August 2024 in “Australasian Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride users have a very low risk of mental health issues, but those with hair loss may have slightly higher anxiety and depression.
July 2024 in “Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas” Finasteride and dutasteride do not significantly change beard thickness in men.
April 2024 in “Dermatology reports” Dutasteride is more effective than finasteride for hair regrowth in male and female pattern hair loss, with similar side effects.
December 2023 in “International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology” A reliable method was created to measure Minoxidil and Finasteride in a solution.
December 2013 in “Reactions Weekly” Some men taking finasteride for hair loss experienced anxiety, depression, and sexual problems, which sometimes continued after stopping the medication.
January 2013 in “Yearbook of Urology” Former finasteride users showed higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts compared to those who never used it.
Finasteride is popular for treating male hair loss but may increase the risk of serious prostate cancer and has other potential side effects.
May 2015 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride for hair loss increases risk of sexual dysfunction in young men.
August 2021 in “Annales pharmaceutiques françaises” Topical finasteride at 0.25% is effective and has fewer side effects than oral finasteride for hair loss.
16 citations
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January 2010 in “Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics” Finasteride's effect on hair loss and prostate enlargement depends on its binding to an enzyme, with maximum impact at 0.2 mg dose.
6 citations
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March 2018 in “Journal of Chromatography A” New method accurately measures finasteride and M3 in urine, helping evaluate pharmacokinetics.
2 citations
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January 2011 in “Yearbook of Urology” Stopping finasteride can improve sperm count in infertile men.
1 citations
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February 2013 in “African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology” Finasteride lowers good cholesterol, raises bad fats, and may increase heart disease risk.
1 citations
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November 2010 in “Value in Health” Pill splitting increased generic finasteride sales but didn't affect branded finasteride sales.
1 citations
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January 2004 in “Chinese Journal of New Drugs and Clinical Remedies” Finasteride reduces VEGF expression and microvascular growth in diabetic rat retinas.
Finasteride improves hair but may reduce sperm quality at higher doses.
April 2015 in “Reactions Weekly” Finasteride toxicity information is limited, poor quality, and biased.
April 2013 in “e-Jurnal Medika Udayana” Finasteride effectively treats male pattern baldness.
January 1998 in “NEJM Journal Watch” Finasteride increases hair count in men with hair loss, but the effect isn't permanent and hair loss returns if treatment stops.
2 citations
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January 2010 Finasteride helps improve hair growth in men with hair loss but may increase the risk of erectile dysfunction.
July 2011 in “Springer eBooks” The document concluded that FDA-approved treatments like minoxidil and finasteride are effective for hair loss, while the effectiveness of natural remedies and other non-approved treatments is not well-supported by evidence.
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.
34 citations
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April 2009 in “Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy” Some treatments work for common baldness, but there's less evidence for other hair loss types, and more research is needed.
June 2025 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Dutasteride 0.5 mg/day is the most effective treatment for male pattern hair loss.
May 2024 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology” "Dutasteride 0.5 mg daily is the most effective treatment for male hair loss."
July 1997 in “Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery” Finasteride significantly increases scalp hair and prevents hair loss in young and middle-aged men.
19 citations
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April 2014 in “Hormones” Hormones and genetics play key roles in male and female baldness, which can affect mental health and may be linked to other health issues.
2 citations
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December 2019 in “Neurobiology of Stress” Changing allopregnanolone levels in baby rats affects their adult behavior and alcohol use.
33 citations
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January 2016 in “Skin appendage disorders” The document concludes that sexual and psychiatric side effects from 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are reported, but more high-quality research is needed to understand how often they occur.
15 citations
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July 2016 in “Urologic Clinics of North America” Finasteride and dutasteride are effective for long-term treatment of enlarged prostates but have sexual side effects and a risk of high-grade prostate cancer.