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Previous Volume 341:964-973 September 23, 1999 Number 13 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Hair loss is a common and distressing symptom. With the approval of two drugs that promote hair growth — finasteride and minoxidil — we can now treat patients with some types of hair loss. Both drugs influence the hair-growth cycle and increase the length and diameter of existing hair, although their mechanisms of action differ. In this article, I will focus on the treatment of two common problems, androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata, both of which involve a reversible alteration of the hair-growth cycle.

The Hair-Growth Cycle

Hair growth is cyclic, with phases of growth (anagen), involution (catagen), and rest (telogen) (Figure . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Androgenetic Alopecia

Pathophysiology

Treatment in Men

            Finasteride

            Minoxidil

Treatment in Women

            Minoxidil

            Finasteride

            Estrogen

            Spironolactone

Alopecia Areata

Treatment

            Glucocorticoids

            Minoxidil

            Anthralin

            Topical Immunotherapy

Conclusions

Source Information

From the Department of Dermatology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Price at 350 Parnassus Ave., Ste. 404, San Francisco, CA 94117.

References

Related Letters:

Authors' Conflicts of Interest: A Disclosure and Editors' Reply
Price V. H., Angell M., Wood A. J.J.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1999; 341:1618-1619, Nov 18, 1999. Correspondence

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