Reduction of Diameter of Hair Shaft Among Women With Hirsutism

The study evaluated the effectiveness of spironolactone (aldactone) alone and in combination with oral contraceptive pills and/or metformin for treating hirsutism in women. Conducted at the Baghdad teaching hospital from July 2006 to January 2008, the study found that after 3 months of treatment, there was a significant reduction in hair shaft diameter by 44.49% with aldactone alone and 42.85% with aldactone combined with oral contraceptive pills. After 6 months, the greatest reduction was seen with aldactone combined with oral contraceptive pills (60%), followed by aldactone alone (52.49%), and aldactone with metformin (51.2%). The least effective combination was aldactone with both oral contraceptive pills and metformin, which resulted in a 37.5% reduction. The study concluded that aldactone, as an antiandrogenic drug, effectively reduces the mean diameter of hair shaft in hirsute patients, whether used alone or in combination with other treatments.