Rushton · Dermatologic clinics 1993 · narrative review · n=?

Management of hair loss in women.

Cited 39 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review and expert clinical commentary without original human trial data or systematic synthesis

PubMed 8435917 · record verified 2026-08-31

What was done

Narrative review outlining diagnostic challenges, biochemical targets, and long-term management strategies for diffuse androgen-dependent alopecia and chronic telogen effluvium in women.

What was found

No experimental trial data or effect estimates were reported. The abstract lists suggested biochemical thresholds for hair growth: normal red blood cell and serum folate, serum vitamin B12 between 300 and 1000 ng/L, hemoglobin greater than 13.0 g/dL, and serum ferritin of 70 ng/mL or greater. It notes that systemic antiandrogens require prolonged treatment and that quantitative long-term data for topical minoxidil were unavailable.

Why it matters

Provides clinical guidance and target laboratory values historically utilized in dermatologic practice for evaluating and managing diffuse hair loss in women.

Limits

This is an unsystematic narrative review representing expert opinion; the abstract reports no primary experimental data, sample sizes, or formal comparative analyses.

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