Finasteride: A New Drug for the Treatment of Male Hirsutism and Androgenetic Alopecia?
June 1996
in “
PubMed
”
TLDR Finasteride may help reduce male hair loss and excessive hair growth by lowering DHT levels.
Finasteride was studied for its potential in treating male hirsutism and androgenetic alopecia by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), particularly affecting type II 5 alpha-reductase. The drug showed promise in reducing hirsutism in women with hyperandrogenism and improving hair follicle characteristics in men with alopecia by increasing the number of follicles in the anagen phase and decreasing DHT levels in the scalp. This review summarized findings from recent studies and discussed the future potential of finasteride in these contexts.