title: An update on the treatment of female alopecia and the introduction of a potential novel therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review treatment options for hair loss in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Suggestions for treatment were based on a thorough literature search plus the present authors' experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There are controlled studies that support the present authors' typical treatment regimen of identifying if there are increased androgens, and if so, identify the source (ovary and/or adrenal) and then suppress with drugs, e.g., oral contraceptives or glucocorticoids. If serum androgens are normal, agents that block dihydrotestosterone at the hair shaft level, e.g., spironolactone or 5a reductase inhibitors seem to be effective. However, a recent Cochrane systematic review concludes that the only drug proven to improve alopecia by randomized controlled studies using rigorous criteria is minoxidil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present authors will add minoxidil to their normal treatment paradigm based on this later study. The previous reasons for it was the quality of the hair produced (generally much shorter than other head hair). For alopecia related to inflammation, the present authors may have discovered a novel therapy--dextroamphetamine sulfate.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Check
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000505:Alopecia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008914:Minoxidil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D008914:Minoxidil; D003913:Dextroamphetamine