Adverse effects in women
Original investigation
Albasher G, Bin-Jumah M, Alfarraj S, et al. Prolonged use of finasteride-induced gonadal sex steroids alterations, DNA damage and menstrual bleeding in women. Biosci Rep. 2020. doi:10.1042/BSR20191434 • PubMed
Pharmacovigilance & regulation
Teichert M, van Puijenbroek E, Stricker BH. Contraindicated use of 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors in women. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2017. doi:10.1111/bcp.13118 • PubMed
Wu M, Yu Q, Li Q. Differences in reproductive toxicology between alopecia drugs: an analysis on adverse events among female and male cases. Oncotarget. 2016. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.12617 • PubMed
Post-finasteride syndrome
Fiuk J, Butcher M, Kohler T, McVary K. 133 Female post-finasteride syndrome: it’s not just a man’s world. Journal Sex Med. 2016 May 1;13(5 Suppl 1):S62-S63. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.139
Mervis JS, Borda LJ, Miteva M. “Post-finasteride syndrome”: What to tell our female patients? Br J Dermatol. 2018. doi:10.1111/bjd.16658 • PubMed
Reviews
Iamsumang W, Leerunyakul K, Suchonwanit P. Finasteride and its potential for the treatment of female pattern hair loss: evidence to date. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S240615 • PubMed
Lee SW, Juhasz M, Mobasher P, Ekelem C, Mesinkovska NA. A systematic review of topical finasteride in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia in men and women. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018. Journal site • PubMed • PMC full text
Nobari NN, Roohaninasab M, Sadeghzadeh-Bazargan A, et al. A systematic review of clinical trials using single or combination therapy of oral or topical finasteride for women in reproductive age and postmenopausal women with hormonal and nonhormonal androgenetic alopecia. Adv Clin Exp Med. 2023. doi:10.17219/acem/157990 • PubMed
Seale LR, Eglini AN, McMichael AJ. Side effects related to 5 α-reductase inhibitor treatment of hair loss in women: a review. J Drugs Dermatol. 2016. Journal site • PubMed
Soares Júnior JM, Guimarães DZ, Simões RDS, et al. Systematic review of finasteride effect in women with hirsutism. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2021. doi:10.1590/1806-9282.20210248 • PubMed
Suchonwanit P, Iamsumang W, Leerunyakul K. Topical finasteride for the treatment of male androgenetic alopecia and female pattern hair loss: a review of the current literature. J Dermatolog Treat. 2020. doi:10.1080/09546634.2020.1782324 • PubMed
Townsend KA, Marlowe KF. Relative safety and efficacy of finasteride for treatment of hirsutism. Ann Pharmacother. 2004. doi:10.1345/aph.1D461 • PubMed
Trials
Rokni GR, Mohammadnezhad F, Saeedi M, et al. Efficacy, tolerability, and safety of montelukast versus finasteride for the treatment of moderate acne in women: A prospective, randomized, single-blinded, active-controlled trial. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021. doi:10.1111/jocd.14462 • PubMed
See also: Nobari et al, 2023 in Reviews
Animal studies
Alkahtane AA, Albasher G, Al-Sultan NK, et al. Long-term treatment with finasteride induces apoptosis and pathological changes in female mice. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2019. doi:10.1177/0960327119842195 • PubMed
Cumberland AL, Palliser HK, Crombie GK, Walker DW, Hirst JJ. Increased anxiety-like phenotype in female guinea pigs following reduced neurosteroid exposure in utero. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2017. doi:10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2017.02.001 • PubMed
Erskine MS. Effects of an anti-androgen and 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors on estrus duration in the cycling female rat. Physiol Behav. 1983. doi:10.1016/0031-9384(83)90214-7 • PubMed
Maldarine JS, Sanches BDA, Santos VA, et al. Postnatal exposure to finasteride causes different effects on the prostate of male and female gerbils. Cell Biol Int. 2020. doi:10.1002/cbin.11328 • PubMed
Paris JJ, Brunton PJ, Russell JA, Walf AA, Frye CA. Inhibition of 5α-reductase activity in late pregnancy decreases gestational length and fecundity and impairs object memory and central progestogen milieu of juvenile rat offspring. J Neuroendocrinol. 2011. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2826.2011.02219.x • PubMed