A new study has shown that combining topical finasteride with minoxidil is more effective than using minoxidil alone in treating male pattern androgenic alopecia.
Dr. Nazia Asad, a dermatologist at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi, Pakistan, and her team explained that several treatments are available for male pattern baldness, including the commonly used medications, minoxidil and finasteride. While these treatments are known to slow hair loss and encourage hair regrowth, they may work differently for each individual.
The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of topical minoxidil 5% used alone versus a combination of finasteride 0.25% and minoxidil 5%, focusing on improvements in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) scores, a scale used to assess hair loss severity.
A total of 164 patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group A used the combination therapy, while Group B used minoxidil alone. Both groups started with an average SALT score of 1.8, with Group A having a standard deviation (SD) of 0.7, and Group B having an SD of 0.6.
After three months of treatment, both groups showed improvement in their SALT scores, with Group A improving to a mean score of 2.9 (SD, 1.3) and Group B reaching 2.7 (SD, 1.9). The improvement was slightly greater in Group A, indicating the combination therapy was more effective.
The study also revealed significant differences in hair growth between the two groups. In Group A, 86.7% of patients showed notable hair growth, compared to 69.1% in Group B. This difference was statistically significant (P = .006). In particular, 100% of Group A patients with vertex (top of the head) involvement showed positive results, compared to just 55.6% in Group B (P = .001). Similarly, for occipital (back of the head) involvement, 100% of Group A patients showed efficacy, compared to 58.8% in Group B (P = .005). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups for parietal (side) and frontal (front) hair involvement.
The researchers concluded that combination therapy using finasteride and minoxidil showed better results than minoxidil alone, suggesting that clinicians may want to consider this approach for patients with androgenic alopecia.
This study highlights the potential benefits of combining treatments for hair loss and offers a promising option for men struggling with male pattern baldness.
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