- Reaction score
- 42
I just posted this reply on another hairloss site. Even though it's slightly out-of-context, it'll be understandable enough:
Yes. They claimed successful results, so it's one more for the positive side for topical finasteride. The score is now pretty balanced: a couple positive ones, and a couple negative ones.
They used a typical vehicle of 50% ethanol, 25% propylene glycol, and 25% water. The results were measured (in part) by taking monthly photographs, and then comparing the photos at the end of the 16-month trial. The photos were graded on the following scale:
5 Complete restoration of hair density
4 Marked reduction of balding area(s)
3 Slight reduction of balding area(s)
2 No change compared to baseline
1 Slight enlargement of balding area(s)
0 Marked enlargement of balding area(s)
Here is the paragraph from their "Evaluation of hair regrowth" section:
"During the first 3 months of the trial, the clinical response was not significant. The scores for hair regrowth ranged from 1 to 2 with no significant difference between the two study groups. By contrast, throughout the subsequent course of the study a significant improvement in the status of the scalp hair was observed among the finasteride-treated patients. At the end of the study, the clinical results were scored 4 in 12 patients and 3 in the remaining 14. Response to treatment was substantiated by both an increase in the hair density at the periphery of balding areas and a progressive, though slow and incomplete retrieval of the hair texture within previously bare sites. Patients initially grew vellus-type hair that tended to change to thicker, pigmented terminal hair as the clinical response progressed. As for the group receiving placebo, only ten patients were evaluable at the end of the study. The high number of dropouts was a result of the lack of any improvement in the status of the scalp hair. These results were scored as follows: 2 in three patients, 1 in three patients and 0 in four patients."
On the issue of whether or not there was any systemic absorption of the finasteride, they write the following paragraph:
"Of the 52 patients enrolled, 36 (69.2%) completed the entire study period. Notably, all dropouts occurred in the placebo group after 1 to 10 months. Moreover, the overall tolerability of the treatment was excellent. No patient experienced any local or systemic untoward effect. In particular, in the finasteride group laboratory data indicated revealed no relevant change in plasma levels of total testosterone, free testosterone or dihydrotestosterone. On the basis of these findings any significant percutaneous absorption of the drug could reasonably be excluded."
Bryan
Yes. They claimed successful results, so it's one more for the positive side for topical finasteride. The score is now pretty balanced: a couple positive ones, and a couple negative ones.
They used a typical vehicle of 50% ethanol, 25% propylene glycol, and 25% water. The results were measured (in part) by taking monthly photographs, and then comparing the photos at the end of the 16-month trial. The photos were graded on the following scale:
5 Complete restoration of hair density
4 Marked reduction of balding area(s)
3 Slight reduction of balding area(s)
2 No change compared to baseline
1 Slight enlargement of balding area(s)
0 Marked enlargement of balding area(s)
Here is the paragraph from their "Evaluation of hair regrowth" section:
"During the first 3 months of the trial, the clinical response was not significant. The scores for hair regrowth ranged from 1 to 2 with no significant difference between the two study groups. By contrast, throughout the subsequent course of the study a significant improvement in the status of the scalp hair was observed among the finasteride-treated patients. At the end of the study, the clinical results were scored 4 in 12 patients and 3 in the remaining 14. Response to treatment was substantiated by both an increase in the hair density at the periphery of balding areas and a progressive, though slow and incomplete retrieval of the hair texture within previously bare sites. Patients initially grew vellus-type hair that tended to change to thicker, pigmented terminal hair as the clinical response progressed. As for the group receiving placebo, only ten patients were evaluable at the end of the study. The high number of dropouts was a result of the lack of any improvement in the status of the scalp hair. These results were scored as follows: 2 in three patients, 1 in three patients and 0 in four patients."
On the issue of whether or not there was any systemic absorption of the finasteride, they write the following paragraph:
"Of the 52 patients enrolled, 36 (69.2%) completed the entire study period. Notably, all dropouts occurred in the placebo group after 1 to 10 months. Moreover, the overall tolerability of the treatment was excellent. No patient experienced any local or systemic untoward effect. In particular, in the finasteride group laboratory data indicated revealed no relevant change in plasma levels of total testosterone, free testosterone or dihydrotestosterone. On the basis of these findings any significant percutaneous absorption of the drug could reasonably be excluded."
Bryan
