Side Effects Related to 5 α-Reductase Inhibitor Treatment of Hair Loss in Women: A Review

April 2016 | Volume 15 | Issue 4 | Original Article | 414 | Copyright © April 2016


Lauren R. Seale BS,a Ariana N. Eglini BA,b and Amy J. McMichael MDc

aUniversity of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI
bWake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
cDepartment of Dermatology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC

table 3
approved drug for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women,48 as a pharmacological option to combat libido changes during treatment for hair loss with finasteride or dutasteride.
Future studies are needed to further elucidate the effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride at a standardized dose for randomized, placebo-controlled trials for the treatment of both FPHL and FFA. These studies should also carefully report the nature of AEs for study participants, enabling more adequate reporting of the risks of treatment with these 5 α-reductase inhibitors.

DISCLOSURES

Financial support for this work was provided by a grant from the North American Hair Research Society. Amy McMichael MD provides research and/or consulting to Allergan, Cicatricial Alopecia Research Foundation, Galderma, Guthy Renker, Johnson and Johnson, Keranetics, Merck, Merz Pharmaceuticals, National Alopecia Areata Foundation, Proctor and Gamble, and Samumed; and she receives royalties from Informa Healthcare. No other authors have any conficts of interest to disclose.

REFERENCES

  1. Dutasteride: Drug information. In: UpToDate®, Waltham, MA. Accessed July 2015.
  2. Finasteride: Drug information. In: UpToDate®, Waltham, MA. Accessed July 2015.
  3. McMichael, A. Female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia in women): treatment and prognosis. In: UpToDate®, Hordinsky M (ed), Waltham, MA. Accessed July 2015.
  4. Blumeyer A, Tosti A, Messenger A, et al. Evidence-based (S3) guideline for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in women and in men. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2011;9(suppl 6):s1-s57.
  5. Traish AM, Hassani J, Guay AT, Zitzmann M, Hansen ML. Adverse side effects of 5 α-reductase inhibitors: persistent diminished libido and erectile dysfunction and depression in a subset of patients. J Sex Med. 2011;8(3):872-884.
  6. Norwood OT. Incidence of female androgenetic alopecia (female pattern alopecia). Dermatol Surg. 2001;27(1):53-54.
  7. Hutchinson PE. Hair density, hair diameter and the prevalence of female pattern hair loss. Br J Dermatol. 2002;146(5):922-923.
  8. Otberg N, Shapiro J. Chapter 88. Hair Growth Disorders. In: Goldsmith LA,Katz SI, Gilchrest BA, Paller AS, Leffell DJ, Wolff K. eds.Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine, 8e.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2012. accessmedicine.mhmmedical.com/proxy.lib.umich.edu/content.aspx?bookid=392&Sectionid=41138795 . Accessed July 2015. http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=392&Sectionid=41138795.
  9. Kossard S, Lee MS, Wilkinson B. Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia: a frontal variant of lichen planopilaris. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;36(1):59-66.