A Randomized Double-Blind, Vehicle-Controlled Bilateral Comparison Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Finasteride 0.5% Solution in Combination with Intense Pulsed Light in the Treatment of Facial Hirsutism
June 2012
in “
Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy
”
TLDR Finasteride and intense pulsed light effectively reduce unwanted facial hair in women, but may not be cost-effective.
The study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of finasteride 0.5% solution in combination with intense pulsed light (IPL) in treating facial hirsutism. A total of 77 female patients were enrolled in the study, and the results showed that the combination of finasteride and IPL resulted in a significant reduction of unwanted hair density in women when used for up to 6 months. The study suggests that finasteride may be effective in treating hirsutism when used in combination with intense pulsed light. However, the study also found that the combination therapy of finasteride and IPL may not be cost-effective due to the small additional improvement in the outcome.