Increasing Utility of Finasteride for Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia

    June 2015 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”
    Melissa J. Danesh, Jenny E. Murase
    Image of study
    TLDR Finasteride helps treat frontal fibrosing alopecia, improving or stabilizing the condition in many patients.
    Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a difficult condition to treat due to limited treatment options and lack of evidence for available agents. However, off-label use of finasteride, a type 2 5a-reductase inhibitor commonly used in men, has shown increasing efficacy for frontal fibrosing alopecia in women. A study involving 102 patients showed improvement in 47% and stabilization in 53% of patients. A combination strategy using finasteride and minoxidil in 8 patients halted progression of disease in 50% of patients after 12 to 18 months. The recommended starting dose of finasteride is 2.5 mg daily, with possible side effects including depression, headache, nausea, and hot flashes. If there is no improvement after 6 months, the dose of finasteride can be increased to 5 mg/d and minoxidil 2% to 5% can be added.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    2 / 2 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 1000+ results

      community Fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution

      in Research/Science  14 upvotes 1 year ago
      A user has been experiencing hair loss for 4 years, with treatments like minoxidil, finasteride, and various supplements proving ineffective. They were diagnosed with fibrosing alopecia in a pattern distribution, a condition that may require a combination of anti-inflammatory and hair growth treatments.

      community almost 6 months of progress :)

      in Progress Pictures  535 upvotes 4 months ago
      The user shared their 6-month hair regrowth progress using finasteride, minoxidil, biotin, and iron supplements, along with occasional microneedling and specific shampoos. They reported minimal side effects and no retrograde alopecia, attributing their success to a combination of treatments.
      If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      community If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      in Research  830 upvotes 8 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community M18 - 7 Months on topical fin + min Not working for me

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  92 upvotes 1 month ago
      Topical finasteride and minoxidil are not effective for the user, who is considering switching to oral treatments like finasteride or dutasteride. Many suggest oral medications are more effective, and some recommend additional treatments like microneedling and other topical solutions.

      community Finasteride not working isnt it MPB?

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  5 upvotes 11 months ago
      A user is concerned that finasteride isn't working for their hair loss, questioning if it's due to male pattern baldness or low iron levels. They are advised to take finasteride daily and get blood work done.

    Related Research

    6 / 6 results