Safety and clinical considerations of alopecia therapies during pregnancy, fertility treatment, and polycystic ovary syndrome workup
Anna L. Brinks, Carli Needle Lawrence, Caitlin A. Kearney, Grace Rachko, Amy K. Bieber, Shannon DeVore, Jerry Shapiro, Kristen I. Lo Sicco, Daniela MajersonObjective:
To evaluate the safety of alopecia treatments during pregnancy, in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) workup, with a focus on potential maternal and fetal risks.
Data sources:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from November 2024 to December 2024. Search terms included medication names in combination with “pregnancy,” “IVF,” “in-vitro fertilization,” and “PCOS.”
Study selection:
Peer-reviewed studies addressing the use of therapies for androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, and scarring alopecias in the contexts of pregnancy, IVF, and PCOS were included. Articles evaluating maternal safety, fetal risks, and treatment timing were prioritized. Only English-language publications were reviewed.
Results:
Despite increasing therapeutic options for alopecia, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding their safety during pregnancy. Pregnant women are often excluded from clinical trials, leading to a reliance on older treatments with limited data on dosing or pharmacokinetics in the pregnant population. Unfortunately, there are few alopecia medications with robust safety data in pregnancy, and many medications are contraindicated during this period. Some medications may be used with caution, while others require additional investigation. During IVF, there are alopecia medications with potential benefit in women experiencing implantation failure or PCOS. For patients undergoing PCOS workup, some alopecia medications may impact hormonal labs or mask PCOS symptoms.
Conclusion:
There is a critical need for more targeted research on alopecia treatments in pregnancy, IVF, and PCOS contexts. This review provides current evidence to guide clinicians and support informed, individualized treatment decisions during this vulnerable period.