100 citations
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April 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” The ovary mainly causes high testosterone in PCO, while the adrenal gland is the main source in IH.
94 citations
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January 2000 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Spironolactone most effective for hirsutism, but has side effects.
94 citations
,
July 1991 in “Clinical endocrinology” Cyproterone acetate at 2mg daily is as effective as higher doses for treating excessive hair growth in women.
90 citations
,
August 2002 in “European journal of endocrinology” Metformin improves hair growth and menstrual frequency in women with PCOS and hirsutism.
89 citations
,
March 1990 in “PubMed” Shaving is the most effective temporary hair removal method for facial hirsutism.
80 citations
,
January 1988 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Spironolactone can cause side effects like irregular bleeding, but lower doses may reduce these effects and still improve hirsutism.
78 citations
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October 2003 in “Cochrane library” Cyproterone acetate with estradiol may subjectively improve excessive hair growth in women, but it's not clinically better than other treatments.
78 citations
,
May 1989 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Spironolactone effectively reduces hair growth in women with hirsutism and is generally well-tolerated.
77 citations
,
March 2004 in “Human Reproduction” Women with irregular periods and/or excessive body hair are more likely to have polycystic ovaries, and this condition is linked to higher health risks.
75 citations
,
March 1999 in “Fertility and sterility” Finasteride, CPA, and flutamide are all equally effective in reducing excessive hair growth in women.
75 citations
,
November 1996 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride effectively reduces hair growth in women with idiopathic hirsutism, but requires careful contraception during treatment.
75 citations
,
May 1986 in “Clinics in endocrinology and metabolism” Male hormones are important for hair and oil gland development and can cause conditions like excessive hair growth and acne.
74 citations
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December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Leuprolide plus estrogen is more effective than oral contraceptives for reducing hirsutism.
68 citations
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May 1991 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Both cyproterone acetate and spironolactone effectively reduce hair growth in women with hirsutism.
67 citations
,
March 2018 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Oral contraceptives and antiandrogens are effective for treating hirsutism, with antiandrogens being the most effective.
67 citations
,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic therapy” Hirsutism is excessive hair growth in women often caused by polycystic ovarian syndrome, and identifying the cause is important for managing associated health risks.
67 citations
,
January 1997 in “Lancet” Hirsutism is when women have too much hair growth, often due to a bit more androgen hormones and sensitive skin.
66 citations
,
September 2008 in “Dermatologic therapy” The conclusion is that the best initial treatment for hirsutism is usually oral contraceptives, with the addition of antiandrogens or insulin sensitizers if needed, and topical eflornithine or laser treatments as supplementary options.
66 citations
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October 1987 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Measuring androstanediol glucuronide in blood is useful for assessing and tracking treatment in women with excessive hair growth.
64 citations
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May 2003 in “Journal of health psychology” Women with excess body hair feel psychological distress influenced by societal beauty standards, but distress isn't directly linked to the amount of hair.
64 citations
,
January 1985 in “Clinical endocrinology” A combination of desogestrel and ethinyl oestradiol effectively reduces hair growth in hirsute women.
63 citations
,
March 2001 in “Fertility and Sterility” Diane 35 plus finasteride is more effective for treating hirsutism.
62 citations
,
December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Combining a GnRH agonist with a low-dose oral contraceptive is more effective and safer for treating hirsutism than using either alone.
60 citations
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December 2015 in “Clinical and experimental dermatology” Laser hair removal improves quality of life but emotional benefits decrease over time, suggesting more treatments are needed for lasting effects.
60 citations
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September 1979 in “Fertility and sterility” Spironolactone can reduce hair growth in women with hirsutism.
58 citations
,
July 1974 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Cyproterone acetate combined with ethinyl estradiol significantly reduced hirsutism in women.
56 citations
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August 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Different women's hair and skin glands respond to hormones in varied ways, which can cause unwanted hair growth even with normal hormone levels, and more research is needed to treat this effectively.
55 citations
,
March 2000 in “American journal of clinical dermatology” Antiandrogens, particularly flutamide and CPA, are most effective for treating hirsutism, with long-term use needed for best results.
54 citations
,
June 2006 in “Baillière's best practice and research in clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Baillière's best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Medicines that lower androgen levels and hair removal treatments help manage excessive hair and acne in women with PCOS.
53 citations
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January 1985 in “Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica” Low-dose oral contraceptives reduced hair growth and testosterone levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.