Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

Gupta, Aditya K.; Talukder, Mesbah; Keene, Sharon; Williams, Greg; Bamimore, Mary A.

doi:10.3390/ijms26167920

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Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

by

Aditya K. Gupta

^1,2,*

,

Mesbah Talukder

^2,3,

Sharon Keene

⁴,

Greg Williams

⁵ and

Mary A. Bamimore

²

¹

Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H2, Canada

²

Mediprobe Research Inc., London, ON N5X 2P1, Canada

³

School of Pharmacy, BRAC University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh

⁴

Physician’s Hair Institute, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA

⁵

Farjo Hair Institute, London W1G 7LH, UK

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(16), 7920; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167920

Submission received: 18 July 2025 / Revised: 12 August 2025 / Accepted: 13 August 2025 / Published: 16 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathophysiology of Hair Loss)

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Abstract

The expanding literature on nutraceuticals for male androgenetic alopecia (AGA) has inadvertently created knowledge gaps on the relative efficacy of conventional and non-conventional over-the-counter (OTC) treatments. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA); the outcome measure was the 24-week change in total hair density (INPLASY202570087). We determined the relative efficacy of nine active comparators—including topical minoxidil 5% and 2%. Among the topical OTC agents used to manage male AGA, minoxidil 5% applied twice daily was the most effective.

Keywords: male androgenetic alopecia; male-pattern hair loss; minoxidil; network meta-analysis; pathophysiology; over-the-counter products; conventional and non-conventional treatments

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gupta, A.K.; Talukder, M.; Keene, S.; Williams, G.; Bamimore, M.A. Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 7920. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167920

AMA Style

Gupta AK, Talukder M, Keene S, Williams G, Bamimore MA. Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(16):7920. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167920

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gupta, Aditya K., Mesbah Talukder, Sharon Keene, Greg Williams, and Mary A. Bamimore. 2025. "Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 16: 7920. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167920

APA Style

Gupta, A. K., Talukder, M., Keene, S., Williams, G., & Bamimore, M. A. (2025). Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(16), 7920. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26167920

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Comparative Effect of Conventional and Non-Conventional Over-the-Counter Treatments for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

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