Among non-prescription hair loss treatments, the use of Cyproterone acetate is widely prevalent. Cyproterone acetate is essentially a hormone inhibitor drug. It is also used for treating excessive facial hair in women. Here, it is used in a limited manner with controlled strength. However, in higher dosages, maintained over a long period, Cyproterone is used for treating female pattern baldness that is induced by genetically-linked hormonal actions.
How Cyproterone Acetate Fights Female Hair Loss
The female body produces a certain group of hormones that are grouped as androgens. These are vital for various metabolic actions and for maintaining the female sexual traits. However, these androgens produce a baldness-promoting compound when acted upon by specific enzymes. This harmful compound is called Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, and it is responsible for causing androgenic alopecia among women.
Cyproterone acetate has the ability to impair the formation of DHT by impairing the activity of the DHT receptors. Cyproterone acetate also lowers the amount of androgens that are available for conversion to DHT. This effect of Cyproterone acetate is referred to as its anti-androgenic effect, and it is the main reason for making Cyproterone a favored option for treating hair loss.
Cyproterone acetate also has an anti-gonadotropic effect. This refers to its action on reducing the testosterone levels. Please note that testosterone is found in trace amounts in females, but forms a substantial part of the male hormones. This is the main reason why Cyproterone acetate is not recommended for men, as the sustained usage of this medication can cause shrinkage or reduction in the activity of the male sexual organs.
Apart from this, Cyproterone acetate also has a pro-gestational effect. This means that it acts like the female hormone, progesterone. This ensures that the impaired action of certain androgens by Cyproterone acetate do not induce any deficit of hormone activity in the female.
Administration & Dosage of Cyproterone Acetate-Ethinylestradiol: CAT Dosage
As explained, Cyproterone acetate has an anti-gonadotrophic effect. The female androgens consist are made-up of significant amounts of estrogen. Thus, the sustained usage of Cyproterone acetate can lead to an estrogen imbalance. To ensure that Cyproterone acetate doesn’t such a hormonal deficit, an estrogenic supplementation is advised during Cyproterone acetate regimen. This ensures that basic hormone-linked activities like menstrual periods are not disturbed.
This supplementation is done in the form of Ethinyl estradiol that is also called Ethinylestradiol and is a synthetic form of estrogen. This supplement is usually found in oral contraceptives. During treatment with Cyproterone acetate, it is administered in low doses. The use of Ethinylestradiol also aids the suppression of testosterone in women.
When used in combination with estrogen supplementation, Cyproterone acetate treatment is commonly referred to as Cyclical Anti-androgen Therapy, or CAT. This treatment should never be started without seeking medical advice. The dosage of this therapy needs expert medical supervision otherwise serious side-effects can arise. CAT therapy can also create deficiencies of vitamin B12 or iron levels in the blood that are corrected by further supplementation with multivitamins.
