Can Men Use Spironolactone for Hair Loss?

This question comes from a member of our [tag]hair loss[/tag] social community and discussion forums:

I’ve read about females using [tag]spironolactone[/tag] for [tag]hair loss[/tag]. Can men use this medication as well? Any side effects?

Spironolactone is a serious medication. It isn’t recommended in male hair loss sufferers for two reasons:

1) It’s properties as a diuretic (“water pill”). Spironolactone ([tag]Aldactone[/tag]) causes significant reductions in blood pressure, dehydration, and high potassium levels (hyperkalemia). For those who don’t need lower blood pressure or a reduction in body fluid, these are serious side effects. These effects are lessened when used as a topical treatment. However, this is still an issue for men because …

2) Spironolactone’s anti-androgen properties. It may halt the [tag]androgenic alopecia[/tag] process at the scalp, but it also blocks androgen hormone activity all over the body. This means spironolactone will halt and possibly reverse hair loss, but it may also cause other “feminizing” effects like breast development, loss of body hair, and fat re-distribution. This probably isn’t a big deal for females, but male patients may find it concerning.
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Blake Bloxham – formerly “Future_HT_Doc”

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