61 citations
,
January 2008 in “Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin” Finasteride almost fully depletes allopregnanolone in rat brains and enhances 20α-DHP, but doesn't change 3α-DHP levels.
88 citations
,
October 2002 in “Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride for hair loss may cause depression, affecting sleep and relationships.
30 citations
,
April 2002 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride can cause one-sided breast enlargement, which disappears after stopping the drug.
56 citations
,
April 1998 in “Steroids” Finasteride reduces hair loss and treats BPH without major hormone changes, but may cause sexual dysfunction.
June 2018 in “Journal of Clinical Periodontology” Finasteride may cause gum problems, but stopping the drug can improve these issues.
7 citations
,
April 2015 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Finasteride negatively affects fish reproduction and gonadal development.
8 citations
,
April 2021 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation” Finasteride reduces opioid use and withdrawal symptoms in animals.
24 citations
,
October 2016 in “Oncotarget” Finasteride has a higher risk of reproductive side effects than minoxidil.
January 2009 in “Journal of Xingtai University” Finasteride is made through a series of chemical reactions starting from a specific intermediate compound.
8 citations
,
December 2017 in “Cancer Medicine” Finasteride use may increase the risk of male breast cancer.
October 2023 in “Bangladesh journal of urology” Finasteride effectively treats hematospermia in 3 months without side effects.
November 2005 in “PubMed” 1 citations
,
August 2002 in “PubMed” Finasteride effectively slowed hair loss and promoted hair growth in Taiwanese men.
1 citations
,
January 2012 in “42nd Annual Meeting of the European-Society-for-Dermatological-Research (ESDR)” 
21 citations
,
April 2016 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Finasteride may cause mental and sexual side effects, with hand preference and sexual orientation possibly affecting severity.
May 2022 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride is linked to sexual dysfunction, especially in younger men using it for hair loss.
14 citations
,
March 2018 in “Current Drug Delivery” Topical finasteride can effectively treat male pattern baldness with fewer side effects than oral use.
December 2025 in “JMIR Dermatology” Topical finasteride is well-tolerated and satisfies most users with minimal side effects.
6 citations
,
January 2004 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” 
2 citations
,
September 2009 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” Low dose finasteride decreases certain steroids, possibly increasing depression risk.
5 citations
,
July 1994 in “PubMed” Finasteride, when taken daily, lowers dihydrotestosterone levels but doesn't noticeably affect adrenal steroid production, except by blocking the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme.
127 citations
,
June 2006 in “International Journal of Pharmaceutics” Liposomes and niosomes improve finasteride delivery for hair loss treatment.
April 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology” 
Topical finasteride accumulates in the skin with minimal absorption into the bloodstream.
14 citations
,
October 2016 in “Psychoneuroendocrinology” Finasteride affects brain processes related to neurotransmission and metabolism, potentially helping with neuropsychiatric conditions.
93 citations
,
January 1996 in “Clinical Pharmacokinectics” Finasteride helps regrow hair and shrink prostate by reducing DHT, with some sexual side effects.
2 citations
,
August 2025 in “Cureus” Taking finasteride before surgery reduces blood loss in prostate procedures.
January 2004 in “Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)” Finasteride blocks progesterone's effect on brain activity linked to epilepsy.
8 citations
,
January 1991 in “European Urology” Finasteride lowers DHT levels and raises testosterone in a dose-dependent way.
26 citations
,
April 2002 in “Archives of Dermatology”