What are some of the main medical treatments for hair loss?

The only two drugs currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of androgenic alopecia are minoxidil (used topically) and finasteride (taken orally).^[1] Of these, minoxidil is approved for the treatment of both male- and female-pattern hair loss, while finasteride is only approved for men with male-pattern hair loss. Other treatments used for androgenic alopecia include dutasteride, prostaglandin analogs (e.g., latanoprost), injection with platelet-rich plasma, and anti-androgens (for women with hair loss due to high androgen levels).

The first-line treatment for alopecia areata is the injection of corticosteroids into sites of hair loss.^[2]