Interventions for Female Pattern Hair Loss

This document is a clinical evidence synopsis of a Cochrane review on interventions for female pattern hair loss (FPHL). The review found low- to moderate-quality evidence that topical minoxidil (2% and 5%) was associated with improvements in FPHL. Finasteride was not more effective than placebo. There were inconsistent results from studies that laser devices were effective, but total hair count increased compared with baseline (moderate- to low-quality evidence). Most treatments were not associated with higher adverse event rates than placebo. The document suggests that further studies evaluating frequently used treatments are required.