67 citations
,
March 2018 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Oral contraceptives and antiandrogens are effective for treating hirsutism, with antiandrogens being the most effective.
117 citations
,
May 2017 in “Human Reproduction Update” The update highlights that non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia is common in women with excess male hormones, requires specific hormone tests for diagnosis, and has various treatment options depending on age and symptoms.
25 citations
,
September 2015 in “Clinical Endocrinology” Using 17-hydroxyprogesterone levels to diagnose nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia can result in many incorrect diagnoses.
33 citations
,
April 2015 in “Cochrane library” Some medicines can reduce excessive hair growth in women, but more research is needed to compare treatments and consider side effects.
1265 citations
,
October 2013 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” The guideline suggests using specific criteria to diagnose PCOS, recommends various treatments for its symptoms, and advises screening for related health issues.
37 citations
,
August 2012 in “European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology” A simplified scoring system can effectively diagnose hirsutism in Chinese women of reproductive age.
29 citations
,
July 2012 in “Fertility and Sterility” Low and ultralow doses of flutamide can cause liver damage in young women with high androgen levels, regardless of dose or birth control use, with higher risk for those with higher BMI and liver enzyme levels before treatment.
378 citations
,
November 2011 in “Human reproduction update” Experts recommend using evidence-based methods to diagnose and treat hirsutism, focusing on symptoms and underlying causes.
98 citations
,
July 2011 in “Fertility and Sterility” An mFG score of 5 or more indicates above-normal hair growth in Southern Chinese women.
198 citations
,
July 2011 in “Cochrane library” Lifestyle changes can improve body composition, excess male hormone levels, and insulin resistance in women with PCOS.
41 citations
,
September 2010 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Both intense pulsed light and long-pulsed diode laser effectively reduced facial hair in women, with no significant difference in satisfaction after 6 months, but intense pulsed light was more painful.
105 citations
,
January 2009 in “Medicine” Hirsutism is more linked to high androgen levels than acne or hair loss, and a mix of hormonal tests is best for diagnosis; certain treatments can reduce symptoms.
121 citations
,
April 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Insulin sensitizers may slightly reduce hirsutism but are less effective than other treatments.
150 citations
,
February 2008 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Antiandrogens are somewhat effective in reducing excessive hair growth in women.
502 citations
,
February 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Treat significant hirsutism with medication and hair removal; use birth control pills first, adding antiandrogens if needed.
150 citations
,
November 2007 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” About 2.2% of women with symptoms of high male hormones have a mild form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and measuring a specific hormone level can accurately diagnose it.
125 citations
,
February 2007 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Combining eflornithine cream with laser treatment removes facial hair better than laser alone.
305 citations
,
February 2007 in “Hormone and metabolic research” Human skin makes sexual hormones that affect hair growth, skin health, and healing; too much can cause acne and hair loss, while treatments can manage these conditions.
282 citations
,
October 2006 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” The Endocrine Society advised against routine testosterone therapy for women, citing a need for more research on long-term safety and a clear definition of androgen deficiency.
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” The cream effectively and safely reduces facial hair in women.
32 citations
,
March 2006 in “PubMed” Eflornithine cream slows facial hair growth and works well with other treatments.
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.
271 citations
,
December 2005 in “New England journal of medicine/The New England journal of medicine” The document likely offers guidance on treating a woman's excessive hair growth, considering her symptoms and obesity.
3 citations
,
November 2005 in “Journal of Research in Medical Sciences” Finasteride cream didn't significantly reduce hair more than a placebo, but users felt it helped.
56 citations
,
August 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Different women's hair and skin glands respond to hormones in varied ways, which can cause unwanted hair growth even with normal hormone levels, and more research is needed to treat this effectively.
101 citations
,
June 2005 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Very few people experience increased hair growth after laser hair removal, especially those with darker skin and black hair.
29 citations
,
April 2004 in “Annals of Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride reduces hirsutism effectively with fewer side effects but is a second-choice treatment due to safety concerns.
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.
4809 citations
,
January 2004 in “Fertility and Sterility” The 2003 consensus updated PCOS diagnosis criteria and highlighted increased risks of diabetes and heart disease for those affected.
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.
51 citations
,
October 2002 in “European journal of endocrinology” Low-dose finasteride effectively treats hirsutism, is safe, and cost-effective.
