Examples

Generic Name	Brand Name
finasteride	Propecia

Finasteride is a pill that is taken once a day.

How It Works

Finasteride lowers the level of androgens, a class of hormone that affects hair loss.

Why It Is Used

Finasteride was originally used to treat enlarged prostate glands (benign prostatic hyperplasia). In a much lower dose, it is now also used to treat inherited hair loss in men (androgenetic alopecia), the most common cause of hair loss.

Finasteride has not been proven effective in women and is not approved for women by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).¹ Women and children should not use finasteride.

How Well It Works

Finasteride is recognized as a successful therapy for hair loss for men. Research reports that it slows hair loss on the scalp and helps regrow hair.² One study showed that finasteride may potentially improve hair loss on the forehead, which is usually less likely to respond to treatment than hair loss on the top of the head.³ However, bald spots will not be completely covered, and visible results may take from a few months to a year.

Side Effects

Possible side effects in men include sexual problems, including difficulty getting an erection and reduced desire for sex.

Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken finasteride tablets because finasteride can cause birth defects.

See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)

What To Think About

Finasteride is for men only. Women and children should not use it.

Women who are or may become pregnant should not take or handle crushed or broken tablets because finasteride can cause birth defects.

Finasteride must be taken daily. If you stop taking finasteride, any regrown hair will gradually be lost, and within 6 to 12 months your scalp will most likely appear the same as before treatment.

If you are having a prostate screening, tell your health professional you are taking finasteride, because it may affect the results of your test.

Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.

Citations

1. Springer K, et al. (2003). Common hair loss disorder. American Family Physician, 68(1): 93–102.

2. Habif TP (2004). Hair diseases. In Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy, 4th ed., pp. 834–863. Philadelphia: Mosby.

3. Leyden JJ, et al. (1999). Finasteride in the treatment of men with frontal male pattern hair loss. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 40(6, Part 1): 930–937.