A Systematic Review of Topical Finasteride in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia in Men and Women

April 2018 in “ PubMed ”

Sung Koo Lee, Margit Juhasz, Pezhman Mobasher, Chloe Ekelem, Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska

topical finasteride androgenetic alopecia dihydrotestosterone serum testosterone hair loss hair growth scalp plasma DHT total hair counts terminal hair counts FNS DHT

TLDR Topical finasteride reduces hair loss and promotes hair growth in men and women.

The systematic review evaluated the efficacy of topical finasteride (FNS) for treating androgenetic alopecia in men and women. Seven studies were included, all showing significant decreases in hair loss rates, increases in total and terminal hair counts, and positive hair growth assessments with topical FNS. Both scalp and plasma dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels significantly decreased, while serum testosterone levels remained unchanged. The preliminary results indicated that topical FNS was safe and promising, but further research was needed to optimize drug delivery, concentration, application frequency, and to explore its use for other types of alopecia.

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