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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Seeking an Androgenic Alopecia treatment/specialist

    Related Topics
    Alopecia Dermatology Endocrinology
    Can you please tell me any good Endocrinologist or Dermatologist specialized in Androgenetic alopecia or female pattern hair loss. please note I have type 2 diabetes and PCOS. My hair is thinning at a rapid speed these days. Would appreciate advise regarding appropriate treatment available or who I should see in Melbourne, Victoria. Thanks heaps
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    Prof Rodney Sinclair

    Dermatologist (Skin Specialist)

    Professor Sinclair is a Professor of Dermatology at the University of Melbourne and Director of Sinclair Dermatology. He is past-president of the Australasian Society for … View Profile

    Sinclair Dermatology in Melbourne has one of the largest specialist women hair loss clinics in the World. You would require a referral from your GP. The book ‘Bad Hair Day’ by Collins, Biondo and Sinclair is written specifically for women experiencing female pattern hair loss or androgenetic alopecia. There are copies in most public libraries or available on the internet. 

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    Dr John Mahony

    Cosmetic Physician

    Dr John Mahony studied Medicine at Sydney University 1980-1984 graduating early 1985. Internship and residency years followed in the Illawarra, covering general medical and surgical … View Profile

    It is interesting that you have PCOS as well….

    One of the features of PCOS is androgenisation - that is to say: evidence of a male hormone influence on skin. Thus, persons with PCOS will often manifest acne and extra face and body hair distributed in a male kind of pattern.

    Androgenetic alopecia is *also* mediated by male hormone. 

    So you should, first, do whatever you can to improve your PCOS situation. That is: try to lose weight (assuming you are carrying some extra - most PCOS women do), have a conversation with your doctor about metformin treatment, and pursue the advice available on the POSAA website about this condition.

    <www.posaa.asn.au>

    Then, you need to talk to your doctor about an off-label prescription of finasteride for you. This will help to block the conversion of testosterone to dihyrotestosterone, which is the form more responsible for your hair loss.

    Better to get the 5mg tabs, and take say half a tab twice a week - it'll work out cheaper.

    Your doctor will have to discuss with you all the pros and cons of off-label prescribing, taking into consideration your age and medical history, etc. As an example, you would *absolutely not* take this tablet if there were any possibility of pregnancy.

    Anyway, food for thought.

    Good luck with it.

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    Dr Kevin Lee

    Endocrinologist, Nuclear Medicine Physician

    Consultant Physician in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Nuclear Medicine. I am on Twitter @dr_kevinlee. I am on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kevinleefracp/ I help patients with obesity, diabetes, thyroid, … View Profile

    Very good points, thank you.


    It is also important to not just address the androgenic alopecia, but also to consider the metabolic risks and cardiovascular complications of T2D & PCOS.

    As ultimately it is these systemic consequences of T2D and PCOS that carry significant morbidity and mortality risk. Therefore please speak to your GP, dermatologist etc. about these risks.

     

    Regards,

    Dr Kevin Lee

    Consultant Physician Endocrinologist.

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