The main reason for this is that finasteride is classified as a “Category X” drug which means it has high potential to cause serious harm to fetuses. However, the drug has yet to be approved for use by women who are suffering from the same condition. Since 1997, finasteride has been used exclusively in men for the treatment of AGA. Finasteride for Women: The Scientific Evidence However, there are also those women who don’t have elevated androgen levels which indicates that the problem is likely independent of androgens entirely ( 5). There are some women who have elevated levels of androgen in their blood serum and hair follicles which is similar to how the condition presents in men. And while the cause of this miniaturization in men is strongly linked to androgens, the link between androgens and female pattern hair loss isn’t so clear ( 4). The histological hallmark of pattern hair loss in both men and women is follicle miniaturization. This is thought to be caused by low progesterone and insulin resistance. Women affected by PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) will also be affected by pattern balding. In fact, pattern baldness can occur in over 50 percent of women over the age of 80 and it can start as early as 20 with an incidence rate of 12 percent ( 3). While AGA is often referred to as male-pattern baldness, the condition can affect women, too. AGA and Female Pattern Hair Loss: A Link?Īndrogenetic alopecia is often considered to be a male-only condition, but that’s simply not true. However, it does reduce the amount of DHT present in the body which can be beneficial for those with AGA and similar conditions. This sensitivity triggers follicle miniaturization when the androgen attaches to the follicle’s receptors and this, in turn, can lead to shedding and hair loss.įinasteride doesn’t prevent testosterone or DHT from performing their necessary biological processes. It is not an anti-androgen, but it instead binds to the enzyme and inhibits the natural conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).Īndrogenetic alopecia, also referred to as pattern hair loss, is believed to be caused by a sensitivity to the androgen DHT. How Does It Work?įinasteride is a synthetic azo-steroid that works by inhibiting the activities of type II 5 alpha reductase ( 2). This led to the development of Propecia which was approved by the FDA for prescription use in 1997. However, an unexpected side effect of its use was hair growth. The drug was originally developed for use in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), and it was FDA approved for this purpose in 1992 under the name Proscar. I’ll connect the dots between Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) and female pattern hair loss, and I’ll also discuss the various scientific studies that outline the use of finasteride in the treatment of alopecia in women.įinally, I’ll highlight a few alternative treatment options for women.įinasteride, more commonly known by its brand name Propecia, is an oral drug used in the treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) ( 1). In this post, I’ll dive introduce finasteride and how it works. Finasteride is a drug that’s popularly known for its use as a treatment for hair loss in men, but what about women?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |