title: Changes in hair weight and hair count in men with androgenetic alopecia after treatment with finasteride, 1 mg, daily.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Finasteride, a type II 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, reduces scalp and serum dihydrotestosterone and has been shown to be effective in men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of finasteride on scalp hair weight in men with AGA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six men with AGA received finasteride, 1 mg/d, or placebo in a 48-week study, and 49 men continued in a 48-week extension. Efficacy was assessed by scalp hair weights and hair counts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As expected, hair counts improved with finasteride (net mean percent change +/- SE [95% CI] compared with placebo = 9.2% +/- 2.8% [3.8, 14.6] and 15.4% +/- 3.2% [9.1, 21.7] at 48 and 96 weeks, respectively; P <.01 for both time points), and net improvements in hair weight were greater (25.6% +/- 3.6% [18.5, 32.7] and 35.8% +/- 4.6% [26.7, 44.8] at 48 and 96 weeks, respectively; P <.001 for both time points). Finasteride was generally well tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, finasteride, 1 mg, increased hair weight in men with AGA. Hair weight increased to a larger extent than hair count, implying that factors other than the number of hairs, such as increased growth rate (length) and thickness of hairs, contribute to the beneficial effects of finasteride in treated men.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Vera H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Emory
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Menefee
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruane
authors.forename: Keith D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D000328:Adult; D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018120:Finasteride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006197:Hair / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D058891:5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018120:Finasteride