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Cristiane Kafler
Faculty of Medicine of ABC, Brazil
ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Skin
Hair loss troubles men and women and may present a considerable impact on quality of life. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of follicular miniaturization leading to a non-cicatricial capillary rarefaction pattern, and affects approximately 50% of Caucasian men by age 50.2. Alopecia areata is an immune-mediated inflammatory disorder affecting hair follicles. This study introduces a new technique to treat alopecia: Microinfusion of drugs into the skin (MDS). The treatment consists on the dermal application of medicine into the scalp through vibrating microneedles, the same ones used in tattoo devices. This technique uses a drug delivery system, and the trauma of the microneedles contributes by increasing inflammation, micro-vascularization vasodilation, and improvement in the perfusion of the hair bulb. Microtrauma fosters regeneration, which activates stem cells in the bulb, leading to the super expression of genes related to hair growth, such as Wnt3-a, Wnt10-b and vascular endothelial growth factor in rats. Drug delivery can be implemented utilizing minoxidil, finasteride, dutasteride 0,1%, vitamins, growth factors, cyclosporine, 5-fluorouracil and triamcinolone - all sterile, depending on the type of alopecia treated. We described 3 cases treated with MDS, 2 cases of male androgenetic alopecia and 1 case of alopecia areata. In all cases, there was increase in the caliber of hair fibers, increase in the quantity and quality of the hair due to improvement in cellular nutrition, decrease of the empty follicle observed in the trichoscopy, and improvement in the scalp coverage. MDS can be used in situations of male and female androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, and frontal fibrosing alopecia safely and with very satisfactory results.
Cristiane Kafler is a Specialist in Dermatology by the Faculty of Medicine ABC (FMABC). She is a Member of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology and International Dermoscopy Society. She is an Assistant Professor at FMABC - Faculty of Medicine ABC.
