A Review of Hormonal Therapy for Female Pattern (Androgenic) Alopecia

The 2007 review examined hormonal therapy for female pattern (androgenic) alopecia, a condition affecting up to 75% of women aged 65 or older. At the time, the only approved treatment was 2% topical minoxidil, but anti-hormonal therapies like cyproterone acetate and spironolactone were suggested as potentially beneficial. The study found that 1 mg of finasteride was ineffective in treating alopecia in post-menopausal women, based on a trial involving 137 women. However, higher doses of finasteride (2.5 and 5 mg) showed some improvement in a few open studies. One study involving 37 premenopausal women treated with 2.5 mg/d finasteride showed improvement in 23 patients after 12 months. The review concluded that while 1mg finasteride was not useful for female alopecia in post-menopausal women, the role of other hormonal agents remained undefined, particularly in pre-menopausal women. The review emphasized the need for larger controlled studies to confirm these findings.