48 citations,
February 2014 in “Fertility and Sterility” Women with PCOS often have hair loss, which is linked to acne or excess body hair but not to worse hormone or metabolic issues.
17 citations,
October 2012 in “Dermatologic clinics” Treating excessive hair in women requires a holistic approach, including medical, aesthetic, and emotional support.
67 citations,
February 2010 in “Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica” Hirsutism is a strong sign of high male hormones and metabolic problems in women with PCOS, but acne and hair loss are not.
112 citations,
April 2009 in “Cochrane library” Spironolactone may reduce excessive hair growth in women but its effectiveness for acne is not supported.
1540 citations,
October 2008 in “Fertility and Sterility” The report concludes that PCOS is mainly a condition of excess male hormones and its definition may change as new information is discovered.
66 citations,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic therapy” The conclusion is that the best initial treatment for hirsutism is usually oral contraceptives, with the addition of antiandrogens or insulin sensitizers if needed, and topical eflornithine or laser treatments as supplementary options.
121 citations,
April 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Insulin sensitizers may slightly reduce hirsutism but are less effective than other treatments.
76 citations,
January 2007 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” Women with PCOS often have skin problems like excessive hair, acne, hair loss, and dark patches, which can be treated with hormonal and non-hormonal therapies.
1744 citations,
August 2006 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Polycystic Ovary Syndrome should be seen mainly as a condition of excess male hormones, with a focus on this in its definition.
133 citations,
July 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology” 
97 citations,
July 2006 in “Dermatologic therapy” The document concludes that accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment are important for skin problems in women with PCOS.
352 citations,
January 2006 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Most women referred for excess male hormone symptoms had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), with other conditions being less common.
33 citations,
September 2005 in “PubMed” Dutasteride successfully treated a woman's hair loss when other treatments failed.
179 citations,
March 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Oral antiandrogens effectively treat female hair loss, with better results in higher hair loss grades.
39 citations,
August 2004 in “International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics” Finasteride and CPA-EE2 equally reduce hirsutism, but affect hormone levels differently.
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.
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.
397 citations,
February 2004 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Minoxidil boosts hair growth by opening potassium channels and increasing cell activity.
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.
78 citations,
October 2003 in “Cochrane library” Cyproterone acetate with estradiol may subjectively improve excessive hair growth in women, but it's not clinically better than other treatments.
192 citations,
September 2003 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Metformin is effective for treating excessive hair growth in women with PCOS and may work better than the standard treatment in some ways.
21 citations,
January 2003 in “Seminars in reproductive medicine” The document concludes that various drugs can manage symptoms and metabolic issues in women with PCOS.
51 citations,
October 2002 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride increases hair density in female androgenetic alopecia, but individual results may vary.
90 citations,
August 2002 in “European journal of endocrinology” Metformin improves hair growth and menstrual frequency in women with PCOS and hirsutism.
63 citations,
March 2001 in “Fertility and Sterility” Diane 35 plus finasteride is more effective for treating hirsutism.
239 citations,
November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride doesn't effectively treat hair loss in postmenopausal women.
176 citations,
August 2000 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Hormone treatments in transsexual individuals reduce hair growth and oil production in male-to-females and increase them in female-to-males.
75 citations,
October 1999 in “European journal of endocrinology” Finasteride is a safe, effective treatment for hirsutism with fewer side effects.
165 citations,
February 1994 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide is more effective and has fewer side effects than spironolactone for treating hirsutism.
40 citations,
January 1994 in “Skin Pharmacology and Physiology” Male hormones affect oil-producing skin cells differently based on their body location, and the drug spironolactone can reduce these effects.
16 citations,
January 1989 in “Springer eBooks” Cyproterone acetate effectively treats female hair loss by increasing healthy hair and decreasing unhealthy hair, but doesn't change hair thickness.
44 citations,
June 1985 in “Fertility and sterility” Combination drug therapy is effective for hirsutism that doesn't improve with just one medication.
183 citations,
March 1982 in “JAMA” Spironolactone is a safe and effective treatment for reducing excessive hair growth in women.
