67 citations
,
March 2018 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” This study reported that estrogen-progestin oral contraceptives, antiandrogens, and insulin sensitizers are more effective than placebo in treating hirsutism in women, with combination therapies generally proving superior to monotherapy.
21 citations
,
February 2017 in “International Journal of Women's Dermatology” This review discusses the physiology and potential hormonal mechanisms involved in female pattern hair loss, as well as the current hormonal and hormone-modifying treatments available, but reports no new research findings.
117 citations
,
February 2017 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This systematic review concluded that the support for using spironolactone at commonly prescribed doses is based on evidence of limited quality.
26 citations
,
October 2016 in “Clinics in Dermatology” This article discusses various hormonal therapies for acne and provides practical treatment guidelines for managing hormonally related acne, but it reports no new research findings.
110 citations
,
August 2016 in “Drugs” Minoxidil is the only FDA-approved topical drug for treating male or female pattern hair loss, and other medications like finasteride and dutasteride can also increase hair growth.
33 citations
,
August 2016 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” In this study of men with androgenetic alopecia, dutasteride was shown to be more effective than finasteride in increasing hair count and reversing hair miniaturization over 24 weeks, with both treatments displaying similar side effect profiles.
30 citations
,
February 2016 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” This review found moderate to very low-quality evidence that spironolactone, flutamide, and cyproterone acetate combined with oral contraceptives may reduce hirsutism more effectively than placebo or metformin, though results vary among other treatments.
33 citations
,
January 2016 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” This review discusses the use of finasteride for androgenetic alopecia and highlights that while it is considered safe, there is concern regarding its sexual side effects, which reverse upon discontinuation.
26 citations
,
September 2015 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, spironolactone was reported to stabilize or improve female pattern hair loss in 74.3% of treated women, especially those with signs of hyperandrogenism.
31 citations
,
June 2015 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Hormonal treatments are effective as a second-line option for moderate-to-severe acne in females, but should be used with caution due to health risks.
30 citations
,
October 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This article reviews current treatment options for acne, hirsutism, and androgenetic alopecia in women with PCOS, recommending individualized and multidisciplinary approaches, but reports no new clinical results.
151 citations
,
May 2014 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This review concluded that oral finasteride for men and topical minoxidil for both genders have the most evidence supporting their effectiveness and safety for treating androgenetic alopecia.
97 citations
,
January 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that dutasteride increased hair growth and restoration in men with androgenetic alopecia more effectively than finasteride and was well tolerated over 24 weeks.
32 citations
,
January 2014 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” This study found that both finasteride and dutasteride effectively increased hair thickness in women with androgenetic alopecia over three years, with dutasteride performing better in women under 50 at specific scalp sites.
6 citations
,
July 2013 in “Acta Clinica Belgica” This review discusses idiopathic hirsutism and suggests that combination treatment, including androgen suppression and cosmetic methods, is most effective, but notes that its pathogenesis remains unclear.
44 citations
,
January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” This study found that 5 mg/day oral finasteride was effective and safe for improving hair outcomes in normoandrogenic postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia over 18 months.
29 citations
,
July 2012 in “Fertility and Sterility” This study observed that hepatotoxicity is a rare but possible event in hyperandrogenic young females treated with low- and ultralow-dose flutamide, regardless of dose or oral contraceptive use.
378 citations
,
November 2011 in “Human reproduction update” This review discusses the epidemiology, causes, diagnosis, and management of hirsutism in women, noting that effective treatment requires addressing the root cause as well as the hair growth.
42 citations
,
April 2011 in “Annals of Pharmacotherapy” This study found that long-term flutamide treatment reduced hair loss in women with female pattern hair loss, but liver-related dropouts were minimized at a very low dose of 62.5 mg/day.
223 citations
,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This review discusses persistent adverse effects of 5α‐reductase inhibitors, like diminished libido and erectile dysfunction, in some patients and highlights the need for patient discussions before therapy, especially for androgenetic alopecia.
64 citations
,
June 2010 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study suggests that 5 mg/day oral finasteride may increase hair density and thickness in normoandrogenic Asian women with female pattern hair loss over 12 months.
53 citations
,
May 2010 in “PubMed” This paper discusses spironolactone as a potential off-label treatment for female pattern hair loss, noting its ability to halt hair loss progression and induce partial regrowth in a significant number of women but reports no new clinical results.
42 citations
,
May 2009 in “Contraception” This study found that the combined oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol and chlormadinone acetate was effective in reducing moderate papulopustular acne and other androgen-related skin disorders compared to placebo.
30 citations
,
November 2008 in “Facial Plastic Surgery” This review discusses hair transplant techniques for female pattern hair loss and reports no new clinical results; it highlights the benefits of transplants combined with various treatments for improved hair density and styling options.
67 citations
,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic therapy” This paper reviews causes of hirsutism in women and emphasizes the importance of identifying underlying conditions for risk assessment, though it reports no new clinical findings.
66 citations
,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic therapy” This review discusses medical treatments for hirsutism, focusing on oral contraceptives and other therapies, but reports no new results; the authors emphasize the lack of evidence for insulin sensitizers in treating hirsutism alone.
502 citations
,
February 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” This review discusses hirsutism management guidelines, recommending androgen testing only for women with abnormal hirsutism scores and advocating for combined therapy approaches depending on severity and underlying conditions, but it reports no new clinical results.
14 citations
,
January 2008 in “Dermatology Online Journal” This review discusses the use of anti-hormonal therapies for female androgenetic alopecia and notes that while some treatments show promise, larger controlled studies are needed to define their roles and effectiveness.
