Can Spironolactone Treat Hair Loss in Women?

Can Spironolactone Treat Female Baldness?

What is spironolactone? 

Spironolactone (Aldactone) is medically approved treatment of fluid retention, caused by conditions such as liver disease and kidney disease. It’s also used to treat high blood pressure, and heart failure.

Spironolactone is also being prescribed for androgenic alopecia (female pattern baldness). Spironolactone is not effective for treating male hair loss.

How does spironolactone treat female baldness?

Spironolactone slows down the production of male sex hormones (androgens) that reach unusually high levels in some women. Reduced production of androgens can slow down the progression of hair fall that is caused by pattern baldness. It can also encourage hair to grow, and even regrow.

Studies show that up to 3 out of 4 women saw visible signs of improvement in their hair from taking spironolactone. Studies have also shown that a combination of spironolactone and minoxidil, or ketoconazole shampoo, had significant benefits on the hair.

What is the prescription for spironolactone?

If you are using spironolactone for treating your hair, you will be prescribed with a daily dose of 100 to 200 milligrams. However, it is often recommended that you start with 25 milligrams a day and slowly increase your dose to reduce your risk for side effects.

What are the side-effects of spironolactone?

Spironolactone is generally safe, but it can lead to health problems if not taken correctly. The most common side-effects associated with spironolactone are:

• drowsiness
• diarrhoea
• headaches
• weight gain
• low sex drvie
• fatigue
• depression
• breast aches
• irregular period 

Like with any drug or medication, there will always be risks of negative side-effects. Checking your blood pressure while taking spironolactone is important, because it can be dangerous to take it if you already have low blood pressure.

Before taking spironolactone, tell your doctor if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Also, make you docotor aware of any illnesses you have had, such as liver disease, kidney disease, and Addison’s disease. Always be transparent and honest with yourself, as taking any kind of medication is a serious matter.

If you start suffering from severe negative side-effects like trouble with breathing, heart pains, seizures and loss of consciousness, then come of the treatment and get emergency help. 

How long does spironolactone take to work?

Results vary from person to person, but spironolactone is generally considered to be a ‘slow-starter’, so do not be discouraged if it doesn’t work immediately. It can take as long as six months before you start seeing results, so patience is required.

Remember, even though this is a medically approved drug, it is still not guaranteed to work. This is a medical treatment, and not a cure for baldness.

Is there a safer alternative to spironolactone for treating hair loss? 

Like with Finasteride (a medically approved male badness treatment), there isn’t really a direct ‘alternative’ to spironolactone. However, there are naturally formulated pills that can help reduce excessive hair shedding, and promote the healthy function of hair growth, and hair regrowth.

Again, results will vary with each individual, but multivitamin hair supplements are the fastest growing non-medical hair loss products on the market, with some boasting an impressive 90% success rate in men and women.

If you are concerned about the side-effects that come with spironolactone, then we would recommend that you try a safer alternative in the form of multivitamin hair supplements.

The main benefits of these types of supplements are that they are safe to take (free from major negative side-effects), they can be highly effective, and some of them can take less time to work, which is always a much added bonus.

Just bear in mind that results will vary from person to person, so it is simply a case of finding what multivitamin hair supplement will work best for you individually. The two market leaders are Viviscal and HR23+. Both are particular popular with women who suffer from hair loss.