Use of Finasteride in the Treatment of Men With Androgenetic Alopecia

The article discusses the use of finasteride in treating male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia). Studies have shown that finasteride is effective in reducing scalp and serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels, which are associated with AGA. Clinical studies have also shown that finasteride treatment leads to an increase in hair count and cosmetic improvement in hair growth. Three Phase III studies of finasteride were conducted in men with mild to moderate AGA, which demonstrated that finasteride treatment led to a significant improvement in hair growth and slowing of further hair loss progression. The optimal dose for treatment was found to be 1 mg/day. Long-term treatment with finasteride led to significant and durable improvements in hair growth while slowing the further progression of hair loss in men with AGA. No significant adverse effects have been observed with long-term use of finasteride.