April 2017 in “Reactions Weekly” Man experienced sexual dysfunction, depression, breast growth, and skin discoloration after taking finasteride for hair loss.
May 2015 in “Endocrine Abstracts” Both finasteride and metformin effectively treat PCOS by reducing hormone levels and insulin resistance.
January 2013 in “Acta Universitatis Traditionis Medicalis Sinensis Pharmacologiaeque Shanghai” Huoxue Bushen Mixture effectively treats female pattern hair loss by balancing hormones.
January 2013 in “Guiding Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy” The combined therapy effectively treats androgenetic alopecia.
April 2012 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” Early hair loss in men could be a sign of non-cancerous prostate enlargement, and treating hair loss early might help prevent prostate issues later.
August 1993 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” Testosterone metabolism in balding scalp cells may not be the main cause of hair loss.
192 citations
,
September 2003 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Metformin is effective for treating excessive hair growth in women with PCOS and may work better than the standard treatment in some ways.
72 citations
,
November 2002 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” Estrogen receptor α controls hair growth cycles and skin thickness in male mice.
52 citations
,
June 2013 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” The research found that anovulatory young women have higher androgen and hormone levels than those who ovulate, suggesting immature hormonal regulation rather than a specific condition.
43 citations
,
July 1984 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Antiandrogen therapy helped increase hair growth in women with hormonal imbalances related to baldness.
30 citations
,
February 2016 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Some medications can reduce excessive hair growth in women, but more research is needed to find the best treatment combinations.
29 citations
,
May 2010 in “Annals of Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride may help some women with hair loss, but better options exist.
26 citations
,
December 1981 in “British journal of dermatology/British journal of dermatology, Supplement” Cyproterone acetate reduced hair growth in most hirsute females and made hair softer, thinner, and lighter.
22 citations
,
March 2000 in “Clinical endocrinology” Most patients experienced hirsutism again after stopping hormone treatment, indicating long-term treatment is needed to maintain results.
19 citations
,
January 1997 in “Dermatologic Clinics” Most treatments for hair loss in 1997 were not effective for most people, and maintaining hair growth was difficult.
18 citations
,
September 1979 in “DMW - Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift” Diane is effective for treating acne, seborrhoea, androgenic alopecia, and mild hirsutism in women.
4 citations
,
May 2025 in “Open Access Journal of Contraception” Low-dose ethinyl estradiol and LNG-IUD are safer contraception options for obese women with PCOS.
4 citations
,
August 2019 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Male yak hair growth is influenced by DHT synthesis, which is promoted by 5α-red1 and AR during growth phases, while E2 may inhibit growth through ERα.
3 citations
,
May 2002 in “Therapeutische Umschau” The document concluded that cyproterone acetate and minoxidil are effective for female hair loss, and a supportive doctor-patient relationship is important.
Women with androgenetic alopecia have normal levels of most blood steroids and binding proteins, but higher dehydroepiandrosterone. Some also have low "sex hormone-binding globulin" and "corticosteroide-binding globulin" capacity, and high "free androgen index" and "free cortisol index". Diane treatment can normalize these levels and improve hair conditions.
232 citations
,
June 1975 in “Journal of Steroid Biochemistry” Cyproterone acetate is effective for acne but less so for hirsutism and alopecia, with some side effects and quick menstrual cycle recovery after treatment.
169 citations
,
November 2009 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism” Prepubertal girls have higher sex steroid levels than boys, possibly leading to earlier puberty.
117 citations
,
May 2017 in “Human Reproduction Update” The update highlights that non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia is common in women with excess male hormones, requires specific hormone tests for diagnosis, and has various treatment options depending on age and symptoms.
108 citations
,
March 2006 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride with oral contraceptive helps improve hair loss in premenopausal women.
108 citations
,
January 2003 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide may slightly improve hair loss in women, but finasteride does not work.
92 citations
,
February 2005 in “Endocrinology” Estrogen receptors affect hair growth, with ER beta slowing down the hair cycle changes caused by ER alpha.
78 citations
,
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.
75 citations
,
March 1999 in “Fertility and sterility” Finasteride, CPA, and flutamide are all equally effective in reducing excessive hair growth in women.
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.
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.