Improvement in scalp hair growth in androgen‐deficient women treated with testosterone: a questionnaire study
January 2012
in “British Journal of Dermatology”
TLDR Testosterone therapy helped 63% of androgen-deficient women grow scalp hair, but more research is needed.
In a 2012 study involving 285 androgen-deficient women, 63% of the 76 patients who reported hair thinning experienced hair regrowth after at least one year of subcutaneous testosterone therapy. The study found that nonresponders had a higher BMI than responders, and baseline serum testosterone levels were lower in women reporting hair loss before therapy. Despite an increase in facial hair growth reported by 92% of the women, the study concluded that testosterone therapy could have a beneficial anabolic effect on scalp hair growth, challenging the belief that testosterone generally causes hair loss in women. The results suggest that androgen deficiency might contribute to hair thinning due to a lack of testosterone's anabolic effect on hair. However, the findings were based on patient reports, and the authors called for more objective measures to confirm these results and further research into the complex effects of androgens on female scalp hair growth.
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