Topical cetirizine and oral vitamin D: a valid treatment for hypotrichosis caused by ectodermal dysplasia

Therapeutic effects of topical cetirizine in the treatment of female pattern hair loss: a randomized controlled noninferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is the most prevalent form of hair loss in women. It was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of topical cetirizine 1%, versus topical minoxidil 2% in patients with FPHL.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Through a triple-blind randomized clinical trial, 60 women with FPHL were randomly divided into two groups of treatment with topical cetirizine 1% or topical minoxidil 2%. The endpoint was changing in hair loss severity as well as terminal hair density and diameter, according to trichoscopic evaluation. Intention-to-treat analysis was also performed for those who accomplished 3 months of treatment.

RESULTS

Both groups showed improvement in hair diameter and density after 6 months; however, the outcome was significant only in the minoxidil group. According to per-protocol analysis, minoxidil was significantly superior to cetirizine in hair density, but not in hair diameter. According to the hair loss severity scales, FPHL was significantly improved in both the cetirizine and minoxidil groups after 6 months of therapy. The dropout rate due to adverse effects was 10.0% and 6.6% in the cetirizine and minoxidil groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Although inferior to topical minoxidil, topical cetirizine can provide favorable therapeutic effects for FPHL, specifically when patient incompatibility with Minoxidil is observed.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study is registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the registration code IRCT20200521047536N1.

Comparison between topical cetirizine with minoxidil versus topical placebo with minoxidil in female androgenetic alopecia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common cause of hair loss in both genders with a higher psychological impact on females. Currently, topical minoxidil is the only FDA-approved treatment for female AGA and it needs life-long application and causes side effects. Cetirizine is an antihistamine that may be effective in hair loss treatment. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of topical cetirizine with minoxidil (group 1) versus topical minoxidil with placebo (group 2) in female patients with AGA. This was a double-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel study conducted at Dermatology Clinic, Cairo University Teaching Hospital (Kasr- Al- Ainy), Egypt. Sixty-six patients with female AGA, aged 20-50 years, Sinclair (II-IV), were randomly assigned to one of the 2 groups for 24 weeks. The trichoscopic parameters, patients' self-assessment, side effects and global photographic assessment were evaluated. There was a statistically significant change from baseline in frontal and vertex terminal and vellus hair density (P < 0.0005) with a significant increase in vertex hair shaft thickness and average number of hairs per follicular unit in group 1 (P < 0.05). Patients reported significantly better scores in patient self-assessment in group 1 (P < 0.05). Side effects were not significantly different between groups (P > 0.05). Topical cetirizine increases hair shaft thickness and results in a higher clinical improvement from patients' perspective with a good safety profile (NCT04481412, study start date: July 2020).