March 2026 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, topical 3% minoxidil was found to significantly improve facial hair density and diameter, quality of life, and patient satisfaction in transgender men on stable gender-affirming hormone therapy, with minimal adverse events compared to placebo.
August 2025 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Oral minoxidil can effectively treat hair loss in transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
June 2025 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” 
15 citations
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April 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This article notes the lack of physician-reported outcome studies supporting the efficacy of off-label spironolactone in treating female pattern hair loss, despite its common prescription alongside FDA-approved topical minoxidil.
15 citations
,
December 2019 in “Aesthetic Surgery Journal” This study found that there is a low prevalence and wide variability in U.S. insurance coverage for ancillary gender surgeries, with specific criteria often required for favorable coverage.
8 citations
,
November 2019 in “Dermatologic Clinics” This study highlights the importance of clinicians understanding the effects of gender-affirming hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and antiandrogens on hair growth, to effectively diagnose and treat androgenetic alopecia in gender minority patients.
52 citations
,
May 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of low-dose oral minoxidil (2.5-5 mg daily) in men with male androgenetic alopecia, aiming to contribute data to an area with limited previous reports. Results are not provided in the abstract.
14 citations
,
March 2019 in “Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America” This review discusses hair restoration procedures for transgender patients undergoing gender transformation surgery and describes the authors' surgical approach but reports no clinical outcomes.
38 citations
,
February 2019 in “Clinical Interventions in Aging” This meta-analysis found that dutasteride was more effective than finasteride in increasing hair count and improving photographic assessments for men with androgenetic alopecia, while both drugs had similar rates of sexual dysfunction-related adverse effects.
10 citations
,
January 2019 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that transgender men using testosterone therapy had higher rates of acne and increased body hair growth, resembling male patterns more closely than those not on testosterone.
26 citations
,
January 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This review discusses the dermatologic needs and care considerations for transgender patients undergoing gender transition, highlighting the unique role dermatologists can play, but it does not report new clinical results.
12 citations
,
October 2018 in “International Journal of Women's Dermatology” This review discusses lesser-known concerns in transgender dermatology, including neovaginal issues, neoplastic and autoimmune conditions, and the effects of unapproved injectable substances, but reports no new clinical findings.
166 citations
,
October 2018 in “Endocrine Reviews” This review discusses the effects of hormonal treatments on the physical and mental health of transgender individuals, reporting significant reductions in mental health issues following treatment, but calls for more research on long-term and nonbinary outcomes.
36 citations
,
September 2018 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This study found that 78% of patients continued taking oral minoxidil for androgenetic or traction alopecia, with 33% reporting decreased hair shedding and 28% noting increased scalp hair.
32 citations
,
January 2018 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This article provides a framework for understanding hair disorders and treatment options in transgender individuals undergoing hormonal therapy and reports no new clinical results.
80 citations
,
December 2017 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study reported that once-daily treatment with oral minoxidil and spironolactone for 12 months reduced hair loss severity and hair shedding in women with pattern hair loss, with generally mild side effects, though results came from an uncontrolled, observational pilot study.
2170 citations
,
September 2017 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” This updated guideline from the Endocrine Society highlights the importance of endocrinologists in providing safe and effective hormone regimens for gender-affirming care, especially for adolescents who have entered puberty.
32 citations
,
July 2017 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” This study assessed the use of oral finasteride in transgender men with androgenetic alopecia and found that all patients improved by one grade on the Norwood–Hamilton scale within about 5.5 months, with no significant adverse effects reported during the 16.2 months of follow-up.
178 citations
,
April 2017 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This systematic review and meta-analysis found that minoxidil, finasteride, and low-level laser light therapy significantly improve hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia, while minoxidil is also effective for women, compared to placebo.
41 citations
,
December 2016 in “International Journal of Women's Dermatology” This review discusses the unique dermatologic needs of transgender individuals during transitioning and emphasizes the importance of accommodating care in medical settings; it reports no new clinical results.
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.
162 citations
,
April 2016 in “The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology” This review discusses the effects of testosterone therapy for transgender men, noting desired outcomes and potential risks, but reports no new research findings; the authors highlight a lack of high-quality data due to various study limitations.
9 citations
,
February 2016 in “The Journal of Dermatology” This letter provides no study results about minoxidil 3% lotion for beard enhancement but instead shares author and affiliation details for the published research.
