Hair Loss Treatment With a Prostaglandin Analogue (Latanoprost)

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the efficacy of a 24-week topical treatment by latanoprost 0.1% on hair growth and pigmentation in healthy volunteers with androgenetic alopecia.
Blume-Peytavi U, Lönnfors S, Hillmann K, Garcia Bartels N.
J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012 May;66(5):794-800. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2011.05.026. Epub 2011 Aug 27.

• Hair loss is most commonly due to androgenetic alopecia (or androgenic). Treatment options are quite limited and include oral vitamin H (Biotin), topical minoxidil, and oral finasteride. When this fails, it may be required to use a wig or undergo hair transplantation to minimize the appearance.
• These limited treatment options add up to the distress of having this condition.

• A newcomer  appears to have entered the therapeutic tools. It is called latanoprost:
  • it is used to treat glaucoma. It is a prostaglandin analogue which acts by dilating blood vessels.
  • it was discovered that it caused thickening and regrowth of eyelashes.

• Naturally questions rose to whether it could be used in scalp hair regrowth. The authors performed a study;
  • 16 men with mild androgenic alopecia (Hamilton II and III) were enrolled.
  • latanoprost 0.1% was applied daily for 24 weeks on small areas of the scalp.
  • measurement of hair growth, density, diameter and anagen/telogen ratio were done.

• RESULTS showed increased density (statistically significant) in all treated subjects when compared with baseline and the non treated areas.

• Although the study only concerned young individuals with mild balding, It is generally speaking a good idea to start treatment as early as possible as regrowth of lost hair tends to be poor and unpredictable.

Contributors

Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland