370 citations,
September 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Finasteride and minoxidil are effective for hair loss, but continued research is needed for better treatments.
260 citations,
July 2010 in “Cell” Mutations in the SRD5A3 gene cause a new type of glycosylation disorder by blocking the production of a molecule necessary for protein glycosylation.
223 citations,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Some patients taking finasteride or dutasteride may have ongoing sexual problems and depression even after stopping the medication.
218 citations,
December 2011 in “Advances in Urology” The document concludes that the 5 alpha-reductase enzymes are important in steroid metabolism and related to various human diseases, with inhibitors used to treat conditions like male pattern baldness and prostate issues.
211 citations,
November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
203 citations,
December 2004 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Early diagnosis and treatment, using finasteride, minoxidil, or hair transplantation, improves hair loss outcomes.
195 citations,
May 2003 in “Obstetrics and gynecology (New York. 1953. Online)/Obstetrics and gynecology” Most women with excess hair growth have an underlying hormonal issue, often treated with medication and hair removal methods.
192 citations,
September 2003 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Metformin is effective for treating excessive hair growth in women with PCOS and may work better than the standard treatment in some ways.
185 citations,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride for hair loss can cause long-lasting sexual side effects like low libido and erectile dysfunction.
176 citations,
August 2000 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Hormone treatments in transsexual individuals reduce hair growth and oil production in male-to-females and increase them in female-to-males.
169 citations,
August 2004 in “Baillière's best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology/Baillière's best practice and research in clinical obstetrics and gynaecology” Lower doses of treatments for hirsutism and acne in PCOS are effective and cause fewer side effects.
165 citations,
January 2014 in “Dermatology Research and Practice” Zinc is effective for treating various skin conditions, including warts and acne.
165 citations,
December 2002 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology” Male hormones, particularly DHT, are linked to male pattern hair loss, and treatments like finasteride can help, but they don't work for postmenopausal women's hair loss, which may have different causes.
143 citations,
October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics” Too much androgen can cause hair loss; finasteride may help.
127 citations,
June 2006 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” Liposomes and niosomes improve finasteride delivery for hair loss treatment.
112 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride may cause long-lasting sexual side effects.
110 citations,
August 2016 in “Drugs” Minoxidil is the only FDA-approved topical drug for treating male or female pattern hair loss, and other medications like finasteride and dutasteride can also increase hair growth.
108 citations,
November 2006 in “Phytomedicine” Green tea component EGCG could potentially promote human hair growth.
108 citations,
January 2003 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide may slightly improve hair loss in women, but finasteride does not work.
104 citations,
October 1999 in “The Journal of Urology” Finasteride doesn't harm male fertility or sperm quality, but may slightly reduce ejaculate volume.
100 citations,
September 2017 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology” Male hormones and their receptors play a key role in hair loss and skin health, with potential new treatments being explored.
98 citations,
February 2013 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Dutasteride may help stabilize Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia, but more research is needed.
91 citations,
April 2011 in “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” Polygonum multiflorum extract helps grow hair by activating certain hair growth signals in mice.
90 citations,
January 2003 in “The Journal of Urology” Finasteride may reduce prostate bleeding by lowering blood vessel growth factor levels and blood vessel density in certain prostate areas.
89 citations,
December 2006 in “Lancet Oncology” Taking 1 mg/day finasteride for hair loss significantly lowers PSA levels in men, which may affect prostate cancer screening.
89 citations,
February 1993 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” New compounds called benzoquinolinones may treat conditions linked to excess DHT.
82 citations,
August 2006 in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior” Certain steroids in the brain affect mood and symptoms of depression, and treatments targeting these steroids show promise for improving these symptoms.
80 citations,
January 1988 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Spironolactone can cause side effects like irregular bleeding, but lower doses may reduce these effects and still improve hirsutism.
77 citations,
May 2012 in “Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs” New treatments for male hypogonadism are effective and should be personalized.
76 citations,
December 1997 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride reduces hair growth better, but spironolactone has more side effects.