23 citations
,
January 2016 in “Transgender health” In this case report, a transgender woman experienced scalp hair regrowth after approximately six months of oral estradiol and spironolactone treatment, achieving testosterone levels within the normal female range.
10 citations
,
January 2016 in “Dermatology Online Journal” This review discusses the dermatologic issues faced by transgender patients, including impacts of hormonal therapy on skin, but reports no new clinical findings.
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.
13 citations
,
May 2015 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that oral minoxidil 5 mg daily significantly improves hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia, although common side effects include hypertrichosis and pedal edema.
204 citations
,
May 2014 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study concluded that current cross-sex hormone treatments for trans men and trans women are effective with a low risk of side effects in the short term, though they did observe specific clinical changes.
147 citations
,
January 2014 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” This study found that low-level laser treatment with the HairMax Lasercomb significantly increased terminal hair density in both men and women with pattern hair loss, with no serious adverse events reported.
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.
110 citations
,
October 2013 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study found that testosterone therapy in trans men increased facial and body hair growth while the prevalence and severity of acne peaked at 6 months but were primarily mild after long-term treatment.
108 citations
,
February 2013 in “JAMA” This review discusses the therapeutic options for transgender individuals, including hormonal and surgical treatments, and reports no new clinical results; the authors highlight the need for more research on long-term effects.
2295 citations
,
August 2012 in “The international journal of transgenderism/International journal of transgenderism” This publication reviews the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's Standards of Care for supporting transgender and gender nonconforming people, with adjustments needed for diverse global contexts and no new clinical results.
92 citations
,
June 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that 0.5 mg of dutasteride significantly improved hair growth compared to placebo and was well tolerated over six months in men with male pattern hair loss.
160 citations
,
January 2009 in “Clinical Drug Investigation” This study found that the HairMax LaserComb® significantly increased hair density and was safe and well tolerated for treating androgenetic alopecia in men compared to a sham device.
209 citations
,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic Therapy” This review discusses the role of androgens in hair follicle regulation and suggests that a better understanding could enhance treatments for conditions like hirsutism and alopecia, but does not present new findings.
142 citations
,
August 2007 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that a new 5% minoxidil foam formulation significantly increased hair counts and improved hair loss condition in men with androgenetic alopecia over 16 weeks compared to placebo.
215 citations
,
November 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that dutasteride increased scalp hair growth in men with male pattern hair loss, particularly at a 2.5 mg dose, and was more effective than finasteride over 24 weeks.
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.
408 citations
,
May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” This study found that dutasteride more effectively reduced serum dihydrotestosterone levels than finasteride in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
397 citations
,
February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This article reviews the mechanisms by which minoxidil stimulates hair growth and reports no new clinical findings.
57 citations
,
January 2004 in “Journal of Endocrinology” This study found no support for the idea that male-pattern baldness in female-to-male transsexuals indicates an increased risk of coronary heart disease through androgenic effects on classic risk factors.
63 citations
,
April 2003 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” This study found that minoxidil topical solution was associated with a dose-related occurrence of hypertrichosis, especially facial hair, in women treated for androgenetic alopecia.
269 citations
,
August 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that 5% topical minoxidil significantly increased hair regrowth and improved psychosocial perceptions of hair loss in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to 2% topical minoxidil and placebo over 48 weeks.
176 citations
,
August 2000 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” In this study, cross-sex hormone therapy affected hair growth patterns differently, with estrogen reducing hair growth in male-to-female transsexuals and testosterone increasing it in female-to-male transsexuals; however, male typical hair diameters were not fully reached in the latter group after 12 months.
370 citations
,
September 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” This article discusses the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata with finasteride and minoxidil but reports no new clinical results.
581 citations
,
October 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In male pattern hair loss, this study found that finasteride 1 mg daily significantly slowed hair loss and increased hair growth over two years compared to placebo.
416 citations
,
September 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” People with hair loss have more androgen receptors and enzymes in certain follicles, with men and women showing different patterns.
187 citations
,
January 1994 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and may help with baldness, but effects on sexual function and male fetuses are unclear.
50 citations
,
August 1985 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry/Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” This study found that spironolactone directly inhibits 5 alpha-reductase activity in hirsute women, resulting in decreased conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, which may contribute to its therapeutic effects.
