Antiandrogens, such as spironolactone, are effective for hirsutism. Spironolactone (50-100 mg twice daily) is an effective primary therapy for hirsutism. Because of the potential teratogenic effects of spironolactone, patients require an effective form of contraception (eg, an oral contraceptive).
Anti-androgens.
The most commonly used anti-androgen for treating hirsutism is spironolactone (Aldactone, CaroSpir). The results are modest and take at least six months to be noticeable. Possible side effects include menstrual irregularity.
Weight loss, which can restore ovulatory cycles and improve metabolic risk, is the first-line intervention for most women.
Such drugs, including finasteride (Proscar®) and flutamide (Eulexin®), and spironolactone (Aldactone®), can treat mild cases of PCOS facial hair effectively. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. They reduce androgen production in the ovaries. It requires injections, and it can be costly.
However, because spironolactone suppresses androgen hormones (like testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, or DHT), it has an interesting relationship with hair. It helps hair regrowth on the scalp, but it also works to reduce excess hair growth on the face and body (hirsutism).
Androgens are a group of male hormones that includes testosterone. When women have elevated levels of androgens, the increased testosterone leads to several physical changes in addition to facial hair growth, such as: Balding.
In PCOS, excess androgen in the female triggers the same process as in teenage boys and once hairs turn terminal they cannot return to their vellus state. Your excess body and facial hair might respond to some hormone treatment, but this will only slow hair growth, not stop it.
The most commonly used antiandrogen is spironolactone. Spironolactone may be recommended, in addition to the birth control pill, if excess hair growth does not improve adequately after taking a birth control pill for six months.
As per clinical studies, inositol can help you return from the hairy beast look. It not only reduces hirsutism but also improves metabolic profile in hirsute women. This treatment strategy is safe and positively reduces acne and hirsutism. 6 months of therapy can do wonders for your facial profile.
Hormonal contraceptives, and other drugs like clomiphene, eflornithine have been reported to ameliorate symptoms. As per GlobalData, practitioners typically turn to five drugs to treat PCOS; the main drug is metformin, accounting for almost a quarter of trials (24.7%).
In my practice, I commonly prescribe 3 hormone treatments for PCOS: combination estrogen-progestin contraceptive, metformin, and spironolactone. In combination, these medications rebalance the 3 system abnormalities commonly seen in women with PCOS, including reproductive, metabolic, and dermatologic dysfunction.
Recent studies have shown that women who were diagnosed as having PCOS 30 years ago have a completely normal life expectancy. An inspection of more than 700 death certificates from women with PCOS has shown that there is no excess risk of cancer in any organ or of heart disease.
How is Hirsutism Treated? Hirsutism is often treated with a combination of approaches, including oral contraceptives with or without an antiandrogen, such as spironolactone, to lower levels or block actions of androgen on hair follicles.
Androgen-suppressing medications: These medications, including spironolactone (Aldactone®), finasteride (Proscar®) and flutamide (Eulexin®), can effectively treat mild cases of hirsutism by lowering the amount of androgens your body produces.
It is important to realize that estrogen usually does not cause body hair or facial hair to go away altogether. Beard hair that is present when you begin estrogen will not go away on its own. Because of this, many people on estrogen therapy choose to undergo laser treatments or electrolysis for hair removal.
Bottom line: PCOS does not disappear as women get older. Women with PCOS differ in reproductive hormones past menopause. Hirsutism symptoms such as unwanted hair growth and balding worsen with age.
The combined oral contraceptive pill reduces the amount of circulating free androgens and may help to reduce hirsutism, especially those that have a progestin component that is less androgenic or are combined with an anti-androgen such as cyproterone acetate or drospirenone.
Treating the underlying cause of hirsutism can improve your symptoms. Long-term medication may slow hair growth, but it usually will not get rid of existing hair on the face and body. Some cosmetic techniques, laser hair removal and waxing, can reduce unwanted hair.
Hirsutism is usually a symptom of an underlying problem rather than a medical condition in its own right. In most cases, the underlying problem is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is often associated with irregular menstrual cycles, acne, obesity, infertility and an increased risk of diabetes and osteoporosis.
Hirsutism is the excessive growth of facial or body hair on women. Hirsutism and unwanted PCOS facial hair are very common with polycystic ovary syndrome. Hirsutism can be seen as coarse, dark hair that may appear on the face, chest, abdomen, back, upper arms, or upper legs.
Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E
Dietary supplements that contain vitamins B6 and E are also believed to help get rid of unwanted hair growth in the facial areas. For one, vitamin B6 is thought to help lower testosterone in women and inhibit prolactin hormone production.
Research has shown that combination pills that contain the second-generation progestin, levonorgestrel, as well as the third-generation progestin, desogestrel, were both effective in improving hirsutism.