34 citations
,
April 2001 in “PubMed” Vaniqa cream slows unwanted facial hair growth in women.
89 citations
,
March 2001 in “Endocrine practice” The guidelines help doctors diagnose and treat hormone-related disorders in women.
27 citations
,
January 2001 in “Endocrine Practice” Finasteride cream reduces hair growth in women with hirsutism, but more research needed.
50 citations
,
May 2000 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide reduces hair growth better but has more side effects.
10 citations
,
January 2000 in “PubMed” Both finasteride and GnRH agonist treatments reduced hair growth in women with idiopathic hirsutism, but GnRH agonist was more effective.
94 citations
,
January 2000 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Spironolactone most effective for hirsutism, but has side effects.
46 citations
,
January 2000 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” 26 citations
,
December 1999 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” The normal-mode ruby laser effectively reduces facial hair for a long time with few side effects.
75 citations
,
October 1999 in “European journal of endocrinology” Finasteride is a safe, effective treatment for hirsutism with fewer side effects.
294 citations
,
August 1999 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Laser hair removal is safe with the right settings, but side effects like pain and skin changes are more common in darker or tanned skin.
113 citations
,
April 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Cyproterone acetate-estrogen most effective for hirsutism, but consider side effects and patient needs.
23 citations
,
April 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” All treatments reduce hair growth; low dose flutamide most effective with fewer side effects.
75 citations
,
March 1999 in “Fertility and sterility” Finasteride, CPA, and flutamide are all equally effective in reducing excessive hair growth in women.
49 citations
,
June 1998 in “Journal of Endocrinological Investigation” Cyproterone acetate plus ethinyl estradiol is generally more effective in treating hirsutism, but consider side effects and patient characteristics.
8 citations
,
January 1998 in “PubMed” 
76 citations
,
December 1997 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride reduces hair growth better, but spironolactone has more side effects.
49 citations
,
April 1997 in “Human reproduction” Hormone therapy for excessive hair growth is as good with GnRHa as with high-dose CPA, but GnRHa has longer-lasting results.
38 citations
,
January 1997 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” Finasteride and flutamide effectively reduce hirsutism in PCOS women, with flutamide also lowering hormone levels.
18 citations
,
January 1996 in “Gynecologic and obstetric investigation” The oral contraceptive alone is the preferred treatment for hirsutism, as adding the GnRH analog showed no significant benefit.
74 citations
,
December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Leuprolide plus estrogen is more effective than oral contraceptives for reducing hirsutism.
62 citations
,
December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Combining a GnRH agonist with a low-dose oral contraceptive is more effective and safer for treating hirsutism than using either alone.
132 citations
,
October 1995 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Electrolysis is effective for permanent hair removal, but technique is key to avoid scarring, and sometimes hormonal treatment is needed for women with hirsutism.
24 citations
,
September 1995 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Medication and hair removal methods can improve hirsutism, but no drugs were specifically approved for it in North America as of 1995.
52 citations
,
January 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride and spironolactone both reduce hirsutism, but finasteride lowers androgen levels more.
34 citations
,
January 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” 
165 citations
,
February 1994 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide is more effective and has fewer side effects than spironolactone for treating hirsutism.
43 citations
,
December 1993 in “Annals of internal medicine” Flutamide, a medication used for excessive hair growth, can cause severe liver damage in women.
100 citations
,
April 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” The ovary mainly causes high testosterone in PCO, while the adrenal gland is the main source in IH.
18 citations
,
January 1990 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Lower doses of dexamethasone can safely reduce high DHEAS levels in women with androgenic disorders.
96 citations
,
October 1987 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Chronic GnRHa treatment can help manage endometrial hyperplasia and reduce ovarian androgen excess in PCO patients.
16 citations
,
January 1987 in “Dermatology” The spironolactone cream did not reduce hair growth in women with hirsutism.
77 citations
,
October 1986 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Nafarelin may effectively treat excessive hair growth in women by reducing certain hormone levels.
142 citations
,
February 1985 in “Fertility and sterility” Spironolactone reduced hair thickness and some testosterone levels in women with excessive hair growth.
64 citations
,
March 1984 in “Journal of steroid biochemistry/Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” Cyproterone acetate effectively reduced hair growth in hirsute patients by lowering androgen levels and altering androgen metabolism.
