Spironolactone Versus Placebo or in Combination with Steroids for Hirsutism and/or Acne

    April 2009 in “ Cochrane library ”
    Julie Brown, Cindy Farquhar, Olivia Lee, Robyn Toomath, Ruth Jepson
    TLDR Spironolactone may reduce excessive hair growth in women but its effectiveness for acne is not supported.
    The review investigated the effectiveness of spironolactone, alone or in combination with steroids, in treating hirsutism and acne in women. Nine trials were included, with two comparing 100 mg of spironolactone to placebo showing significant subjective improvements in hair growth but not in objective measures. The evidence suggested that spironolactone was effective in reducing hirsutism but not acne vulgaris. The studies were small and scarce, limiting the generalizability of the results. Spironolactone appeared more effective than finasteride, metformin, and low-dose cyproterone acetate for hirsutism.
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