HAIR MORPHOLOGY AND 

TREATMENT OF 
ALOPECIAL

Name – SONALI TAREI 
Roll no – 2017 MPHARM 006
SPECIALIZATION 
­Pharmaceutics
UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF 
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES  
INTRODUCTION

 Hair contributes significantly to the visual image 
of both males and females of all ages. Every 
visible major body surface is covered with some 
type of hair, providing the creation of endless 
opportunities for cosmetic adornment. Hair is 
nonliving, yet is immersed in a cycle of constant 
renewal and shedding. 
- HAIR CONSIST OF TWO PARTS;
THE SHAFT,
THE ROOT OR FOLLICLE
 The hair is formed by cells of the dermal papilla at the base of
the follicle.
 Follicles are formed during the growth of the foetus, no new
follicles are formed post naturally.
 The major function of hair is thermal insulation.
ON S.E. MICROSCOPE, THE HAIR SHAFT IS
SEEN TO CONSIST OF THREE REGIONS.
The cuticle – the outer region
 – encircles the cortex, and is made of 5 to 15 overlapping
layers.
 Externally is seen as a series of uneven edges, which can be
forced outwards by combing or friction.
 There are gaps between these layers, permitting small
molecules to enter or leave the cortex.
 The cortex – the middle region
 – which has a fibrous appearance,

 long strands of fibers run along the length of the hair,

interweaving so as to form a structure of great strength and
elasticity.
 The medulla – a central canal.

 The cells are nucleated near the papilla,

 but the cell contents are lost they progress upwards. Many
hairs have no medulla.
CYCLIC ACTIVITY OF HAIR
 Anagen phase: The hair grows at a rate of about
1cm/ month, during which the old hair is shed and
new growth begins.
Of 100,000 – 150,000 scalp hairs on human adult,
regardless of sex, 90% are in the anagen phase
 Catagen phase: 5% resting phase
 Telogen Phase: 5%
 Losing around 80-100 hairs a day is
common.

 A new hair grows when the old one

falls.

 It’s a cycle.

 Hair fall of more than 100 a day may

cause baldness.
Hair cycle consists of 3 stages.
1. The growth phase (Anagen phase)
2. The transitional phase (Catagen phase)
3. The resting phase (Telogen phase)
The growth phase (Anagen):
• It lasts around 2 to 6 years.
• Key phase for the formation of health
hairs.
• Active metabolism of the hair root
ensures rapid division of hair cells.
• New hair is formed and grows.
• Hair is particularly sensitive.
• Stress or nutritional deficiencies may
cause the growth of the hair.
The transitional phase (Catagen):
• It lasts just a few weeks.
• Growth stops.
• Hair cell division declines.
• Root shrinks to 1/3rd of its actual size.
• Hair detaches itself from root and
travels upward in the
scalp.
• 1%-3% of the total hairs are always in
this phase
• Hair formed is known as club hair.
The resting phase (Telogen):
• It’s the last phase with the lasting period
of 2 to 3 months.
• Hair follicle is at complete rest.
• Club hair is completely formed.
• Pulling a hair out will reveal solid, hard,
dry, white material
at the root.
• About 25-100 hairs of this kind are shed
everyday.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF HUMAN
HAIR
 Protein (keratin) 65-95%, depending on its
moisture content
- keratin is a biopolymer composed of 25
different amino acids, 18 in measurable amounts
 Lipids

 Pigment and trace elements.

THE EXTREME STRENGTH AND
INSOLUBILITY OF HAIR DUE TO:
 Its large cystine content
 The filaments of the cortex are composed of low
sulphur proteins and surrounding matrix is made up
of high sulphur proteins
 The cuticle cells do not contain any low sulphur
proteins.
THE EXTREME STRENGTH AND
INSOLUBILITY OF HAIR DUE TO:
1- Amide links - CO – NH –
2- Very long polypeptide chains
3- Salt links R-NH3+ -OOCR
4- Disulpide bonds which bridges two main chains
and provides a strong covalent link between them.
R-S-S-R
5- Hydrogen bonding between the main chains. NH
……..OC
HAIR LOSS

 Recently, elderly became interested in

lifestyle aim to provide better diet,
nutrition and drugs that not only target
long life but also better quality of life.
HAIR LOSS
 Normally, around 90% of scalp follicles are
in anagen phase and 10% in catagen and
telogen phases. But many factors can affect
the cyclic activity of hair. These factors
shorten the anagen phase, rendering
terminal hair to fine vellus hair. When
anagen phase shortens and telogen phase
became longer, considerable percentage of
hair fall out. With continuing fall of hair,
baldness becomes obvious.
HAIR LOSS
 Aging also affect the hair cycles rendering terminal
hair into vellus, these changes may be explained by
decreased function of hair matrix cells that produce
hair, decreased blood flow causing shortage in
nutrients, increased sensitivity of androgenic
hormones and excess secretions of sebum that
affect the healthy environment of hair growth.
HAIR LOSS
Other factors include
 malnutrition,

 administration of certain drugs,

 genetics,

 stress and

 tension may affect the cyclic activity of hair.

 To treat hair loss, pharmaceuticals and cosmetic firms

developed new products claimed to contain effective ingredients
to address the above indirect causes of hair loss;
 include nutrients,

 blood flow promoters,

 androgenic inhibitors and

 sebum reducing agents.


TYPE OF ALOPECIA
TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA:
 Finastride and dutastride : synthetic anti-androgen
taken orally to treat pattern baldness, a form of
androgenic alopecia in men. It acts by inhibiting 5-alpha
reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone to
dihydrotestosterone (DHT).The U.S Food and Drug
Administration approved finastride to treat male pattern
baldness.
 TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA:
 Minoxidil : A topical agent used to treat hair loss . Minoxidil
acts as a vasodilator that increases blood supply to the
follicle stimulating hair growth.
TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA:
 Herbal extracts have been used to treat alopecia. For
example, Linum usitassimum (flax) seed extract has been
used to treat male pattern baldness by inhibiting 5-alpha
reductase, thus reducing levels of DHT.
TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA:
 t-flavone from Hypericum perforatum is significantly effective
in treating male-pattern and female pattern baldness. It
promotes hair growth and increases the diameter of hair. t-
flavone acts by suppressing the activation cascade of
transforming growth factor- beta 2 (TGF-B2) , a catagen
inducer secreted from the dermal papilla .
TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA:
 6-(Benzylamino) purine; an adenine
derivative is also used to promotes hair
growth by converting the telogen phase in to
anagen , and by stimulating DNA synthesis,
allowing lengthening of hair shaft .
Oral administration of soymetide-4, an
immunostimulating peptide derived from soybean
,is effective in treating alopecia
TREATMENT OF ALOPECIA:
 The liposterolic extract of Senenoa repens and
hexane extract of Curcuma aeruginosa are
botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha reductase ,
so can be used to treat male pattern baldness.
THANK 
YOU