Anti-androgen therapy in dermatology: a review
December 1979
in “
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
”
TLDR Anti-androgens are effective for female acne but less so for male-pattern hair loss, with side effects similar to birth control pills.
The 1979 document reviewed the effectiveness of anti-androgens in treating dermatological conditions such as seborrhoea, acne vulgaris, hirsutism, and male-pattern alopecia in females. Anti-androgens function by either inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to DHT or blocking androgen receptors. Cyproterone acetate was noted for its success in treating acne in over 600 females, with more than 90% showing marked improvement within 3 months, but it was less effective for male-pattern alopecia, with only about 50% improvement after one year. Side effects were comparable to those of oral contraceptives. The review also touched on the potential of topical anti-androgens, which had not yet been effectively formulated, and indicated that the long-term effects of anti-androgen therapy were still unclear.
