Androgenetic Alopecia: What Works?

The document discusses the effectiveness of various treatments for androgenetic alopecia (AGA). It states that while there are nearly two dozen medical treatments for AGA, none meet all four criteria of being highly effective, safe, affordable, and easy to use. The treatments with the highest-quality evidence (level 1) are topical minoxidil, oral finasteride, and oral dutasteride for male AGA and topical minoxidil for female AGA. A 2022 network meta-analysis ranked treatment efficacy for male AGA from most to least effective as: oral dutasteride 0.5 mg, oral finasteride 5 mg, oral minoxidil 5 mg, oral finasteride 1 mg, and topical minoxidil 5%. A 2023 network meta-analysis of female AGA ranked treatment efficacy from most to least effective as: oral 5 mg finasteride, minoxidil solution 5% twice daily, oral minoxidil 1 mg, and minoxidil foam 5% once daily. However, the quality of published AGA studies is highly variable, with many being of low quality.