A genetic androgen sensitivity test has been created and is said to be able to predict whether or not Finasteride will benefit sufferers of female hair loss. Finasteride (Propecia) has been very successful in the past as the treatment of hair loss for men but due to problems with birth defects in the sons of women who have consumed or come into contact with it, the female hair loss sufferers are out of bounds.
With female patients there is a 50/50 chance that there will be any success with it but now the test will tell us how the individual female will react to the drug before she takes it.
The test is for androgen sensitivity and is carried out using a swab taken from the cheek. The latest studies show that females with a large amount of sensitivity to androgens are much more likely to benefit from Finasteride.
We will report on this topic as we see the results of this new test come in, however we can still not prescribe Finasteride to female patients as it is not within the terms of the license.