Do any hair loss medications work for women and can they be used in conjunction with hair transplantation?
Unlike in men, where Propecia is a quite effective treatment, this cannot be used in women. In fact, studies have shown that when it has been used in postmenopausal women there is little to any benefit, unlike when Propecia is used on men. Minoxidil is essentially the only medication that has been shown to have any benefit in women and in that case it is typically small, no more then 30-40% of women responding to it. Other medications that are prescribed, and note that minoxidil is not prescribed, include spironolactone, which can work as a topical anti-androgen. Hair transplantation is the most effective treatment for hair loss in women and while there are limitations to it, namely due to the limited donor supply and what is often a large area of hair loss, when performed properly and hairs are concentrated in those areas of greatest cosmetic concern, results can be impressive in women.Posted by Jeffrey S. Epstein, MD, FACS