TREATING WOMEN'S HAIR LOSS

In the U.S., minoxidil 2 percent (Rogaine and generic) remains the only FDA-approved treatment for female pattern hair loss. "Topical minoxidil is the gold standard treatment for women," said Paradi Mirmirani, MD, a dermatologist with the Permanente Medical Group in Vallejo, Calif., and adjunct professor at the University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine.

If you're a woman with thinning hair or significant hair loss, talk with your doctor about referring you to a specialist to look for underlying causes, such as iron deficiency, lupus, skin disorders, and hormonal conditions, including thyroid disease. If other conditions are ruled out, the specialist may suggest treatment with minoxidil. Experts recommend using 2 or 5 percent minoxidil products for 12 months before judging its effectiveness, although benefits may appear sooner.  Note that evidence also shows that once the minoxidil is stopped, all those new hairs (and there aren’t all that many really) fall out within 3 to 4 months.

Editor's Note: These materials are made possible by a grant from the state Attorney General Consumer and Prescriber Education Grant Program, which is funded by the multi-state settlement of consumer-fraud claims regarding the marketing of the prescription drug Neurontin (gabapentin).

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