Hormonal treatments can help with hair loss, acne, and excess hair growth, but it takes 3-6 months to see results and patients should know the possible side effects.
May 2013 in “Trends in Urology & Men's Health” Male-pattern hair loss is normal, often involves hormone effects on hair follicles, and can be treated with medication or surgery, but new treatments are being researched.
Isotretinoin and tazarotene help treat acne, while minoxidil and finasteride promote hair growth.
233 citations,
November 2002 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Creating stronger blockers for skin enzymes might lead to better treatment for conditions like acne and excessive hair growth.
211 citations,
November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
209 citations,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Androgens can both increase and decrease hair growth in different parts of the body.
149 citations,
January 2011 in “Nature reviews. Urology” Hormonal interactions, especially involving DHT and estrogen, play a key role in BPH development and treatment.
131 citations,
August 2000 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Inflammation may be linked to hair loss, and targeting specific enzymes could help treat it.
122 citations,
July 1990 in “Teratology” Finasteride exposure in pregnancy causes genital abnormalities in male rats.
70 citations,
July 2005 in “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” Ganoderma lucidum, a type of mushroom, may help treat enlarged prostate by blocking testosterone conversion.
70 citations,
June 1993 in “Biochemistry” Finasteride slowly binds to 5-alpha-reductase, affecting enzyme stability and inhibitor potency.
63 citations,
August 2008 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Cuscuta reflexa extract may help treat hair loss caused by hormones.
62 citations,
April 2004 in “Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride effectively treats male pattern baldness, improving hair growth and density.
59 citations,
August 1998 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Genetics and hormones cause hair loss; finasteride treats it safely.
57 citations,
May 1986 in “Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism” Androstanediol glucuronide is a reliable marker for hirsutism in women.
54 citations,
February 1993 in “Endocrine reviews” Androgen conjugates might be better indicators of skin sensitivity to hormones in women with excessive hair growth.
52 citations,
February 2006 in “Current pharmaceutical design” 5α-reductase inhibitors and alpha-1 adrenergic antagonists together effectively treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, with long-term benefits.
47 citations,
January 2001 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” High testosterone to epitestosterone ratio in hair could predict male-pattern baldness.
45 citations,
January 2008 in “Drugs” Dutasteride effectively treats enlarged prostate, reduces prostate cancer risk, and promotes hair regrowth with few side effects.
38 citations,
October 2014 in “Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity” 5-alpha reductase deficiency leads to male sexual development issues and treatments like finasteride help with prostate enlargement and hair loss.
36 citations,
October 2009 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Dihydrotestosterone can be made from dehydroepiandrosterone in skin cells without needing testosterone.
35 citations,
May 1986 in “Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism” The exact cause of increased 5α-reductase activity leading to hirsutism in women is still unknown.
32 citations,
April 1999 in “Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs” Finasteride effectively treats male hair loss, improving growth and density.
31 citations,
September 2008 in “International Journal of Andrology” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may cause a low incidence of erectile dysfunction that decreases over time.
31 citations,
January 1995 in “The American journal of medicine” Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone play a role in women's health issues like excess hair and baldness, and treatments blocking these hormones may help.
30 citations,
September 2017 in “Clinics in Dermatology” Men with common hair loss may have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes, and should be checked for these conditions.
29 citations,
September 2012 in “Dermatologic Clinics” Hair disorders are caused by a complex mix of biology, genetics, hormones, and environmental factors, affecting hair growth and leading to conditions like alopecia.
28 citations,
May 1986 in “Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism” New compounds may soon be tested to treat excessive hair growth in women.
27 citations,
February 2017 in “Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy” White wax and policosanol from white wax effectively reduced hair loss and promoted hair growth in mice better than a known hair growth drug.
26 citations,
November 1993 in “Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry” Treatment during development affects hormone balance and sexual behavior in male rats.