A4. Hair loss – surgical and pharmacological treatment

Most adult men, and some women, will eventually have a certain degree of hair loss which is not a pathological condition, but which can create social and psychological problems. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss in both sexes and appears to be caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and androgen hormone. However, there are many other causes for hair loss such as poor nutrition, alopecia areata, infection, systemic disease, metabolic or genetic disorders, and baldness due to side‐effects from drugs. Treatment options include: a) Hormone modifiers: Androgen inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride, spironolactone) Oestrogen mediated b) Surgical options: Scalp surgery, excision of bald scalp, with or without tissue expansion, scalp flaps and hair transplantation have been the treatment for androgenetic alopecia for many years and are constantly being revised and improved.