75 citations
,
November 2007 in “Clinical endocrinology” This study found that several drugs, including flutamide and spironolactone, significantly reduced hirsutism in women, with reduced effectiveness in those with higher BMI.
129 citations
,
October 2007 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” This article discusses the evaluation and management of a 45-year-old woman with diffuse scalp-hair loss and reports no new clinical findings.
179 citations
,
March 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study found that 88% of women with female pattern hair loss who received oral antiandrogens saw no progression or improvement in their condition.
118 citations
,
September 2004 in “Clinics in Dermatology” This review discusses the role of hormones in acne vulgaris and highlights the need for further research on their mechanisms of action; it reports no new clinical results.
39 citations
,
August 2004 in “International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics” This study found that both finasteride and a regimen of cyproterone acetate plus ethinyl estradiol effectively reduced hirsutism in women, with similar results despite differing hormonal effects.
17 citations
,
January 2004 in “European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology/European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology” This review discusses the use of ethinylestradiol combined with antiandrogenic progestin for treating androgenisation symptoms and improving metabolic and menstrual health in women, but it does not provide new clinical data.
108 citations
,
January 2003 in “Fertility and Sterility” This study found that flutamide at 250 mg daily modestly improved hair thinning in premenopausal women with hyperandrogenic alopecia over one year, while cyproterone acetate and finasteride were not effective.
40 citations
,
January 2003 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” This study found that finasteride significantly reduced hirsutism in women with idiopathic hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome over six months, suggesting its potential effectiveness for this condition.
12 citations
,
December 2002 in “Fertility and Sterility” In this study, a combination of spironolactone and finasteride was found to significantly improve hirsutism scores without increasing side effects compared to spironolactone alone.
51 citations
,
October 2002 in “European journal of endocrinology” This study found that both high-dose and low-dose finasteride significantly reduced hirsutism scores in women after 12 months, with the lower dose being safe and cost-effective.
74 citations
,
August 2002 in “Clinical Endocrinology” In this study, low doses of cyproterone acetate with ethinylestradiol were as effective as low-dose flutamide in reducing acne severity in hyperandrogenic women, while finasteride was less effective.
89 citations
,
March 2001 in “Endocrine practice” This article provides diagnosis and treatment guidelines for hyperandrogenic disorders in women but reports no new clinical results; it offers a summary of accepted scientific information and suggestions for clinical practice.
63 citations
,
March 2001 in “Fertility and Sterility” This study found that Diane 35 combined with finasteride led to a greater reduction in hirsutism scores over 12 months compared to Diane 35 alone.
239 citations
,
November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In this study, finasteride 1 mg/day for 12 months did not improve hair growth or slow hair thinning in postmenopausal women with androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo.
50 citations
,
May 2000 in “Fertility and Sterility” This study found that flutamide was more effective than finasteride in reducing hair growth in women with hirsutism over a one-year period.
145 citations
,
December 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Finasteride 1mg helps reverse hair miniaturization in men and postmenopausal women.
75 citations
,
October 1999 in “European journal of endocrinology” This study found that both finasteride and flutamide effectively reduce hirsutism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome or idiopathic hirsutism, but flutamide was more effective.
40 citations
,
May 1999 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This article outlines management guidelines for androgenetic alopecia, highlighting that continued treatment with medications like finasteride or minoxidil typically halts progression and improves hair condition in most mild to moderate cases.
113 citations
,
April 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found that all four treatments—flutamide, finasteride, ketoconazole, and EE-CPA—significantly reduced hirsutism, but EE-CPA and flutamide appeared most effective, with varying effects on androgen levels and side-effect profiles.
75 citations
,
March 1999 in “Fertility and sterility” This study concluded that finasteride, cyproterone acetate, and flutamide were similarly effective at reducing hirsutism in women, though they acted through different mechanisms.
27 citations
,
November 1998 in “Journal of Endocrinological Investigation” This study reported that 6 months of finasteride treatment significantly improved idiopathic hirsutism in women, with benefits persisting 6 months post-treatment and no adverse reactions observed.
76 citations
,
December 1997 in “Fertility and Sterility” This study found that spironolactone was significantly more effective than finasteride in reducing hirsutism scores over 9 months, despite more side effects occurring in the spironolactone group.
36 citations
,
November 1995 in “Clinical endocrinology” This study found that a low dose of flutamide, both alone and combined with an oral contraceptive, effectively reduced hirsutism in women, with the combination showing more lasting effects post-treatment.
70 citations
,
August 1995 in “Fertility and Sterility” In this study, women with idiopathic hirsutism who took finasteride for 9 months experienced a significant reduction in hirsutism scores compared to those receiving a placebo, with minimal side effects.
20 citations
,
May 1990 in “Cleveland Clinic journal of medicine” This study suggests spironolactone, particularly when combined with an oral contraceptive or dexamethasone, may reduce hair symptoms in women with hirsutism, but it should be avoided during pregnancy and in women with a family history of breast cancer.
142 citations
,
February 1985 in “Fertility and sterility” This study found that spironolactone reduced serum androstenedione and anagen hair shaft diameter in hirsute patients but did not significantly alter unbound testosterone levels, suggesting its effects are primarily peripheral.
101 citations
,
January 1985 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This article discusses oral spironolactone therapy for female patients with acne, hirsutism, or androgenic alopecia and reports no new clinical results.
23 citations
,
July 1979 in “Canadian journal of biochemistry” This study found that administering spironolactone or canrenone to castrated male rats significantly decreased the availability of cytoplasmic androgen receptor binding sites, suggesting canrenone mediates spironolactone's antiandrogenic effects in skin.
