Botulinum toxin as a hair loss treatment

In male and female pattern hair loss does Botulinum toxin Type A at a 20 unit dose increase hair bulk?

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12613000821796

Enrollment

Registered

2013-07-25

Start date

2013-01-14

Completion date

2013-02-22

Last updated

2021-10-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Current treatments for male and female pattern hair loss are not infrequently inadequately effective or are poorly tolerated. New treatments modalities are eagerly anticipated by both hair loss sufferers and those that care for them. A case series of 50 patients treated with 150 units of botulinum toxin twice in six months demonstrated a response rate of 75% and an average hair count increase of 18% at 12 months. The financial burden of this dose of toxin limits the number of patients that could benefit from this treatment. Further study of the anatomy of the scalp generates the hypothesis that 20 units of botulinum toxin may be enough to deliver the same benefits. Toxin will also be administered in a more conventional three monthly dosing schedule.

Interventions

Botulinum toxin Type A 20 units by intramuscular injection administered twice three months apart.

Study design

Allocation

Non-randomised trial

Intervention model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Masking

Open (masking not used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

0 to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Men and women with androgenetic alopecia who have not changed their hair loss treatment in the preceding three months.

Exclusion criteria

Recent change (last three months) of hair loss treatment.

Outcome results