Minoxidil and finasteride are currently the only FDA-approved treatments for androgenetic alopecia. Androgenetic alopecia is estimated to affect 50% of men by age 50, and 38% of women older than 70 years ( 8). Treatment of alopecia is dependent on etiology. Since then, acupuncture practice and research has rapidly advanced with recent evidence suggesting that acupuncture may also be efficacious in the treatment of alopecia ( 6).Īlopecia is a common dermatologic condition associated with psychological distress and decreased quality of life ( 7). Acupuncture was not widely practiced in the United States until the 1970s and the acupuncture needle was not recognized as a medical device by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until 1996 ( 4, 5). Health benefits associated with acupuncture include alleviation of post-operative and chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting and post-operative dental pain ( 3). Acupuncture is the practice of applying needles to target specific pressure points while moxibustion thermally stimulates these meridian points by burning dried mugwort herbs ( 2). The limited side effect profile of acupuncture makes it an advantageous treatment option, however, factors including cost, time, limited access, and aversion to needles may serve as barriers to treatment.Īcupuncture and moxibustion have been commonly practiced in traditional Chinese and Eastern medicine over the past three thousand years ( 1).
The proposed mechanistic effect is dependent upon disease etiology and is theorized to be twofold: reduction of inflammation and decrease in testosterone levels. Given their ability to modulate the immune system, as well as neuronal networks associated with emotional cognition, the most frequently targeted acupoints were ST 36, GV 20, and LR 3. In these studies, both ACU and ACU + TRAD were efficacious for numerous etiologies of hair loss including alopecia areata, androgenetic alopecia, and seborrheic alopecia. An exploratory search using PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus databases was performed for studies that evaluated the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on alopecia. Additionally, the proposed physiologic mechanisms, targeted acupuncture points, and the benefits and barriers to treatment will be further described. In this review, we discuss the available evidence describing the efficacy of acupuncture or moxibustion alone (ACU) and in combination with other traditional and alternative interventions (ACU + TRAD) for hair loss. Although it remains underexplored in western medicine, recent evidence suggests that acupuncture may be efficacious in the treatment of alopecia. Alopecia is a common dermatologic condition associated with psychological distress and decreased quality of life.
Since originating in China, acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years to treat numerous conditions including chronic pain and mood disorders. Acupuncture is the practice of applying needles to target specific pressures points in the body.
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