TREATMENT OF ANDROGENETIC ALOPECIA WITH A 7.5-PERCENT HERBAL PREPARATION

A standardized 7.5% herbal extract preparation used to increase the de nsity of hair growth was subjected to scientific investigation to evau late its hair growth-promoting properties. A group of 24 healthy male subjects under the age of 55 years with stage III-IV androgenetic alop ecia were enrolled in a randomized double-blind parallel-group vehicle -controlled study lasting 48 weeks. The hair inside a l-cm tattooed tr iangle was harvested bimonthly. Measurements included total hair count s, non-vellus hair counts, average hair length and total hair weight. After 40 weeks of treatment, the mean total hair count increased by 77 % in the active group compared to a 3% increase in the placebo group ( P = 0.003). The number of non-vellus hairs in a 0.433 cm(2) area incre ased by 169% for the active group compared to 33% for the placebo grou p (P = 0.01). In the active group, 90% of the subjects showed an incre ase of more than 35% in non-vellus hair count compared with only 33% o f the placebo group (P < 0.05), and 60% of the active group had excell ent results (> 100% increase in non-vellus hair count) compared with o nly 8% of the placebo group (P < 0.05). It was seen that the standardi zed herbal preparation was significantly more effective than the place bo.