Androgenic alopecia (AGA) is typically treated with a combination of finasteride and minoxidil, which targets androgens, but even with this treatment 40% of patients go bald.
A recent study used dermoscopy to evaluate the effectiveness of using microneedling in combination with injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a treatment modality. Twenty patients participated in the study. Dermoscopic evaluation assessed the number of yellow dots, hair shaft diameter, and number of vellus hairs after each treatment. New hair growth began immediately after the first treatment leading to high patient satisfaction scores. Dermoscopy showed an increase in the number of vellus and total hairs, increased hair shaft diameter, and dramatic reduction or disappearance of black/yellow dots after 12 weeks of 3 sessions of PRP.
The authors conclude that the study supports the use of dermoscopy in evaluating the pre- and post-treatment response and demonstrates an excellent response to PRP with microneedling in patients not responding to conventional therapy.