TLDR Oral finasteride, combined with drospirenone, improved hair loss in 62% of premenopausal women, with no reported side effects.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of oral finasteride in treating female pattern hair loss in 37 premenopausal women. The participants took oral finasteride daily for 12 months, along with an oral contraceptive containing drospirenone. Improvement in hair loss was observed in 62% of the patients, with some experiencing a significant increase in hair density. No adverse effects were reported. The study suggests that oral finasteride, in combination with drospirenone, may be a promising treatment option for female pattern hair loss. However, further research is needed to validate these findings and compare the treatment to a placebo. Many patients with hair loss prefer oral medication over topical treatments, and the availability of effective oral therapy would be welcomed by those with female pattern alopecia.
4 citations,
December 2020 in “Giornale italiano di dermatologia e venereologia” Italian guidelines recommend using trichoscopy for diagnosis and treatments like minoxidil for hair loss.
6 citations,
April 2016 in “PubMed” The review found that women using hair loss drugs like finasteride and dutasteride rarely reported sexual side effects.
20 citations,
January 2016 in “Intractable & Rare Diseases Research” Combination therapy, especially with finasteride, is effective for treating frontal fibrosing alopecia.
January 2007 in “The Year book of dermatology” Finasteride with oral contraceptive improves hair loss in 62% of premenopausal women.
92 citations,
October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride improves hair loss in women with hyperandrogenism.
10 citations,
June 2001 in “PubMed” Finasteride is effective in growing hair and stopping hair loss in men with mild to moderate alopecia.
72 citations,
January 2001 in “Drugs” Minoxidil and finasteride treat hair loss; more research needed for other options.
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.
