The libraryLooks
Finasteride
It blocks the type 2 enzyme that turns your testosterone into the DHT taking your hair.
Also called Proscar, Propecia, MK-906, Finpecia, Fincar
Who it's forAny man watching his hairline go and thinking about ordering the pills online.
The item
Three squares: proven in human trials. Two: a strong signal. One: early human data. Striped: the trials disagree.
Start today
- Book a baseline PSA test this week, before the first tablet.
- The form the studies used: Prescription only - a medication, not a supplement, so there is no over-the-counter version and no label to compare.
- The studies used 1 mg a day, oral.
How you'll know it's working
- Track
- Hair count at the crown - what you keep first, regrowth second
- When to judge
- 24 weeks for the first read, 48 weeks for the real one
Why it works
It competitively blocks type 2 5α-reductase, the enzyme that turns testosterone into the stronger DHT. DHT shrinks hair follicles and enlarges the prostate. Lowering DHT is the whole story of how it works. DHT has roles beyond hair, so the sexual and mood side-effect reports come from that same action, not from some separate toxicity.
The doses the studies used
| Study / Context | Route | Dose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review of the trials, men with pattern hair loss - terminal hair count | Oral | 1 mg/d | 48 weeks |
| Review of 15 trials against a placebo, 4,495 men with pattern hair loss - the dose the sexual-side-effect risk was measured on | Oral | 1 mg/day | Not stated in the abstract |
| Same review of the trials, men with pattern hair loss - total hair count | Oral | 5 mg/d | 48 weeks |
Where it fits
Finasteride is a move in 5 protocols. Each one opens the plan it sits in.
What people say
Here is what doctors, influencers and men online say about Finasteride, word for word.
Experts
Clinicians, authorities
“the average time was about 40 months that's almost four years and 20 of these men had symptoms for over six years”
“does finasteride increase your risk of prostate cancer the answer is no as far as we know in 2023”
“Finasteride is probably the best that there is out there in terms of trying to hold progression of hair loss in men”
Gurus
Podcasts, channels, influencers
“finasteride itself does it work yes is it very well tolerated by the majority of people yes”
“The results indicated that Finasteride is effective in treating male pattern hair loss.”
“I know many people take oral finasteride and have good results. Luckily I've been able to avoid it and the risk of its side effects.”
Regular people
Forums, reviews, comments
“To balding guys thinking about trying fin & min: the sides are real. I had modest success with topical dut & min last year.”
“You're messing around if you're not taking dutasteride or finasteride. The herbal supplements do not work nearly as well or at all, and once the hair is gone, it's gone”
“Finasteride (Propecia, Proscar) has an average rating of 3.5 out of 5 from 106 reviews on WebMD.”
The studies
Every study behind this page.
- 5-alpha reductase inhibitors use in prostatic disease and beyondPubMed, PMID 37032761
- Relative Efficacy of Minoxidil and the 5-α Reductase Inhibitors in Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment of Male Patients: A Network Meta-analysisPubMed, PMID 35107565
- 5α-Reductase Inhibitors for Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPubMed, PMID 28487578
- Adverse Sexual Effects of Treatment with Finasteride or Dutasteride for Male Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisPubMed, PMID 30206635
- Association of finasteride with prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysisPubMed, PMID 32282699
- Association of 5α-Reductase Inhibitors with Depression and Suicide: A Mini Systematic Review and Meta-analysisPubMed, PMID 38692949
- Registered trial NCT04288427Trial registry
- Registered trial NCT06001619Trial registry
- Registered trial NCT04594018Trial registry
- Registered trial NCT07435012Trial registry
- Post-finasteride syndrome: An emerging clinical problemPubMed, PMID 32435662
- Insights into the peripheral nature of persistent sexual dysfunction associated with post-finasteride, post-SSRI and post-accutane syndromes: lessons learned from a case studyPubMed, PMID 39934554
Words on this page
- PMID
- A study's ID number in PubMed, the public index of medical research.
Take it if the hair matters to you, and put a PSA number on file before dose one.
Emergency: call 911.
I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Talk to a physician who has your history before you change anything.