Alarming hair loss? This is the remedy for it. Finasteride is a medication that is used to treat male pattern baldness in the crown and middle of the scalp. With regular use, you’ll notice thicker hair and slower hair loss.

What Is Finasteride

Finasteride is the generic version of the Propecia® brand. Both drugs have a comparable effect on the human body.

Finasteride belongs to the 5-alpha reductase inhibitor class of medicines. These medications function by inhibiting the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which turns testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is an androgen with a lot of power (male sex hormone).

In males who are genetically susceptible to it, it causes male pattern baldness (also known as androgenetic alopecia), prostate development leading to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and lower urinary tract problems (LUTS). Blocking the enzyme 5-alpha reductase can halt or reverse hair loss while also shrinking the prostate over time.

What Is Propecia

The original brand name for 1 mg finasteride pills used to treat male pattern hair loss was Propecia. The majority of people who claim to take Propecia nowadays are actually taking generic finasteride 1 mg tablets, which have the same active ingredient as Propecia. The FDA requires generic medications to establish bioequivalence to the brand-name drug, which means they work in the same way in the body and are expected to generate the same results.

Propecia vs Finasteride

Propecia and Finasteride have the same active component and treat hair loss in the same way. Finasteride is the generic counterpart of Propecia, which means it can be a less expensive option.

Finasteride Function

Finasteride’s active ingredient inhibits the function of an enzyme that transforms testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in men. DHT is a hormone that promotes hair loss in men.

Finasteride helps to stop and, in some circumstances, reverse hair loss by lowering the quantity of DHT impacting follicles in the scalp.

Finasteride promotes hair growth solely on the head and has no effect on hair development elsewhere in the body.

Finasteride Effectiveness

Finasteride takes 3-6 months of regular use for most men to show results. In 9 out of 10 cases, the active ingredient (finasteride) has been demonstrated to be helpful in reducing hair loss in men. Hair regrowth can happen to men in some instances.

Hair loss will reappear if you stop taking Finasteride. Finasteride is most effective in males with male pattern baldness who have mild to severe hair loss on the top of their heads.

You must also remember that if you take more than one tablet of finasteride each day, it will not function any faster or better.

Finasteride Effect Hair Regrowth

According to the same study that collected the data of three studies that assessed the effects of finasteride, some men in the finasteride group experience hair regrowth. “Based on standardized clinical photography, the chances of mild to moderate visible regrowth on the vertex (with an additional 5% achieving great visible regrowth) after 2 years are 61 percent on the vertex (with an additional 5% achieving great visible regrowth) after 2 years and 37 percent on the frontal area after 1 year,” the authors wrote. The vertex is the summit of the head, while the frontal area is the receding hairline.

Finasteride Effectiveness in All Men

Certain treatments, like most drugs, may work for some people but not for others. According to a study on hair loss, Finasteride stops hair loss in 83 percent of men, and 66 percent of men will notice regrowth after two years. Another study found that using Finasteride consistently for 5 years can assist 90 percent of men to stop losing hair.

Dosage of Finasteride

Finasteride is FDA-approved for hair loss in 1 mg doses (brand name Propecia®).

But there is also a 5mg dosage. This is for BPH symptoms which have 5 mg doses (brand name Proscar®).

Finasteride 1 mg and 5 mg were shown to be equally helpful for male pattern hair loss in a research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Because the 5 mg dosage is not more effective and may have additional side effects, healthcare practitioners will only prescribe 1 mg finasteride for hair loss treatment. Finasteride 5mg is FDA-approved for BPH, while 1mg is FDA-approved for hair loss, as previously stated.

Important Note

If you miss a dose of Finasteride, take it as soon as you remember. Take no more than one pill in a 24-hour period. To compensate for a missed tablet, do not take a double dose.

Side Effects of Finasteride

Finasteride has few and relatively minor side effects.

Finasteride may cause:

a rash
decreased sex drive
low mood
erection issues
soreness on or around the nipples in certain people.

Sexual side effects can, on rare occasions, be persistent and persist after the medication has been stopped.

See the patient information booklet for a complete list of adverse effects and how to use it correctly. If you have any concerns about side effects, please contact us immediately.