
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