Skip to main content
Log in

Treat androgenetic alopecia with antiandrogens, as well as other pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions

  • Disease Management
  • Published:
Drugs & Therapy Perspectives Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common hair loss disorder. Options used to treat AGA in men and/or women include antiandrogens, minoxidil, prostaglandin analogues and antagonists and other interventions; however, most are not specifically approved to treat AGA. This article reviews the current first-line, co-adjuvant and emerging treatment options for AGA. Evidence is still poor for the majority of treatment options, including widely-used and new therapies; further studies are needed to provide good-quality evidence for their efficacy and safety.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kelly Y, Blanco A, Tosti A. Androgenetic alopecia: an update of treatment options. Drugs. 2016;76(14):1349–64.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Blumeyer A, Tosti A, Messenger A, et al. Evidence-based (S3) guideline for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in women and in men. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2011;9(Suppl 6):S1–57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Olsen EA, Whiting DA, Savin R, et al. Global photographic assessment of men aged 18–60 years with male pattern hair loss receiving finasteride 1 mg or placebo. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012;67(3):379–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Steiner JF. Clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of finasteride. Clin Pharmacokinet. 1996;30(1):16–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Becker CD, Stichtenoth DO, Wichmann MG, et al. Blood donors on medication: an approach to minimize drug burden for recipients of blood products and to limit deferral of donors. Transfus Med Hemother. 2009;36(2):107–13.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Mella JM, Perret MC, Manzotti M, et al. Efficacy and safety of finasteride therapy for androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review. Arch Dermatol. 2010;146(10):1141–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, et al. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results from the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288(3):321–33.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Yamazaki M, Miyakura T, Uchiyama M, et al. Oral finasteride improved quality of life of androgenetic alopecia patients. J Dermatol. 2011;38(8):773–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Clark RV, Hermann DJ, Cunningham GR, et al. Marked suppression of dihydrotestosterone in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia by dutasteride, a dual 5α-reductase inhibitor. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2004;89(5):2179–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Andriole GL, Kirby R. Safety and tolerability of the dual 5α-reductase inhibitor dutasteride in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Eur Urol. 2003;44(1):82–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Olszewska M, Rudnicka L. Effective treatment of female androgenic alopecia with dutasteride. J Drugs Dermatol. 2005;4(8):637–40.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hajheydari Z, Akbari J, Saeedi M, et al. Comparing the therapeutic effects of finasteride gel and tablet in treatment of the androgenetic alopecia. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2009;75(1):47–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Caserini M, Radicioni M, Leuratti C, et al. A novel finasteride 0.25 % topical solution for androgenetic alopecia: pharmacokinetics and effects on plasma androgen levels in healthy male volunteers. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2014;52(10):842–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Caserini M, Radicioni M, Leuratti C, et al. Effects of a novel finasteride 0.25 % topical solution on scalp and serum dihydrotestosterone in healthy men with androgenetic alopecia. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2016;54(1):19–27.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. US National Institutes of Health. ClincalTrials.gov. 2017. https://clinicaltrials.gov/. Accessed 29 Mar 2017.

  16. Cassiopea. Breezula™. http://www.cassiopea.com/activities/product-pipeline/breezula.aspx. Accessed 29 Mar 2017.

  17. Vexiau P, Chaspoux C, Boudou P, et al. Effects of minoxidil 2 % vs. cyproterone acetate treatment on female androgenetic alopecia: a controlled, 12-month randomized trial. Br J Dermatol. 2002;146(6):992–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Yazdabadi A, Sinclair R. Treatment of female pattern hair loss with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide. Aust J Dermatol. 2011;52(2):132–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Gupta AK, Charrette A. The efficacy and safety of 5α-reductase inhibitors in androgenetic alopecia: a network meta-analysis and benefit-risk assessment of finasteride and dutasteride. J Dermatol Treat. 2014;25(2):156–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Olsen EA, Dunlap FE, Funicella T, et al. A randomized clinical trial of 5 % topical minoxidil versus 2 % topical minoxidil and placebo in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002;47(3):377–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Blume-Peytavi U, Hillmann K, Dietz E, et al. A randomized, single-blind trial of 5 % minoxidil foam once daily versus 2 % minoxidil solution twice daily in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in women. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2011;65(1126–34):e2.

    Google Scholar 

  22. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs. Transfer of drugs and other chemicals into human milk. Pedriatics. 2001;108(3):776–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Dawber RP, Rundegren J. Hypertrichosis in females applying minoxidil topical solution and in normal controls. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2003;17(3):271–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lucky A, Picquadio D, Ditre C, et al. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 5 % and 2 % topical minoxidil solutions in the treatment of female pattern hair loss. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2004;50(4):541–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Rossi A, Cantisani C, Melis L, et al. Minoxidil use in dermatology, side effects and recent patents. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov. 2012;6(2):130–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Kvedar JC, Baden HP, Levine L. Selective inhibition by minoxidil of prostacyclin production by cells in culture. Biochem Pharmacol. 1988;37(5):867–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Michelet JF, Commo S, Billoni N, et al. Activation of cytoprotective prostaglandin synthase-1 by minoxidil as a possible explanation for its hair growth-stimulating effect. J Invest Dermatol. 1997;108(2):205–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Blume-Peytavi U, Lonnfors S, Hillmann K, et al. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the efficacy of a 24-week topical treatment by latanoprost 0.1 % on hair growth and pigmentation in healthy volunteers with androgenetic alopecia. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2012;66(5):794–800.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Khidhir KG, Woodward DF, Farjo NP, et al. The prostamide-related glaucoma therapy, bimatoprost, offers a novel approach for treating scalp alopecias. FASEB J. 2013;27(2):557–67.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Vaccaro M, Barbuzza O, Borgia F, et al. Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp following topical latanoprost for androgenetic alopecia. Dermatol Ther. 2015;28(2):65–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Garza LA, Liu Y, Yang Z, et al. Prostaglandin D2 inhibits hair growth and is elevated in bald scalp of men with androgenetic alopecia. Sci Transl Med. 2012;4(126):126–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Perez BSH. Ketoconazole as an adjunct to finasteride in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men. Med Hypotheses. 2004;62:112–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Sonino N, Scaroni C, Biason A, et al. Low-dose ketoconazole treatment in hirsute women. J Endocrinol Invest. 1990;13(1):35–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Kim WS, Lee HI, Lim YY, et al. Fractional photothermolysis laser treatment of male pattern hair loss. Dermatol Surg. 2011;37(1):41–51.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Lee GY, Lee SJ, Kim WS. The effect of a 1550 nm fractional erbium-glass laser in female pattern hair loss. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2011;25(12):1450–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Harel S, Higgins CA, Cerise JE, et al. Pharmacologic inhibition of JAK-STAT signaling promotes hair growth. Sci Adv. 2015;1(9):e1500973.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Consortia

Ethics declarations

The article was adapted from Drugs 2016;76(14):1349–64 [1] by salaried employees of Adis/Springer, who are responsible for the article content and declare no conflicts of interest. The preparation of the review was not supported by any external funding.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Adis Medical Writers. Treat androgenetic alopecia with antiandrogens, as well as other pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. Drugs Ther Perspect 33, 326–330 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-017-0406-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-017-0406-x

Keywords

Navigation