142 citations,
August 2007 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” New 5% minoxidil foam effectively promotes hair growth and is safe for use.
215 citations,
November 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Dutasteride more effective for hair growth, but has more side effects than finasteride.
207 citations,
April 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Iron deficiency may be related to hair loss, but there's not enough evidence to recommend iron screening or supplements for all hair loss patients.
108 citations,
March 2006 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride with oral contraceptive helps improve hair loss in premenopausal women.
73 citations,
November 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Some women with common hair loss may develop permanent hair loss.
31 citations,
October 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Hair loss in women not always linked to increased oil production; other factors may be involved.
193 citations,
August 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Hair loss common in Australia; men affected earlier, more often than Asians; women less concerned.
179 citations,
March 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Oral antiandrogens effectively treat female hair loss, with better results in higher hair loss grades.
203 citations,
December 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Early diagnosis and treatment, using finasteride, minoxidil, or hair transplantation, improves hair loss outcomes.
137 citations,
July 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Horizontally sectioned scalp biopsies are more reliable for diagnosing hair loss in women when three samples are taken instead of one.
50 citations,
May 2004 in “Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft” Estrogens generally inhibit hair growth and improve skin quality, but their exact effects on hair follicles are complex and not fully understood.
219 citations,
March 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” 5% and 2% minoxidil solutions effectively promote hair growth and reduce hair loss, with 5% being slightly more effective but having more side effects.
44 citations,
March 2004 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” The effects of estrogen on human hair growth are unclear and need more research.
397 citations,
February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Minoxidil boosts hair growth by opening potassium channels and increasing cell activity.
947 citations,
February 2004 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Most women with excess male hormones have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and hormonal therapy can improve symptoms but may cause side effects.
78 citations,
February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Melatonin helps hair growth in women with hair loss.
95 citations,
January 2004 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” Peripilar signs can help diagnose androgenetic alopecia and reveal its cause.
72 citations,
January 2004 in “Dermatology” Finasteride can slow hair loss and promote growth in postmenopausal women.
84 citations,
November 2003 in “European journal of endocrinology” Women with androgenic alopecia are more likely to have polycystic ovaries and higher androgen levels, which may indicate PCOS.
43 citations,
October 2003 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Hair transplanting is a useful, often overlooked treatment for female pattern hair loss.
17 citations,
July 2003 in “Metabolism-clinical and Experimental” Women with female-pattern baldness produce more testosterone, but 5a-reductase inhibition treatment won't help.
25 citations,
June 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Phototrichogram and hair diameter measurements are effective, noninvasive ways to assess hair growth and detect early hair loss, with the most common pattern being reduced hair density.
86 citations,
February 2003 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” New methods improve how we test hair growth treatments, but challenges like slow hair changes and high costs remain.
108 citations,
January 2003 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide may slightly improve hair loss in women, but finasteride does not work.
233 citations,
November 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Creating stronger blockers for skin enzymes might lead to better treatment for conditions like acne and excessive hair growth.
92 citations,
October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride improves hair loss in women with hyperandrogenism.
31 citations,
October 2002 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Minoxidil helps stabilize hair loss, increase density, and reduce shedding after hair transplant surgery.
149 citations,
June 2002 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Minoxidil works better for female hair loss, but cyproterone reduces scalp oiliness and causes menstrual issues.
226 citations,
September 2001 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Hair loss in women is genetic, diagnosed by examination and biopsy, and treated with minoxidil, finasteride, or transplantation.
234 citations,
February 2001 in “British Journal of Dermatology” FPHL affects hair density and diameter, causing visible hair loss in older women.
47 citations,
January 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” High testosterone to epitestosterone ratio in hair could predict male-pattern baldness.
89 citations,
January 2001 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Hair loss in women is common, starts in late 20s, and affects 30% of women over 50.
239 citations,
November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride doesn't effectively treat hair loss in postmenopausal women.
82 citations,
January 2000 in “Hormone Research in Paediatrics” DHEA stimulates skin oil glands and could help postmenopausal women, with potential for acne and excessive hair growth treatments.
145 citations,
December 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Finasteride 1mg helps reverse hair miniaturization in men and postmenopausal women.
90 citations,
January 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” "Christmas tree" pattern helps diagnose female hair loss.
581 citations,
October 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride safely and effectively treats male pattern hair loss, but may cause reversible sexual issues and harm male fetuses.
416 citations,
September 1997 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” People with hair loss have more androgen receptors and enzymes in certain follicles, with men and women showing different patterns.
234 citations,
December 1996 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Middle-aged women with chronic telogen effluvium experience increased hair shedding but usually don't get significantly thinner hair.
154 citations,
October 1996 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” Estrogen affects hair growth and skin cell multiplication.
5 citations,
February 1996 in “Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics/Clinical pharmacology & therapeutics” Minoxidil given intravenously caused small changes in diastolic blood pressure and increased heart rate at higher concentrations in patients with high blood pressure.
26 citations,
March 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology” 
165 citations,
February 1994 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide is more effective and has fewer side effects than spironolactone for treating hirsutism.
58 citations,
October 1993 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Minoxidil helps hair growth and reduces shedding in women.
309 citations,
May 1993 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Horizontal scalp biopsy sections effectively diagnose and predict MPAA, with follicular density and inflammation impacting hair regrowth.
116 citations,
May 1992 in “The American Journal of Medicine” Flutamide rarely causes liver toxicity in prostate cancer patients.
83 citations,
April 1992 in “Clinical Endocrinology” Having enough iron improves the effectiveness of a specific hair loss treatment in women.
39 citations,
November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Antiandrogens help treat hormone-related conditions in both men and women.
130 citations,
September 1990 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Flutamide effectively reduced excessive hair growth and improved related symptoms in hirsutism patients without significant side effects.
130 citations,
May 1988 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” "Male-pattern" hair loss is common in women, especially after menopause, and doesn't always mean there's a problem with hormone balance.
57 citations,
July 1987 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Stopping minoxidil treatment resumes balding; continuous use needed for results.
138 citations,
August 1985 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Minoxidil promotes hair growth in male pattern baldness.
54 citations,
June 1985 in “American Journal of Dermatopathology” Minoxidil helps grow longer, thicker hair in bald scalps of stumptailed macaques, and early treatment is more effective.
142 citations,
February 1985 in “Fertility and sterility” Spironolactone reduced hair thickness and some testosterone levels in women with excessive hair growth.
101 citations,
January 1985 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Spironolactone is effective for treating acne, hirsutism, and androgenic alopecia in women with few side effects.
43 citations,
July 1984 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Antiandrogen therapy helped increase hair growth in women with hormonal imbalances related to baldness.
27 citations,
January 1984 in “Pharmacology & Therapeutics” Antiandrogens have important biological effects, but more research is needed to understand them fully and compare their effectiveness and side effects to other treatments.
39 citations,
January 1980 in “Dermatology” Cyproterone acetate was effective in treating acne, hirsutism, and alopecia with few side effects.
666 citations,
September 1977 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Common baldness, also known as Androgenetic Alopecia, is caused by a combination of genetic factors and hormones called androgens.
232 citations,
June 1975 in “Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” Cyproterone acetate is effective for acne but less so for hirsutism and alopecia, with some side effects and quick menstrual cycle recovery after treatment.
63 citations,
October 1972 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Women with thinning hair have thinner hair strands than women without hair loss.
