Medications for hair loss can slow thinning of hair and increase coverage of the scalp by growing new hair and enlarging existing hairs. However, they need to be taken continuously. If the medications are stopped, any hair that has grown in will gradually be lost, and within 6 to 12 months your scalp will most likely appear the same as before treatment.

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Should I treat inherited hair loss with medication?

Medication Choices

Medications often used to treat inherited hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) include:

• Minoxidil. Minoxidil (Rogaine) is available without a prescription and is sprayed on and/or rubbed into the scalp twice a day.
• Finasteride. Finasteride (Propecia) is available by prescription and is taken once daily in pill form. Finasteride has not been proven effective in women and is not approved for women by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).³ Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets, because finasteride can cause birth defects.

Medications used to treat alopecia areata, which is caused when the immune system attacks hair follicles, include:

• Corticosteroid ointments or creams you put on the scalp. There is little evidence that they cause hair growth.⁴
• Corticosteroids injected into the scalp. The corticosteroid is injected many times about 1cm apart every 4 to 6 weeks. This is the most common treatment and is best used for treating patchy hair loss. Limited research reports that hair grows back at the site of injection in some people.⁴
• Corticosteroids you take by mouth (oral). Although this does result in hair growth, it is rarely used because of the side effects of oral corticosteroids.
• Contact immunotherapy. Contact immunotherapy is an experimental therapy that may be the most effective treatment for severe alopecia areata.⁴ A common medication used is diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP), which is "painted" on the scalp once a week.

Other medications used to treat alopecia areata include minoxidil (Rogaine), anthralin, and cyclosporine. Anthralin is sometimes used in combination with minoxidil. These medications affect the immune system and may stimulate hair growth, but they do not prevent hair loss.

What To Think About

If you are taking medication for inherited hair loss, do not expect to regrow a full head of hair. Hair coverage is improved on the top of the head, but not on the forehead area. However, when you stop taking these medications, hair loss begins again.

Finasteride has not been proven effective in women and is not approved for women by the FDA.³ Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets, because finasteride can cause birth defects.