Finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness. Minoxidil can also be used to treat female pattern baldness.
Medications are the most common treatment for hair loss in women. They include the following: Minoxidil (Rogaine, generic versions). This drug was initially introduced as a treatment for high blood pressure, but people who took it noticed that they were growing hair in places where they had lost it.
Your dermatologist will prescribe medication to help with hair loss. Topical minoxidil, commonly called Rogaine, can help with hair growth and thickness. In some cases, your doctor will prescribe Finasteride in oral form.
Finasteride tends to be more effective if you begin taking it when you first notice hair loss. A dermatologist may also prescribe this medication to treat a woman who has hereditary hair loss and cannot get pregnant. If finasteride works for you, you will need to keep taking it to continue getting results.
Dermatologists are the experts in diagnosing and treating hair loss. A dermatologist can tell you whether it's FPHR or something else that is causing your hair loss.
Antiandrogens. Medications that inhibit androgens—sex hormones that damage or destroy hair follicles—may stop hair loss in female pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia.
Family history (heredity). The most common cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition that happens with aging. This condition is called androgenic alopecia, male-pattern baldness and female-pattern baldness.
Depending on your specific symptoms, the dermatologist may recommend: Minoxidil – Approved for treating female pattern hair loss, the over-the-counter treatment is available to purchase as a 2% or 5% liquid or foam solution. Finasteride – A hormone-blocking prescription medication to treat hair loss.
Sometimes simply addressing a medical condition prompting hair loss will be enough for the hair to regrow. In other instances, a woman might consider a medication like minoxidil (Rogaine), which helps with certain types of hair loss, or another treatment to replace or regrow lost hair.
Hormone Therapy Can Help Treat Hair Loss
If your hair loss is attributed to hormone imbalances, such as lower estrogen levels, a physician might prescribe a form of hormone therapy as treatment. There are different forms of hormone therapies, so some treatment methods might be more suitable for you than others.
We reported decreased libido in 4 of 40 postmenopausal women taking 5 mg of finasteride daily. [2] Breast swelling and tenderness,[2] headache[2] irregular menstruation[2] dizziness,[2] and increased body hair[2] have also been reported.
Only riboflavin, biotin, folate, and vitamin B12 deficiencies have been associated with hair loss.
Biotin. Of all the nutrients and B vitamins you consume, the one most commonly connected with hair loss is biotin. In many studies, those exhibiting hair loss have shown evidence of clinical improvement after receiving biotin.
The hair cycle and hair follicle structure are highly affected by various hormones. Androgens—such as testosterone (T); dihydrotestosterone (DHT); and their prohormones, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and androstendione (A)—are the key factors in terminal hair growth.
As a key member of the woman's health care team, the obstetrician/gynecologist may be the first person to evaluate the complaint of hair loss. Common types of nonscarring hair loss, including female pattern hair loss and telogen effluvium, may be diagnosed and managed by the obstetrician/gynecologist.
Pull Test and Tug Test
This simple test measures the severity of hair loss. During a pull test, a dermatologist grasps small sections of hair, about 40 strands, from different parts of the scalp and gently tugs. If six or more strands fall out, you have what's known as active hair loss.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) Blood Test, LC/MS
The Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) Blood Test measures DHT levels in the blood to help determine the cause of male pattern hair loss and prostate problems.
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Olumiant (baricitinib) oral tablets to treat adult patients with severe alopecia areata, a disorder that often appears as patchy baldness and affects more than 300,000 people in the U.S. each year.
Currently, minoxidil is one of two FDA-approved hair regrowth treatments (the other, finasteride, is something we've discussed below). As such, it's one of several dermatologist recommended hair growth products you'll likely hear about if you talk to a healthcare provider about thinning hair.
According to Mayo Clinic, if your hair loss is caused by a medical condition, the cost of some treatments might be covered by insurance but in most cases, insurance will not cover hair loss treatment because hair loss is not a medical condition itself.
As with male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness comes from hormone imbalances, specifically dihydrotestosterone imbalances, or DHT. This hormone is similar in structure to testosterone, but it is significantly more potent [3]. DHT can attach to receptors on the hair follicles, causing the follicles to shrink.