The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride used for 3 years in women with androgenetic alopecia
Author
Boersma, Ids H.
Oranje, Arnold P.
Iorizzo, Matilde
Piraccini, Bianca Maria
Verdonschot, Emiel H.
Grimalt Santacana, Ramon
Publication date
2014-11-01DOI
10.4103/0378-6323.144162
ISSN
0378-6323
Abstract
Background: The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride in women with androgenetic
alopecia has been the subject of debate. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of finasteride
and dutasteride on hair loss in women with androgenetic alopecia over a period of 3 years.
Methods: From a database containing systematically retrieved data on 3500 women treated
for androgenetic alopecia between 2002 and 2012 with finasteride 1.25 mg or dutasteride
0.15 mg, a random sample stratified for age and type of medication was taken to yield 30
women in two age categories: below and above 50 years, and for both medications. Hair
thickness of the three thinnest hairs was measured from standardized microscopic images
at three sites of the scalp at the start of the treatment and after 3 years of continuous
medication intake. The macroscopic images were evaluated independently by three European
dermatologists/hair experts. The diagnostic task was to identify the image displaying superior
density of the hair. Results: Both age categories showed a statistically significant increase
in hair thickness from baseline over the 3‑year period for finasteride and dutasteride (signed
rank test, P = 0.02). Hair thickness increase was observed in 49 (81.7%) women in the
finasteride group and in 50 (83.3%) women in the dutasteride group. On average, the
number of post-treatment images rated as displaying superior density was 124 (68.9%)
in the finasteride group, and 118 (65.6%) in the dutasteride group. Dutasteride performed
statistically significantly better than finasteride in the age category below 50 years at the
central and vertex sites of the scalp. Conclusions: Finasteride 1.25 mg and dutasteride
0.15 mg given daily for 3 years effectively increased hair thickness and arrested further
deterioration in women with androgenetic alopecia.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
616.5 - Skin. Common integument. Clinical dermatology. Cutaneous complaints
Keywords
Calbesa
Calvície
Baldness
Pages
5
Publisher
Medknow Publications & Media
Collection
80; 6
Is part of
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology
Citation
Boersma IH, Oranje AP, Grimalt R, Iorizzo M, Piraccini BM, Verdonschot EH. The effectiveness of finasteride and dutasteride used for 3 years in women with androgenetic alopecia. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2014;80:521-5.
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- Ciències de la Salut [745]
Rights
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/