FINASTERIDE PLUS ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE SHOWN TO HELP HAIR LOSS IN WOMEN

Finasteride, a medication that treats hair loss in men, may also improve the condition in women when it is combined with oral contraceptives, according to a study published in the Archives of Dermatology, one of the annex publications of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy evaluated the effectiveness of 2.5 mg of finasteride taken daily, along with a daily oral contraceptive, in 37 women aged 19 to 50 who were experiencing some form of hair loss. After one year, 23 of the study subjects had experienced hair regrowth, and 29 reported on a questionnaire that their hair condition had improved.

"This treatment was well accepted by the patients," states the article. "The clinical results using global photography, hair density scores and patient self-assessment provide a basis for future work."