September 2025 in “JAAD reviews.” Finasteride and dutasteride can improve hair loss in women, but more research is needed.
Certain genes may influence hair loss differently in men and women.
January 2023 in “Annals of Dermatology” Men with a family history of hair loss on their mother's side are more likely to have female pattern hair loss.
November 2022 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Rare genetic variants in 125 genes are linked to male-pattern hair loss.
134 citations
,
April 2020 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Male pattern hair loss could hint at androgens affecting COVID-19 severity.
87 citations
,
March 2011 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Genetics and hormones play a role in male and female hair loss, but more research is needed to fully understand it.
33 citations
,
November 2012 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” FPHL common in Taiwanese women; risk factors include BMI, high glucose, early puberty, fewer childbirths, oral contraceptives, and UV exposure.
11 citations
,
November 2012 in “Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery” Genetic factors affect hair loss, and molecular testing may help predict, diagnose, and treat it.
9 citations
,
January 2017 in “International Journal of Trichology” No current system perfectly classifies male-pattern hair loss, indicating a need for a new system for better diagnosis and treatment.
April 2023 in “Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association” Male pattern hair loss can cause significant emotional distress for men.
January 2022 in “Springer eBooks”
July 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Lab tests for female hair loss have unclear usefulness; consider based on symptoms.
December 2013 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” Flutamide, an oral anti-androgen therapy, is effective in treating female pattern hair loss, even without systemic androgen excess.
212 citations
,
September 2008 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Minoxidil and finasteride treat hair loss in men, while minoxidil treats hair loss in women.
185 citations
,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride for hair loss can cause long-lasting sexual side effects like low libido and erectile dysfunction.
179 citations
,
March 2005 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Oral antiandrogens effectively treat female hair loss, with better results in higher hair loss grades.
108 citations
,
March 2006 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride with oral contraceptive helps improve hair loss in premenopausal women.
86 citations
,
July 2002 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” FPHL is a common, age-related, genetic hair loss with unclear causes and limited treatment options.
77 citations
,
April 2009 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Aromatase gene variation may increase female hair loss risk.
66 citations
,
June 2018 in “International Journal of Women's Dermatology” No cure for female pattern hair loss, but various effective treatments exist.
54 citations
,
December 2014 in “Wound Repair and Regeneration” PRP injections may improve hair thickness and density in female hair loss patients.
53 citations
,
August 2019 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Oral minoxidil and topical minoxidil 5% both effectively improve female-pattern hair loss with safe side effects.
44 citations
,
January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” Finasteride 5 mg/day effectively treats hair loss in postmenopausal women without hyper-androgenism.
43 citations
,
April 2017 in “Experimental Dermatology” Female pattern hair loss has unclear causes, possibly involving genetics, hormones, and environment, and needs better treatments.
42 citations
,
April 2011 in “Annals of Pharmacotherapy” Flutamide effectively treats female pattern hair loss with low doses showing good liver tolerance.
40 citations
,
January 2013 in “Journal of Korean Medical Science” Iron deficiency may contribute to hair loss.
38 citations
,
February 2012 in “British Journal of Dermatology” AR/EDA2R gene linked to early-onset female hair loss, but 20p11 gene not involved.
34 citations
,
May 2017 in “Lasers in Surgery and Medicine” Combining low-level light therapy and minoxidil 5% is more effective for female hair loss than using either treatment alone.
32 citations
,
March 2020 in “Drug Design Development and Therapy” Finasteride shows promise for female hair loss, but more research needed.
30 citations
,
March 2011 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Flutamide improves female hair loss when other treatments fail, but may cause liver toxicity.