Outcome of Long-Term Treatment with the 5α-Reductase Inhibitor Finasteride in Idiopathic Hirsutism: Clinical and Hormonal Effects During a 1-Year Course of Therapy and 1-Year Follow-Up
November 1996
in “
Fertility and Sterility
”
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Studysummary This study found that finasteride effectively reduced hirsutism in women during 12 months of treatment, with some effects persisting in the majority after stopping the medication. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study evaluated the long-term efficacy of finasteride in treating idiopathic hirsutism in women. The treatment lasted for 12 months, and the follow-up period lasted for another 12 months. The results showed that finasteride was effective and well-tolerated in long-term treatment of women with idiopathic hirsutism, with a remarkable reduction in hirsutism score after 12 months of treatment. Post-treatment follow-up suggested that drug effects on hair growth were sustained in the majority of subjects with this disorder. The study concluded that 5α-reductase inhibition provides the most rational approach to treatment of hirsutism in women with normal serum androgens, but careful contraception is needed during therapy.
