Androgenetic Alopecia
6 medicines
Androgenetic alopecia, commonly called pattern hair loss, is a gradual, genetically driven thinning caused by sensitivity to androgens. It's treated with finasteride, dutasteride, or topical minoxidil.
Cyproterone Acetate and Ethinylestradiol Tablets
Cyproterone, Ethinylestradiol
2/0.035mg
Cyproterone Acetate and Ethinylestradiol Tablets is a womens health medication containing Cyproterone + Ethinylestradiol, available as 2/0.035mg tablets.
Key facts
- Androgenetic alopecia, also called male-pattern or female-pattern hair loss, is the most common cause of progressive thinning worldwide, affecting roughly half of men by their fifties and many women too, particularly after menopause.
- It's inherited and hormone-driven: androgens, chiefly dihydrotestosterone (DHT), bind to receptors in genetically susceptible follicles and shrink them over successive growth cycles.
- Treatment options include finasteride and dutasteride, which lower DHT, and topical minoxidil, which extends the hair growth phase and improves scalp blood flow.
- Sudden, patchy, or itchy hair loss is not typical of this condition and needs a doctor's assessment to rule out other causes.
How it develops
The condition is inherited and hormone-driven. Androgens, chiefly DHT, bind to receptors in genetically susceptible follicles, causing them to shrink progressively over successive growth cycles, a process called follicular miniaturization. In men, this typically starts at the temples and crown. In women, it tends to produce diffuse thinning across the top of the scalp while the frontal hairline stays relatively intact.
Hair loss in androgenetic alopecia is gradual, measured in years rather than weeks. If shedding is sudden, patchy, or comes with scalp scaling or itching, see a doctor to rule out other causes such as alopecia areata, a fungal scalp infection, or thyroid dysfunction.
Treatments that target the underlying mechanism
The most established systemic treatments reduce DHT production or block androgen receptors at the follicle. Finasteride and dutasteride are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors that lower scalp DHT levels; both are used for male-pattern loss. Women with androgenetic alopecia, particularly where androgens are a clear driver, may be considered for cyproterone or a combined regimen that includes ethinylestradiol, which reduces circulating androgen activity.
Minoxidil works differently: it extends the growth phase of follicles and improves blood flow to the scalp. Applied topically, it's used by both men and women and is often the first treatment tried. Results from any of these treatments typically take four to six months to show, and regained hair is usually lost again if treatment stops. More options sit in the hair loss and men's health categories.
This page is educational and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist who knows your health history.
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