Finasteride in the treatment of female pattern (androgenic) alopecia: a case report and review of the literature.

We describe a case of a 44-year-old woman with biopsy-proven female androgenic alopecia (FAGA), or female pattern alopecia, who was nonresponsive to topical minoxidil. After careful consideration and discussion with the patient, the decision was made to introduce oral finasteride 1.25 mg daily. After only 3.5 months of therapy there was a remarkable reduction in hair shedding and increased hair regrowth without any reported side effects. We also present a comprehensive review of the limited studies and case series that have reported finasteride use for FAGA.