Clinical, trichoscopic, and folliscopic identification of the impact of metabolic syndrome on the response to intradermal dutasteride 0.02% injection in patients with female pattern hair loss: a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background

No studies investigating the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in treatment response of female pattern hair loss (FPHL).

Objective

In this prospective cohort study, we studied the impact of MetS in response to intradermal dutasteride 0.02% injection in patients with FPHL.

Methods

Fifty-one adult participants with FPHL were classified into study cohorts: with MetS and comparison cohorts without MetS. Both groups underwent clinical, trichoschopic, and digital folliscopic evaluation. Treatment was scheduled over a period of 3 months as four weekly sessions, followed by another four bimonthly sessions. Response was evaluated by digital folliscopy, investigator’s, and patient’s self assessments at 1 and 3 months post-treatment. Side effects were evaluated.

Results

In participants with MetS, there was a significant reduction of the mean percentage of terminal hair with significant increase of the mean percentage of vellus hair (p = .003, .006, respectively) compared with participants without MetS at 1 month after treatment. These significant differences persisted at 3 months after treatment; for terminal and vellus hair (p = .000) with significant reduction in the mean hair thickness (p = .002) compared with participants without MetS.

Conclusions

MetS negatively impacted FPHL in terms of response to intradermal injection of dutasteride 0.02% and severity. Further studies are still needed.

Keywords:

• Metabolic syndrome
• hair loss
• dutasteride
• trichoscope

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.