Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of baldness and its incidence has increased over the past few years with an earlier age of onset being widely reported all over the world. Although it is reported more often in men, it affects women as well. With the growing cosmetic concern of patients, emphasis has shifted from the more traditional treatment options such as finasteride and minoxidil to surgical options such as hair transplantation. This review briefly highlights all of the treatment options available for AGA so far. A special focus is on current data available on hair transplantation surgeries and the various methods, merits and demerits and limitations of surgery. The literature research considered published journal articles (scientific reviews) from 1990 to date. Studies were identified by searching electronic databases (MEDLINE and PubMed) and the reference lists of respective articles. Only articles available in English were considered for this review.

In recent times, there has been a huge surge in the demand for cosmetology. However, not every patient is an ideal candidate for cosmetic interventions, and this needs to be carefully evaluated at outpatient visit. Various patients have underlying undetected psychiatric co-morbidities which prompt them to seek cosmetic care. One such condition is body dysmorphic disorder in which patients are present with marked anxiety which seems out of proportion to their apparently trivial complaints. These patients are also often unsatisfied with their cosmetic outcome, sometimes turning violent or pressing legal charges against their treatment providers. It is therefore of utmost importance for dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons to be aware of this condition and work in liaison with psychiatrists to provide holistic care to these patients. A literature search of PubMed-indexed journals using keywords “body dysmorphic disorder,” “BDD in dermatology,” and “BDD in cosmetic surgery” was carried out from the year 2000 up to date for this review.

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