Efficacy of Finasteride for Treating Patients with Androgenetic Alopecia Who Are Pileous in Other Areas: A Pilot Study in Japan

This pilot study in Japan examined the effectiveness of oral finasteride for treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in 37 patients, divided into two groups based on body hair presence. Finasteride showed an overall efficacy of 59.5%, with significantly higher effectiveness in the pileous group (88.9%) compared to the non-pileous group (31.6%). The findings suggested that finasteride was more effective in AGA patients with body hair, indicating a stronger androgen influence in these individuals. The study noted no hair growth effects outside the scalp and no serious adverse events, but it was limited by its small size and subjective assessments.