January 2018 in “Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology” Finasteride and dutasteride are effective for male hair loss and enlarged prostate but may cause reversible sexual side effects.
41 citations
,
March 1998 in “Archives of Dermatological Research” The enzyme that changes testosterone to a stronger form is mostly found in the part of the hair follicle called the dermal papilla.
37 citations
,
January 2015 in “Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine” An extract from Quercus acutissima bark was found to reduce sebum production and block an enzyme linked to acne.
26 citations
,
October 2011 in “International Journal of Biological Macromolecules” Some newly made compounds are promising for treating enlarged prostate, hair loss, viruses, and prostate cancer, and might be better than current drugs.
1 citations
,
August 2017 in “The Journal of urology/The journal of urology” 5α-reductase inhibitors may increase the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts.
August 2025 in “medRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may increase depression risk by 31%, but results vary based on comparison groups.
April 1992 in “Current opinion in therapeutic patents” New steroids were patented as effective for treating acne, hair loss, and other conditions related to hormones.
May 2004 in “Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease” Vitamin E affects liver metabolism, enhancing stress resistance, reducing blood clotting, and altering hormone processing.
January 2003 in “Humana Press eBooks” Dihydrotestosterone and 5α-Reductase play a role in hair loss and prostate health, and finasteride can increase hair growth in men without affecting sperm production, but it doesn't work for postmenopausal women with hair loss.
13 citations
,
November 2012 in “PubMed” 5α-reductase inhibitors may worsen sexual drive and spontaneous erections but don't worsen existing erectile or ejaculatory problems.
1 citations
,
January 2012 in “Daehan namseong gwahag hoeji” Dutasteride is more effective than Finasteride in reducing prostate size and PSA levels, but both drugs have similar side effects.
37 citations
,
April 2008 in “The Cochrane library” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors can lower prostate cancer risk but may increase high-grade tumors and cause sexual side effects.
38 citations
,
February 2011 in “Annals of Oncology” Men who experienced baldness at age 20 may have double the risk of getting prostate cancer.
12 citations
,
January 2018 in “Pharmacology & pharmacy” Pumpkin seed products may help improve prostate and bladder health by blocking certain enzymes and hormone receptors.
6 citations
,
April 2017 in “Frontiers in Pharmacology” Chinese medicine may help treat hair loss by affecting genes and enzyme activity.
February 2026 in “Postgraduate Medicine” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase depression risk, but the risk varies based on the control group used.
December 2018 in “Actas urológicas españolas” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may have additional effects on cancer, mental health, heart health, and hormone levels beyond treating prostate enlargement.
33 citations
,
April 2015 in “Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity” 5α reductase inhibitors treat hair loss but may cause sexual side effects and risks.
18 citations
,
June 2009 in “Journal of Molecular Endocrinology” Finasteride exposure harms tadpole reproduction and hormone balance.
4 citations
,
June 2015 in “Journal of Genetics/Journal of genetics” Genetic differences within ethnic groups may affect prostate cancer treatment effectiveness.
July 2020 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” The structure of SRD5A reveals how it reduces steroids, aiding drug design for related health conditions.
19 citations
,
January 2016 in “Annals of Dermatology” Dutasteride is safe and effective for treating hair loss, but may decrease libido.
10 citations
,
June 2001 in “PubMed” Finasteride is effective in growing hair and stopping hair loss in men with mild to moderate alopecia.
June 2024 in “Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety” Finasteride harms Daphnia magna's reproduction, growth, and metabolism.
3 citations
,
February 2021 in “Molecules” A new method was created to test the effectiveness of Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibitors, like finasteride and dutasteride, in human and fish cells. The results showed fish cells are more sensitive to these treatments, and dutasteride works better than finasteride in all tested cells.
2 citations
,
December 2021 in “International Journal of Andrology” Most legal cases about 5α-reductase inhibitors, drugs for hair loss and prostate issues, complain about side effects and delayed cancer diagnosis, with most lawsuits settled out of court.
December 2025 in “International Neurourology Journal” Alpha-blockers and 5-alpha reductase inhibitors don't significantly increase dementia risk.
408 citations
,
May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Dutasteride more effectively lowers DHT levels in men with enlarged prostates than finasteride.
59 citations
,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces scalp DHT levels, potentially treating male pattern baldness.
June 2023 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Finasteride 5mg daily is the most effective for female pattern hair loss, with higher doses of treatments generally more effective.