ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology 2022 February;157(1):78-83

DOI: 10.23736/S2784-8671.21.06915-7

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

A new combination of molecules for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium: a double-blind randomized, monocentric, placebo-controlled study

Alfredo ROSSI ¹ ✉, Francesca MAGRI ¹, Marco DI FRAIA ¹, Gemma CARO ¹, Maria C. FORTUNA ¹, Marco PIACENTINI ², Leonardo CELLENO ³

¹ Unit of Dermatology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; ² Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care, Rome, Italy; ³ Sacred Heart Catholic University, Rome, Italy

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most frequent form of alopecia. Telogen effluvium (TE) is a common form of diffuse hair loss mainly observed in women. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of a topical trichological treatment containing a new combination of molecules for the treatment of AGA and TE.
METHODS: In-vitro tests were performed analyzing different combinations and concentrations of arginine, zinc and a third enzymatically neutral substance called AA on human follicles dermal papillae cells. These tests evaluated the capability of inhibiting the 5α-reductase (5-AR) enzyme and the 5-AR gene expression. We also performed an in-vivo study. Forty individuals affected by AGA and TE were divided into two groups. One group was administered a combination of zinc and arginine (lotion A), whilst the other placebo (lotion B). Therapy duration was 23 consecutive weeks. Follow-up examinations and pull tests occurred at baseline, after 6 weeks and at the end of the therapy. On 20 randomly selected patients we also performed noninvasive phototrichograms.
RESULTS: In-vitro tests showed that the combination had a strong statistically significant inhibitory activity on 5-AR of dermal papillae cells. Number of hairs removed by pull-test significantly decreased at T0, T1 and T2 in patient treated with lotion A. We also observed an increase in the percentage of anagen hair and a decrease in telogen hairs. Concerning phototrichograms, all objective parameters evaluated showed better results in the lotion A group when compared with the placebo group.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, the combination of arginine and zinc tested in our study could represent a good therapeutic option for the treatment of AGA and TE and it might represent a valid alternative to finasteride.

KEY WORDS: Alopecia; Therapeutics; Arginine; Zinc