New York Post
· collected 2026-10-12 · by Dr. Kirsten Lo Sicco and Dr. Jerry Shapiro
The article discusses effective treatments for hair loss, a common condition affecting 53% of men and 40% of women by age 65. It highlights FDA-approved medications like topical minoxidil and oral finasteride for male-pattern baldness, and only topical minoxidil for female-pattern baldness. The piece also covers off-label treatments such as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, bicalutamide, spironolactone, and oral minoxidil, which show promise despite not being FDA-approved specifically for hair loss. Additionally, it mentions natural remedies like saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil, and rosemary oil with varying levels of evidence supporting their use.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Hair loss is a common experience, affecting millions of people at some stage of life.
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loss → affect → life
By age 65, about 53% of men and 40% of women will experience hair loss — a very personal journey that can have real consequences for mental health and self-esteem.
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that → experience → health
But hair today may not be gone tomorrow.
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hair → go → ?
Many forms of hair loss can be treated, though wading through the sea of options available in this growing landscape can be overwhelming, especially with social media hacks and influencer recommendations adding to the overload.
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hacks → treat → overload
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, as many different triggers can make your hair thin or fall out.
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hair → be → all
That’s why being seen by a board-certified dermatologist for a formal diagnosis is a non-negotiable when addressing any hair loss concern.
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seen → ’ → concern
Read on to learn which hair loss treatments actually work, which popular remedies may not be worth the hype and the biggest mistake people make on their hair growth journeys.
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people → read → journeys
The best medical options aren’t always FDA-approved for hair loss
Androgenetic alopecia — also known as male- or female-pattern baldness — is the most common cause of hair loss worldwide, but there are only a few FDA-approved therapies for it.
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alopecia → approve → it
For men, two FDA-approved treatments are available: topical minoxidil and oral finasteride, the latter commonly sold under the brand name Propecia.
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treatments → approve → name
For women, only topical minoxidil is FDA-approved for hair loss.
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minoxidil → approve → loss
FDA-approved treatments have undergone rigorous testing for specific uses.
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treatments → approve → uses
However, several treatments that aren’t FDA-approved specifically for hair loss are widely used off-label and have evidence supporting their effectiveness.
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that → approve → effectiveness
These include:
5-alpha reductase inhibitors, or 5-ARIs, including finasteride and dutasteride:
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These → include → finasteride
These are used off-label to address female pattern hair loss, particularly in postmenopausal and non-pregnant women.
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These → use → women
Dutasteride is also used off-label to treat male AGA.
Bicalutamide and spironolactone:
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Dutasteride → use → Bicalutamide
These are used off-label to treat AGA in women, especially those with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS (previously named PCOS).
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These → use → syndrome
Currently, an immediate-release tablet (an extended release version is in Phase 3 clinical trials now), this has demonstrated significant benefits over the years, with multiple studies showing that low doses can be effective for many patients with AGA.
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doses → demonstrate → AGA
Some natural therapies have varying levels of evidence behind them, although they generally aren’t as well supported or effective as prescription treatments prescribed by a board-certified dermatologist.
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they → have → dermatologist
Three botanical ingredients are considered natural 5-ARIs: saw palmetto, pumpkin seed oil and rosemary oil.
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ingredients → consider → ?
A small study on topical rosemary oil found it performed similarly to 2% minoxidil when applied daily.
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it → find → minoxidil
Saw palmetto also has some evidence supporting its use, while oral pumpkin seed oil has been studied in a small male randomized controlled trial and was found to be beneficial.
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oil → have → trial
Scalp oils may be more practical for people with curlier hair, which is more prone to dryness, than for someone with pin-straight hair who may find daily scalp oiling messy and difficult to maintain.
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oiling → find → hair
People who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid 5-ARIs and other topical or oral therapies also containing anti-hormonal agents.
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who → try → agents
Massages and high-tech tools
Scalp massages may temporarily increase blood flow to the scalp, but there isn’t significant evidence that they meaningfully improve hair growth.
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they → increase → growth
People with scarring alopecia should also avoid rigorous scalp massages because trauma to the scalp could potentially activate inflammation.
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trauma → scar → inflammation
Red light and infrared light therapy have somewhat more promising evidence.
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therapy → have → evidence
There is data suggesting they can be beneficial for AGA, and many dermatologists combine low-level light therapy with prescription treatment to help optimize results.
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dermatologists → be → results
Additional non-medication treatments include platelet-rich plasma injections and FoLix, the first and only FDA-cleared fractional laser for hair loss.
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treatments → include → loss
What results should you realistically expect?
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you → expect → results
Most people won’t recover the head of hair they had in their youth, but many can expect some degree of improvement.
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many → recover → improvement
Dermatologists typically measure improvement as mild, moderate or great.
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Dermatologists → measure → improvement
Another important outcome is stabilization, which can be assessed through hair density and hair thickness.
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which → assess → density
Contrary to common belief, hair shedding is not a validated method of hair assessment and not necessary an indication of hair loss.
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shedding → validate → loss
How much one person can expect also depends heavily on the type of hair loss, since it can be caused by different conditions.
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it → expect → conditions
Many patients can expect to see improvement within four to six months.
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patients → expect → months
Ultimately, however, the amount of improvement varies from person to person.
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amount → vary → person
Waiting too long
When it comes to hair loss, time is of the essence.
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time → wait → essence
People should seek treatment as early as possible because earlier intervention can give them a better chance of success.
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intervention → seek → success
It is imperative to have hair loss diagnosed by a board-certified dermatologist to determine what is actually causing it.
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what → have → it
For those who have excess hair shedding, a dermatologist may order blood tests to look for underlying causes or nutritional deficiencies.
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dermatologist → have → causes
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
