TITLE:
Combination Therapy to Treat Asian Female Pattern Hair Loss
AUTHORS:
Yohei Tanaka, Toru Aso, Jumpei Ono
KEYWORDS:
Combination Therapy, Female Patternhair Loss (FPHL), Minoxidil, Spironolactone
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications,
Vol.9 No.3,
September
3,
2019
ABSTRACT: Background: Hair loss in women has a various psychosocial impact and effective treatments have been required. Camouflaging products which cover exposed areas on the scalp and hide visible hair loss are common, but medical therapies for female pattern hair loss (FPHL) are not so common. We have treated patients with FPHL using our combination therapy that consists of oral spironolactone, oral and topical minoxidil, and an injectable treatment for six years. Methods: 4568 female patients were treated between the years 2013 and 2018. Our combination therapy consists of 25 mg oral spironolactone once daily, 2.5 mg oral and 5% solution topical minoxidil twice daily, and an injectable treatment once monthly for 6 - 12 months. Digital photographs were taken pre- and post-treatment, and patient assessments were recorded after 6 and 12 months post-treatment. Results: Significant improvement was observed compared to the pre-treatment for all patients in the digital photographs. 95% and 96% of patients reported satisfaction with the results of the treatment after 6 and 12 months post-treatment, respectively. Minor complications were observed in a total of 223 (4.9%) patients, characterized by slight pain and bleeding due to injection, slight palpitation, swelling, hair growth in undesirable areas, headache, dizziness, itching. The seminor complications resolved spontaneously. No treatment-related adverse events were observed. Conclusion: A combination of these therapeutic options offers rapid and highly efficacious treatment for FPHL with minimal complications, and is recommended as an effective treatment for FPHL.