129 citations,
October 2007 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Over one-third of women experience hair loss, with female-pattern hair loss being most common, and treatments include minoxidil and possibly hair transplantation.
113 citations,
April 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Cyproterone acetate-estrogen most effective for hirsutism, but consider side effects and patient needs.
99 citations,
June 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Testosterone replacement may help some postmenopausal women with symptoms like fatigue and low libido, but more research is needed to fully understand its effects.
94 citations,
January 2000 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Spironolactone most effective for hirsutism, but has side effects.
93 citations,
June 2001 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Certain genetic variations in the AR and ERβ genes can affect androgen levels in women.
82 citations,
February 1989 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” A three-month treatment with a GnRH agonist significantly lowered androgen levels and 5α-reductase activity in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
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.
78 citations,
May 1989 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Spironolactone effectively reduces hair growth in women with hirsutism and is generally well-tolerated.
66 citations,
August 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Women with acromegaly often have irregular periods due to hormone imbalances and growth hormone effects.
59 citations,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces scalp DHT levels, potentially treating male pattern baldness.
57 citations,
February 1983 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Dihydrotestosterone increases the activity of an enzyme in pubic skin cells that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone.
55 citations,
March 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride may treat baldness but less effective for those with 5α-reductase deficiency.
52 citations,
January 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride and spironolactone both reduce hirsutism, but finasteride lowers androgen levels more.
49 citations,
August 1996 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” The combination of cyproterone acetate and testosterone enanthate is highly effective in preventing sperm production and could be a good reversible male contraceptive.
47 citations,
July 2013 in “Pharmacological Reviews” Regenerative pharmacology, which combines drugs with regenerative medicine, shows promise for repairing damaged body parts and needs more interdisciplinary research.
47 citations,
August 2000 in “Endocrine Reviews” The document concludes that more research is needed to understand excessive hair growth in women with normal hormone levels and regular ovulation.
46 citations,
August 1990 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Ketoconazole reduced hair growth and improved acne in women, but caused side effects needing careful monitoring.
43 citations,
July 2013 in “Pharmacological reviews” New research on prostamide F2α has led to treatments for glaucoma and eyelash growth and may have more medical uses.
34 citations,
February 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride and minoxidil together promote hair growth better than either alone.
33 citations,
October 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces hair growth and is safe for women with excessive hair.
31 citations,
February 1997 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” People who carry the 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency gene are not more likely to have excessive male hormone levels.
30 citations,
August 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect hormone levels in normal men.
24 citations,
October 1995 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” The nafarelin test can reliably distinguish between gonadotropin deficiency and delayed puberty in teenage boys.
23 citations,
April 1999 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” All treatments reduce hair growth; low dose flutamide most effective with fewer side effects.
22 citations,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces dihydrotestosterone, increases testosterone, and may treat hirsutism in women.
18 citations,
July 2009 in “Drug Metabolism and Disposition” Finasteride breakdown products found in bile and urine, helps understand drug safety and effectiveness.
17 citations,
October 2003 in “Contact dermatitis” Glycerin in hand cream can cause allergic skin reactions.
16 citations,
January 2000 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Antiandrogen drugs can reduce PSA levels in women with excess hair, suggesting PSA is a sign of male hormone activity in women.
15 citations,
June 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect erections much, but may decrease libido in men.
14 citations,
December 1998 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” MENT could be a better option than testosterone for male hormone therapy and birth control because it works well at lower doses and has fewer side effects on the prostate.