Recent advances in medical and aesthetic dermatology include innovations in pioneering botanical blends for hair care; a new device to enhance aesthetics of treating solar lentigines and superficial skin lesions; scientific breakthroughs for systemic drugs targeting sun protection; and new frontiers in red light photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Hair health – a comprehensive solution to hair loss and thinning must involve blocking the multiple associated factors, owing to the multifactorial pathophysiology of hair thinning and loss. Important contributing factors for hair loss are – stress, ageing and inflammation, which are not being currently addressed by monotherapeutic options on the market.

The advent of nutraceuticals are helping in utilizing natural products to attenuate hair loss related disorders. Although simple hair vitamins only provide nutritional support, certain botanicals and their components have clinical efficacy against the primary causes underlying hair loss, such as –dihydrotestosterone (DHT), inflammation, stress, oxidative damage and aging. 

A new nutraceutical supplement containing vitamins A, C,D and E; ashwagandha, biocucurmin, saw palmetto, biotin and kelp is taking a leading role in hair health. These are clinically efficacious, patented, bio-optimized botanical ingredients with clinical data on absorption and efficacy. 

• Ashwagandha – clinically shown to rebalance the stress response and lower cortisol levels in chronically stressed adults
• Bio-optimized cucurmin – an anti-inflammatory extract of turmeric that has been shown to lower inflammatory biomarkers
• A dual-patented form of saw palmetto – a recognized DHT inhibitor, and a tocotrienol-rich complex that was shown to counter lipid peroxidation and improve hair growth.

These nutraceuticals can be used as monotherapy or adjunct therapy to platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and other procedures such as hair transplantation.

Source: The Dermatologist. 2017.https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/thederm/article/recent-advances-medical-and-aesthetic-dermatology