Changes of hair diameter after treatment of androgenic alopecia; the first case-control study

Abstract

Diminished hair diameter has been suggested as an early indicator of androgenic alopecia. The objective of the present work is to examine hair diameter changes after appropriate treatments in patients with androgenic alopecia, considering other possible interfering factors such as sex, natural hair color and location of hair sampling on the scalp. In a cross-sectional, case-control setting, 41 patients with androgenic alopecia (the case group) and 41 age and sex-matched healthy individuals (the control groups) were recruited from a referral dermatological center in Tabriz from September 2008 to December 2011. Patients received standard treatments for six months. Hair diameter was measured using a standard digital micrometer (Mitutoyo 0.001 mm, Japan) at baseline and six months later in both groups. In the case group, the mean hair diameter increased significantly from 0.052آ±0.008 to 0.055آ±0.008 m, 6 months later (p = 0.03). In the control group, the change of the mean hair diameter was not statistically significant in the controls. Frontal hairs were the While the mean hair diameter in female patients was higher, the mean change of hair diameter after treatment was significantly more in male patients. The mean hair diameter was significantly higher in light-brown than in dark-brown hairs of the patient's thinnest samples, in this study. In conclusion, although hair diameter increased significantly after treatment, other factors such as gender, hair color and location on the scalp may also play significant roles in this regard.