Korean J Dermatol.  2021 Nov;59(9):693-698.

Clinical Differences of Androgenetic Alopecia between Adolescents and Adults

• Cho YA
• Son HS
• Lee JS
• Kim JH
• Choe YB
• Ahn KJ
• Lee YW

Abstract

Background
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is characterized by terminal hair miniaturization, which progressively decreases hair density and thickness. Genetic predisposition and the role of androgen in AGA have been widely accepted; however, its definite mechanism has not been clarified. AGA may also occur in adolescents, although its clinical characteristics including the disease prevalence have not yet been fully established.
Objective
To analyze the clinical differences of AGA between adolescents and adults.
Methods
Six-hundred fourteen patients with AGA were recruited and information about age, sex, and family history, comorbidities were collected.
Results
A total of 74.5% of adolescents and 66.4% of adults had family history of AGA, with “paternal only” as the most common pattern. A total of 27.3% of adolescents and 44.5% of adults had comorbidities, with seborrheic dermatitis being the most common. Other common comorbidities were acne, folliculitis, and atopic dermatitis in adolescents, dyslipidemia, hypertension, mood disorder, and diabetes mellitus in adults. A total of 12.7% and 15.0% of adolescents and adults, respectively, had abnormal serum testosterone levels, and 5.5% of adolescents and 7.5% of adults had abnormal serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) levels. Regardless of age, the proportion of patients with abnormal testosterone levels was higher in the female group than in the male group.
Conclusion
AGA showed paternal predominance in family history regardless of sex or age, suggesting paternal history as an important factor of AGA. Testosterone and DHEA-S abnormalities were found in patients with AGA, indicating a need for further studies on therapeutic effects associated with differences in hormonal profiles.

Keyword

Alopecia; Androgens; Hair; Hormones