Finasteride

Finasteride is used as a treatment for hair loss in men.

Unfortunately not. Finasteride will only work on areas of the scalp that still have some hair growth and cannot grow hair on completely bald areas. We recommend starting finasteride as early as possible to see the greatest impact.

Finasteride is a long term medication and results can usually be seen after around 3 to 6 months of continuous usage. We recommend using finasteride for up to 1 year to confirm whether it is an effective treatment for you.

Finasteride can be taken an anytime, however, it is usually best to take it at the same time each day. We suggest taking your tablet either in the morning when you wake up, or at night before you go to bed to help with remembering.

There is no evidence to suggest finasteride may be affected by alcohol.

Finasteride tablets will not work faster or better if you take them more than once a day. The recommended dose is one finasteride 1mg tablet taken daily. You will only increase the risk of experiencing more serious side effects if you take more than this.

Just take the next dose as soon as you remember. Do not ‘double dose’ to make up for missing a tablet. Remember you shouldn’t take more than one tablet in 24 hours

Finasteride can be taken with or without food.

Finasteride is only effective when you take it. If you stop taking it, your body will go back to its normal rate of hair loss and you will lose the progress you have made. This may result in the return of your hair loss and subsequent ‘baldness’ or ‘bald patches’ could return.

No, finasteride is only intended for men. Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant should avoid handling finasteride tablets (particularly, if the tablets are broken or crushed) because any absorption into the body could affect the unborn baby, especially boys.

Studies on the effectiveness of finasteride have only been done on men up to the age of 41. Finasteride is still a popular hair loss medication for men of all ages and is taken by many older men.

Finasteride is usually a well-tolerated medication and side effects are uncommon. However, like all medications, side effects are possible and finasteride has been reported to cause skin rashes. Rare side effects can include a reduced sex drive and erection problems. This is usually solved by stopping the medication, although in very rare cases these side effects can continue for longer.

Depression is a possible side effect of finasteride, although it is very rare. If you have feelings of depression or suicidal thoughts while taking finasteride stop taking the medication and speak to your doctor.

The tablets should always be stored in the pouches or in the provided vial, and should only be removed when you are taking your next dose. Finasteride can be stored in a clean, dry place at room temperature. Do not share your medicine with anyone else.

Finasteride should never be used past the expiry date which is always the last day of the month shown on the packaging, after which it should be discarded.

Never flush finasteride tablets down the toilet or empty them down the drain as this will contaminate water and could affect the environment. We recommend that all medicines be returned to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.

Finasteride is medically proven to be a very effective treatment for male pattern baldness. It is a longer-term solution which can take 3 to 6 months to show a noticeable improvement. Finasteride only works whilst you are taking it and stops working if you stop taking it.

Finasteride is also used to treat ‘benign protastatic hyperplasia’ or BPH but the dose is usually much higher (5 mg). If you are already taking finasteride (or dutasteride, a similar product) for BPH, then you should avoid taking more finasteride.

Both medicines work in the same way and have the same active ingredient. The main difference between finasteride and Propecia is the pricing. Propecia is the original branded product. However, other cheaper alternatives are available as generic products are made by a number of different manufacturers which contain the same active ingredient.

Yes, you can. Simply start your online consultation here. Enter your medical history and symptoms. If approved by our licensed US doctors, you’ll receive a treatment plan within 2 hours and get your finasteride shipped for free to your door within 2 days.

To find out more about male pattern baldness, please visit our hair loss page. You’ll also find lots of advice and information about hair loss and our treatments on our blog.