TLDR Spironolactone reduced hair thickness and some testosterone levels in women with excessive hair growth.
The study evaluated the effects of two doses of spironolactone (100 mg and 200 mg daily) on serum androgens and hair growth in 30 hirsute women over 3 months. Both dosages significantly decreased serum total testosterone and peripherally derived dihydrotestosterone, while unbound testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate remained unchanged. Androstenedione decreased only with the 200 mg dose. Anagen hair shaft diameters decreased significantly in both groups, but no correlation was found between hair growth and serum androgens. The findings suggested that spironolactone's antiandrogenic effects were primarily peripheral, with no reliable clinical marker for this effect.
64 citations,
March 1984 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry/Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” Cyproterone acetate effectively reduced hair growth in hirsute patients by lowering androgen levels and altering androgen metabolism.
179 citations,
May 1982 in “The Journal of clinical investigation/The journal of clinical investigation” High levels of 3 alpha-diol glucuronide in the blood are a marker of increased androgen action in women with excessive hair growth of unknown cause.
183 citations,
March 1982 in “JAMA” Spironolactone is a safe and effective treatment for reducing excessive hair growth in women.
124 citations,
September 1980 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Spironolactone is effective in treating excessive hair growth in women.
60 citations,
September 1979 in “Fertility and sterility” Spironolactone can reduce hair growth in women with hirsutism.
47 citations,
March 2004 in “European journal of endocrinology” Spironolactone plus finasteride reduces hirsutism more effectively.
76 citations,
December 1997 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride reduces hair growth better, but spironolactone has more side effects.
23 citations,
July 1989 in “Postgraduate medical journal” Spironolactone did not make hair thinner in women with excess hair growth.
124 citations,
September 1980 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Spironolactone is effective in treating excessive hair growth in women.
