Finasteride in the Treatment of Female Pattern (Androgenic) Alopecia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

August 2012 in “ PubMed ”

Olga Boychenko, Robert Bernstein, Eric S Schweiger

finasteride female pattern alopecia androgenic alopecia minoxidil hair shedding hair regrowth Propecia female pattern baldness Rogaine

TLDR Finasteride may effectively treat female pattern hair loss.

The document described a case of a 44-year-old woman with female androgenic alopecia (FAGA) who did not respond to topical minoxidil. She was treated with oral finasteride 1.25 mg daily, resulting in a significant reduction in hair shedding and increased hair regrowth within 3.5 months, without any side effects. Additionally, the document reviewed limited studies and case series on finasteride use for FAGA, suggesting its potential effectiveness in treating this condition.

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Research cited in this study

13 / 13 results

research Medical Treatments for Male and Female Pattern Hair Loss

212 citations, September 2008 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Minoxidil and finasteride treat hair loss in men, while minoxidil treats hair loss in women.

research A Review of Hormonal Therapy for Female Pattern (Androgenic) Alopecia

14 citations, January 2008 in “Dermatology Online Journal”

Hormonal therapies like cyproterone acetate and spironolactone may help some women with hair loss, but finasteride 1mg is not useful, and the effectiveness of other treatments is still unclear.

research A Woman With Iatrogenic Androgenetic Alopecia Responding To Finasteride

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EF and PXE not closely related.

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Finasteride with oral contraceptive helps improve hair loss in premenopausal women.

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33 citations, April 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

Aging alone barely affects the number of hair follicles, meaning hair loss is minimal without other conditions like androgenetic alopecia.

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Finasteride can slow hair loss and promote growth in postmenopausal women.

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Male hormones, particularly DHT, are linked to male pattern hair loss, and treatments like finasteride can help, but they don't work for postmenopausal women's hair loss, which may have different causes.

research Hair Loss in Women with Hyperandrogenism: Four Cases Responding to Finasteride

92 citations, October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Finasteride improves hair loss in women with hyperandrogenism.

research Hair Density, Hair Diameter, and the Prevalence of Female Pattern Hair Loss

234 citations, February 2001 in “British Journal of Dermatology”

FPHL affects hair density and diameter, causing visible hair loss in older women.

research Lack of Efficacy of Finasteride in Postmenopausal Women with Androgenetic Alopecia

239 citations, November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Finasteride doesn't effectively treat hair loss in postmenopausal women.

research Clinical Dose Ranging Studies with Finasteride, a Type 2 5α-Reductase Inhibitor, in Men with Male Pattern Hair Loss

46 citations, October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Finasteride effectively treats male pattern hair loss with a 1 mg daily dose.

research Finasteride in the Treatment of Men with Frontal Male Pattern Hair Loss

187 citations, June 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Finasteride effectively treats frontal hair loss with few side effects.

research Finasteride in the Treatment of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

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.

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