News
Dr. Ueshima, Director of Tokyo Midtown Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Noage, presented "Differences in the progression of male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness revealed by trichoscopy images"
An article titled "Differences in the progression of male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness revealed by trichoscopy images" by Dr. Tomoko Ueshima, Director of Noage Dermatology and Plastic Surgery at Tokyo Midtown, was published in the January 2024 issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (JCD), a cosmetic dermatology and human clinical journal.
- Traditionally, it has been said that male pattern baldness (MAGA) and female pattern baldness (FPHL) progress in a similar way. In addition, there has been insufficient comparison of men and women using trichoscopy (a method of diagnosing hair and hair follicles using a magnifying glass), making it difficult to select an effective treatment.
- The results of this clinical study revealed that there are differences in the progression pathways of male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness. This has led to the formulation of a new hypothesis regarding the progression factors of male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness, which may be useful in the development of new treatments. In particular, it has become clear that when selecting a treatment for an individual patient, it is necessary to take into account these differences in progression pathways and to use an approach that differs from the conventional uniform treatment method.
- A paper on this clinical study will be published in the January 2024 issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (JCD), an academic journal on cosmetic dermatology and human clinical trials.※ 1. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.16177)
*1 Paper title: Divergent progression pathways in male androgenetic alopecia and female pattern hair loss: Trichoscopic perspectives
[Research Objective]
The purpose of this study is to investigate the gender-specific characteristics of male pattern baldness (MAGA) and female pattern baldness (FPHL), as well as to clarify the degree of progression of these conditions during the clinical stage.
[Research background and methods]
Until now, there have been few comparisons between men and women using trichoscopy (a diagnostic method using a magnifying glass to examine hair and the area around hair follicles), making it difficult to select an effective treatment. In this study, we performed a detailed analysis of nine quantitative trichoscopy factors in 126 cases of male pattern baldness and 57 cases of female pattern baldness.
【result】
Among the nine quantitative trichoscopic factors, hair diameter and number of hairs per follicle showed strong correlations with the progression of alopecia in both men and women. Hair density, which has traditionally been used to evaluate hair loss, showed weak correlation with clinical stage in female pattern hair loss and no correlation at all in male pattern hair loss.
In addition, male pattern baldness begins with a gradual decrease in hair diameter, followed by a decrease in the number of hairs per follicle, whereas female pattern baldness shows the opposite progression.
[Research Supervisor]
This clinical study revealed that the changes in quantitative trichoscopic factors observed depending on the progression of alopecia differ between men and women.
The path of progression is
- Route 1: Miniaturization of hair follicles reflected in a decrease in hair diameter
- Route 2Dysfunction of the perifollicular microenvironment reflected in a reduced number of hairs per follicle
Male pattern baldness (MAGA) progresses from pathway 1 to pathway 2, whereas female pattern baldness (FPHL) begins with pathway 2 and progresses to pathway 1.
The findings from this study may be useful in developing treatments for male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness, and may also be useful in selecting treatments for individual patients.
↑Click to enlargeDifferent progression pathways in MAGA (androgenetic alopecia) and FPHL (female pattern hair loss).
FU: Single hair per hair follicle unit APM: Hair papillary muscle
From a paper published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology (JCD) by Dr. Tomoko Ueshima
<Reference information: Test method>
- Target audience:
- 126 Japanese male patients with alopecia (top hair loss) / 57 Japanese female patients with alopecia (frontal to top hair loss)*
*Patients visiting Noage Dermatology and Plastic Surgery at Tokyo Midtown - Test period:
- Two years from March 2021 to April 3
- Statistical analyses used:
- The statistical significance of the differences in the 9 QTFs for each clinical disease duration was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The Mann-Whitney U test was then used to compare selected trichoscopy values for disease duration, between disease stage groups, and between young, middle-aged, and elderly age groups. All statistics were considered statistically significant at a p value of <0.05.
>>For more information about this research, please see the press release
https://www.amcare.co.jp/news/uploads/PR_release_kamishima_amc20240220.pdf
*The content of this page is current as of July 2024, 2.