The Efficacy of Oral Finasteride and Dutasteride in the Treatment of Female Pattern Hair Loss and Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia in Women: A Scoping Review

    September 2025 in “ JAAD reviews. ”
    Alicia Mitchell, Janelle Mallett
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    TLDR Finasteride and dutasteride can improve hair loss in women, but more research is needed.
    This scoping review assessed the efficacy of oral finasteride and dutasteride in treating female pattern hair loss (FPHL) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) in women, analyzing 39 studies. Finasteride improved FPHL in 70%-86% of patients, with higher doses being more effective, while dutasteride showed improvement in up to 80% of cases. For FFA, dutasteride stabilized the condition in 63% of subjects, with finasteride offering similar results. However, the studies are limited by a lack of well-designed randomized controlled trials and standardization. No increased risk of gynecologic cancers was found with 5ARI use, though data on side effects in women remain inconclusive.
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      in Research  830 upvotes 1 year ago
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