Efficacy of Topical Finasteride 0.5% vs 17α-Estradiol 0.05% in the Treatment of Postmenopausal Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Retrospective, Single-Blind Study of 119 Patients

In this retrospective, single-blind study involving 119 postmenopausal women with female pattern hair loss (FPHL), two topical treatments were compared: one containing 0.5% finasteride and the other 0.05% 17α-estradiol, both combined with minoxidil 2%, hydrocortisone butyrate 0.08%, and cyclosilicone pentamer 16%. Results showed that both treatments significantly improved hair loss from 6 months to 12-18 months, but the finasteride formulation was more effective and acted faster than the 17α-estradiol formulation. Finasteride-treated patients showed improvement at 6 months comparable to the 12-18 month results of the 17α-estradiol group. The study noted potential systemic absorption of topical finasteride and highlighted the need for long-term treatment for optimal results. Limitations included the absence of a control group and lack of quantitative hair analysis.