Medical Treatment of Hirsutism

September 2008 in “ Dermatologic therapy ”

Ulrike Blume‐Peytavi, Susanne Hahn

hirsutism polycystic ovary syndrome idiopathic drug-induced hormonal imbalances oral contraceptives antiandrogenic properties antiandrogen insulin sensitizers hyperandrogenism insulin resistance topical eflornithine laser photoepilation PCOS birth control pills Vaniqa

Studysummary This review discusses medical treatments for hirsutism, focusing on oral contraceptives and other therapies, but reports no new results; the authors emphasize the lack of evidence for insulin sensitizers in treating hirsutism alone.

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Research cited in this study

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research Insulin Sensitizers for the Treatment of Hirsutism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials

121 citations , April 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

Insulin sensitizers may slightly reduce hirsutism but are less effective than other treatments.

research Evaluation and Treatment of Hirsutism in Premenopausal Women: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline

502 citations , February 2008 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

This review discusses hirsutism management guidelines, recommending androgen testing only for women with abnormal hirsutism scores and advocating for combined therapy approaches depending on severity and underlying conditions, but it reports no new clinical results.

research Antiandrogens for the Treatment of Hirsutism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials

150 citations , February 2008 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism”

This study suggests that antiandrogens may slightly reduce hirsutism severity compared to placebo, but evidence is weak and their relative efficacy remains uncertain.

research A Systematic Review of Commonly Used Medical Treatments for Hirsutism in Women

75 citations , November 2007 in “Clinical endocrinology”

This study found that several drugs, including flutamide and spironolactone, significantly reduced hirsutism in women, with reduced effectiveness in those with higher BMI.

research A Randomized Bilateral Vehicle-Controlled Study of Eflornithine Cream Combined with Laser Treatment Versus Laser Treatment Alone for Facial Hirsutism in Women

125 citations , February 2007 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This study found that adding topical eflornithine to laser hair removal significantly improved the reduction of unwanted facial hair in women over a 6-month period, compared to laser treatment alone.

research Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Topical Eflornithine HCl 13.9% Cream in the Treatment of Women with Facial Hair

133 citations , July 2006 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

This study found that topical eflornithine HCl 13.9% cream effectively reduced facial hair in women, with a favorable safety profile.

research Hirsutism

271 citations , December 2005 in “New England journal of medicine/The New England journal of medicine”

This article discusses evaluation and treatment options for a 19-year-old woman with slowly progressive hair growth and reports no new clinical findings.

research Guidance for the Management of Hirsutism

39 citations , July 2005 in “Current medical research and opinion”

This article discusses available methods for managing excessive facial hair growth in women and mentions that eflornithine 11.5% cream can reduce hair growth and the frequency of removal, but it reports no new clinical findings.

research Finasteride Versus Cyproterone Acetate-Estrogen Regimens in the Treatment of Hirsutism

39 citations , August 2004 in “International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics”

This study found that both finasteride and a regimen of cyproterone acetate plus ethinyl estradiol effectively reduced hirsutism in women, with similar results despite differing hormonal effects.

research Androgen Excess in Women: Experience with Over 1000 Consecutive Patients

947 citations , February 2004 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

In this study, polycystic ovary syndrome was the most prevalent cause of androgen excess, and suppressive hormonal therapy improved hirsutism, menstrual dysfunction, and acne in most patients, though side effects were common.

research Hair Reduction: 48 Months of Experience with 800nm Diode Laser

20 citations , December 2003 in “Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy”

This study found that an 800-nm diode laser was effective for reducing pigmented hair and extending hair plucking intervals, with most patients tolerating the procedure well without anesthetics.

research Cyproterone Acetate for Hirsutism

78 citations , October 2003 in “Cochrane library”

This review found that adding cyproterone acetate to estradiol showed a subjective improvement in hirsutism versus placebo, but comparisons with other therapies revealed no clinical differences.

research The Evaluation and Management of Hirsutism

195 citations , May 2003 in “Obstetrics and gynecology (New York. 1953. Online)/Obstetrics and gynecology”

This review discusses the diagnosis and treatment of hirsutism, emphasizing that a systematic evaluation can determine its cause, while combination therapy effectively manages the condition for most patients.

research Progestogens With Antiandrogenic Properties

164 citations , January 2003 in “Drugs”

research The Diagnosis and Management of Hirsutism

10 citations , January 2003 in “Seminars in reproductive medicine”

This review covers the pathophysiology, diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of hirsutism and reports no new clinical findings.

research The Benefits of Finasteride for Hirsute Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or Idiopathic Hirsutism

40 citations , January 2003 in “Gynecological Endocrinology”

This study found that finasteride significantly reduced hirsutism in women with idiopathic hirsutism or polycystic ovary syndrome over six months, suggesting its potential effectiveness for this condition.

research The Effect of Metformin on Hirsutism in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

90 citations , August 2002 in “European journal of endocrinology”

This study found that metformin treatment significantly improved hair growth in women with PCOS and hirsutism compared to a placebo.

research Topical Eflornithine: Efficacy in Reducing Unwanted Facial Hair Growth in Women

115 citations , January 2001 in “American journal of clinical dermatology”

This study found that eflornithine 15% cream reduced unwanted facial hair growth more effectively than a placebo in women with hirsutism, but hair growth returned to pretreatment levels within 8 weeks of stopping treatment.

research Comparison of Spironolactone, Flutamide, and Finasteride Efficacy in the Treatment of Hirsutism: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

46 citations , January 2000 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

research Comparison of Finasteride Versus Flutamide in the Treatment of Hirsutism

75 citations , October 1999 in “European journal of endocrinology”

This study found that both finasteride and flutamide effectively reduce hirsutism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome or idiopathic hirsutism, but flutamide was more effective.

research Hair Removal Using a Long-Pulsed Alexandrite Laser

26 citations , April 1999 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

This article reviews the basics of hair follicle biology, laser/tissue interactions, and hirsutism and hypertrichosis causes, discussing the long-pulsed alexandrite laser's role in hair reduction without reporting new clinical results.

A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Low Dose Flutamide, Finasteride, Ketoconazole, and Cyproterone Acetate-Estrogen Regimens in the Treatment of Hirsutism

research A Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Low Dose Flutamide, Finasteride, Ketoconazole, and Cyproterone Acetate-Estrogen Regimens in the Treatment of Hirsutism

113 citations , April 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

This study found that all four treatments—flutamide, finasteride, ketoconazole, and EE-CPA—significantly reduced hirsutism, but EE-CPA and flutamide appeared most effective, with varying effects on androgen levels and side-effect profiles.

research Hirsutism

67 citations , January 1997 in “Lancet”

This article discusses the causes of hirsutism, identifying increased androgen production and heightened skin sensitivity, and provides no new clinical results.

research Electrolysis: Observations from 13 Years and 140,000 Hours of Experience

132 citations , October 1995 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

This report concludes that the blend method is the most effective electrolysis technique for permanent hair removal, requiring proper technique and preparation such as shaving before treatment to increase efficacy.

research Hirsutism

12 citations , November 1993 in “International Journal of Dermatology”

The document explains that hirsutism, often caused by hormonal issues, can be managed with treatment to improve both physical appearance and mental health.