Hirsutism Management Needs to Be More Patient Oriented

    July 2016 in “ British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement ”
    Manabu Ohyama
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    TLDR Hirsutism treatment should focus more on patient needs and quality of life.
    The commentary emphasized that hirsutism, while not life-threatening, significantly impacted women's quality of life due to societal standards of femininity. The management of hirsutism required coordinated endocrinological investigation, but the effectiveness of various treatments remained unclear. A Cochrane review by van Zuuren et al. evaluated 157 randomized clinical trials, finding most had a high risk of bias. They concluded that oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) with antiandrogenic activity could be a first-line treatment for mild hirsutism, while antiandrogens like flutamide and spironolactone might be effective for moderate to severe cases, though evidence quality was low. The review highlighted the need for more patient-reported outcomes in future studies to better address patient expectations and improve quality of life.
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