Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in women is usually treated with 2% or 5% minoxidil, however, an oral preparation containing L-cystine, thiamine, calcium D-pantothenate, drug yeast, keratin and p-aminobenzoic acid has been shown to be effective in clinical studies of diffuse alopecia, including in women with combined signs of AGA, diffuse telogen hair loss and I-II stages of hair loss on the Ludwig scale.
OBJECTIVE
Comparison of the efficacy and tolerance of combined treatment with an oral preparation containing L-cystine, thiamine, calcium D-pantothenate, drug yeast, keratin and p-aminobenzoic acid in combination with the external use of minoxidil lotion 2% and minoxidil monotherapy 2% in the treatment of AGA.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A multicenter, open, randomized comparative study included women aged 18-45 years with complaints of hair loss for more than 3 months and/or with reduced hair growth density, having more than 15% telogenic hair in the frontoparietal region and/or 20% and more of anisotrichosis. Women received combined treatment or monotherapy with minoxidil for 6 months. To evaluate the primary efficacy criterion - the proportion of patients who responded to treatment — during the second visit, 4 criteria were used to assess the dynamics of hair growth based on the results of a phototrichogram (PTG) (TrichoScience). The presence of at least one of the listed criteria in the patient (a decrease in the proportion of telogen hair to 15% or less, an increase in the density of hair growth, an increase in the average diameter of the hair, and a decrease in the proportion of vellus hair compared with the initial values) indicated a response to treatment. The main variable in the treatment effectiveness was the frequency of responses after 4 months of treatment — it was necessary to fulfill 1 or more of the 4 criteria for dynamic hair growth, evaluated by PTG.
RESULTS
The proportion of patients responding to treatment after 4 months was 97% in both groups; however, combined treatment led to a significant increase in the number of patients with a decrease in the telogen hair proportion (<15%) compared with monoxidil monotherapy: 60% versus 29%, respectively (p=0.03). Compared to monotherapy, combined treatment also led to a significant reduction in the proportion of patients with clinical signs of alopecia (p=0.02). Adverse events were mostly mild, resolved without treatment.
CONCLUSIONS
An oral preparation containing L-cystine, thiamine, calcium D-pantothenate, drug yeast, keratin and p-aminobenzoic acid is an effective, well-tolerated adjuvant therapy for combination with minoxidil 2% in the treatment of women with AGA. The study confirms the effectiveness of its use as a component of treatment.
