Hair restoration

The management of hair loss, also known as alopecia or baldness, may include medications and surgery.

Treatments for the various forms of hair loss have only moderate success. Three medications have evidence to support their use in male pattern hair loss: finasteride, dutasteride and minoxidil. They typically work better to prevent further hair loss than to regrow lost hair.

They may be used together when hair loss is progressive or further regrowth is desired after 12 months. Other medications include , and in female androgenic alopecia spironolactone and flutamide. Combinations of finasteride, minoxidil and ketoconazole are more effective than individual use.

Minoxidil, applied topically, is widely used for the treatment of hair loss. It may be effective in helping promote hair growth in both males and females with androgenic alopecia. About 40% of men experience hair regrowth after 3–6 months. It is the only topical product that is FDA approved for androgenic hair loss. However, increased hair loss has been reported.

Finasteride is used to treat male pattern hair loss. Treatment provides about 30% improvement in hair loss after six months of treatment, and effectiveness only persists as long as the drug is taken. There is no good evidence for its use in women. It may cause gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction and depression.

Dutasteride is used off label for male pattern hair loss.

There is tentative support for spironolactone in women. Due to its feminizing side effects and risk of infertility in men it is not often used in males. It can also cause low blood pressure, high blood potassium, and abnormal heart rhythms. Also, women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant generally cannot use the medication as it is a teratogen, and can cause ambiguous genitalia in newborns.

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Wikipedia