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Spironolactone is prescribed off-label for female-pattern hair loss. This guide covers how to take a prescribed 50 mg dose, what to watch for, and when to contact your doctor.
Use of spironolactone for female-pattern hair loss is off-label. The prescriber decides whether kidney function, potassium, blood pressure and pregnancy status need checking before starting or changing dose.

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How to use

Two rules apply together for as long as you are on it — the daily dose, and what must not be taken alongside it.

Take 50 mg once daily as prescribed

Take the tablet with food at a consistent time. Because it can increase urination, a morning dose may be more convenient.

Avoid unreviewed potassium

Do not add potassium supplements, potassium-containing salt substitutes, or another potassium-sparing diuretic unless your clinician approves. Check before using anti-inflammatory painkillers regularly.

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Dose schedule

Daily dose 50 mg spironolactone — one tablet, taken with food. Use for female-pattern hair loss is off-label.
Continue 50 mg daily only as prescribed. Attend requested blood tests, and report dizziness, menstrual or breast changes, and hair photographs after several months at your review.

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What has been reported

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Contact your doctor if

  • A slow or irregular heartbeat, marked weakness, paralysis, fainting, or severe breathing difficulty — seek urgent care
  • Persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, dehydration, very low urine output, or troublesome dizziness
  • Pregnancy occurs or is planned, or a new medicine may affect potassium or kidney function

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Storage

Keep in the original package, away from moisture and direct heat, and out of children’s reach. Follow the temperature limit on your pack and do not use it after the expiry date.

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What to expect

Hair treatment is gradual. Early shedding can occur, and photographs taken in the same light are more useful than day-to-day checking. The doctor normally reviews tolerance and progress after several months; continue only while the balance of benefit and risk remains appropriate.

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Common questions

Hair treatment is gradual. Early shedding can occur, and photographs taken in the same light are more useful than day-to-day checking. The doctor normally reviews tolerance and progress after several months.
No. Contact your doctor if pregnancy occurs or is planned. The prescriber decides whether pregnancy status needs checking before starting or changing dose.
Check before using anti-inflammatory painkillers regularly. Do not add potassium supplements, potassium-containing salt substitutes, or another potassium-sparing diuretic unless your clinician approves.
The prescriber decides whether kidney function, potassium and blood pressure need checking before treatment and after starting or changing dose. Attend requested blood tests and review any changes with your doctor.
Alcohol can lower blood pressure and may add to the dizziness or tiredness spironolactone can cause. Discuss your alcohol intake with the prescriber if you are concerned.
Finasteride and minoxidil are the other medicines a doctor considers for female hair loss. See also how the consultation works and how we handle safety and eligibility.

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Start a consultation

Hair-growth consultation

Answer the hair-growth questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it. They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose — and declining is a normal outcome. See what it costs and how the review works.
This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription. Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor after reviewing your consultation.