Hair disorders update: Alopecia to hirsutism

In the new millennium, more focus will be on the hormonal modulation of hair loss in women. With the research interest in the United States in women's health and the aging population, drug therapies will be geared toward the active healthy woman with hair loss. There will be improved specificity of the future drugs modeled after the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, with more specificity in enzyme activity and improved efficacy. The new millennium will see laser hair removal that is a treatment for all skin types, locations on the body, with improved hair targeting and less generalized damage to skin cells. The psychologic stigma associated with hair loss or with unwanted hair may remain, but dermatologists will have the tools to offer patients superior alternatives to reduce these stigmas.