Final answer:
Treatment for androgenetic alopecia includes finasteride, dutasteride, and minoxidil. Finasteride and dutasteride prevent hair loss and can regrow hair, but only while taken. Minoxidil is a topical treatment that can promote hair growth and is FDA approved for both men and women.
Step-by-step explanation:
To treat androgenetic alopecia, several hair restorers and medications are available, although the success of these treatments can be moderate. Finasteride and dutasteride are oral medications that can prevent further hair loss and, to a lesser extent, regrow some hair. They are 5α-reductase inhibitors, often used for male pattern hair loss. Finasteride provides about a 30% improvement in hair loss after six months, but its benefits last only while the drug is taken. Dutasteride is similar, but used off label.
Minoxidil is a topical treatment that is FDA approved for androgenic alopecia in both men and women. Around 40% of men may experience regrowth with minoxidil after 3-6 months of use. Ketoconazole shampoo, used in conjunction with these oral inhibitors, has been used off label to potentially boost their effects. In female androgenic alopecia, medications like spironolactone and flutamide may be used, but spironolactone can have feminising side effects and is not typically used by men. Minoxidil, finasteride, and ketoconazole can be more effective when used in combination rather than individually.