Hair Loss

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Medicines for hair loss can slow thinning of hair and increase coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs. But they need to be taken continuously. If the medicines are stopped, any hair that has grown in will gradually be lost, and within 6 to 12 months your scalp will most likely appear the same as before treatment.

For more information, see:

Click here to view a Decision Point.Should I Treat Inherited Hair Loss With Medicine?

Medication Choices

Medicines often used to treat inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) include:

  • Minoxidil. Minoxidil (Rogaine) is available without a prescription and is sprayed on and/or rubbed into the scalp twice a day.
  • Finasteride. Finasteride (Propecia) is available by prescription and is taken once daily in pill form. Finasteride has not been proved effective in women and is not approved for women by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).2 Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets, because finasteride can cause birth defects.

Medicines used to treat alopecia areata, which is caused when the immune system attacks hair follicles Click here to see an illustration., include:

  • Corticosteroids injected into the scalp. The corticosteroid is injected many times about 1 cm (0.4 in.) apart every 4 to 6 weeks. This is the most common treatment in adults and is best used for treating patchy hair loss. Limited research reports that hair grows back at the site of injection in some people.3
  • Corticosteroid ointments or creams you put on the scalp. There is little evidence that they cause hair growth when used alone.3 Corticosteroids may be used along with injected steroids or with other medicines such as minoxidil (Rogaine).
  • Corticosteroids you take by mouth (oral). Although this does result in hair growth, it is rarely used because of the side effects of oral corticosteroids.
  • Contact immunotherapy, which may be the most effective treatment for severe alopecia areata.3 A common medicine used is diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP), which is "painted" on the scalp once a week at increasing strengths. The DPCP irritates the skin, making it itchy and scaly. This treatment is not widely available.
  • Psoralen with ultraviolet A light (PUVA) therapy. For PUVA, a medicine called a psoralen is used to make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet A (UVA) light. Then the skin is exposed to UVA light.

What To Think About

If you are taking medicine for inherited hair loss, do not expect to regrow a full head of hair. Hair coverage is improved on the top of the head, but not on the forehead area. But when you stop taking these medicines, hair loss begins again.

Finasteride has not been proved effective in women and is not approved for women by the FDA.2 Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets, because finasteride can cause birth defects.

By: Healthwise StaffLast Revised: June 4, 2010
Medical Review: Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology

© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.

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