January 2002 in “European Urology Supplements” Finasteride can cause sexual side effects like decreased libido and erectile dysfunction.
February 2007 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” Taking 1mg of finasteride daily for hair loss can lower PSA levels by 40-50%, so to keep PSA effective as a cancer screening tool, the PSA value should be doubled during treatment.
23 citations
,
June 2014 in “Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences” Finasteride cream helps hair growth with less side effects.
Finasteride impairs sperm quality and fertility in rats, even after stopping treatment.
15 citations
,
March 2007 in “Hormones and Behavior” Finasteride boosts morphine's pain relief, stops tolerance, and reduces withdrawal in rats.
October 2022 in “Biomolecules” Allopregnanolone can reduce gut inflammation and normalize neurotransmitter levels after finasteride withdrawal.
7 citations
,
April 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology” Finasteride's potential harms are hard to accurately measure.
24 citations
,
December 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” Finasteride can cause sexual problems and depression in young men.
18 citations
,
June 2009 in “Journal of Molecular Endocrinology” Finasteride exposure harms tadpole reproduction and hormone balance.
May 2026 in “Reactions Weekly”
17 citations
,
November 1997 in “Andrology” Finasteride effectively treats enlarged prostate and male baldness, improves symptoms of hirsutism in women, but doesn't work for acne, and may delay prostate cancer progression with few side effects.
3 citations
,
October 1995 in “International Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride helps treat skin issues like acne and baldness by blocking testosterone conversion.
10 citations
,
June 1998 in “PubMed” Finasteride significantly reduces DHT levels in male dogs without affecting testosterone levels, suggesting it could be used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy in dogs weighing 10 to 50 kilograms.
24 citations
,
March 2017 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Finasteride use linked to increased risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in younger people.
April 2015 in “Reactions Weekly” Finasteride toxicity information is limited, poor quality, and biased.
2 citations
,
September 2017 in “Archives of Medical Science” Finasteride affects offspring's antioxidant enzymes in epididymis, possibly disrupting sperm maturation.
August 2018 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride helps female-pattern hair loss.
2 citations
,
October 2021 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Finasteride is more effective and satisfactory than montelukast for treating moderate acne in women.
20 citations
,
October 1995 in “PubMed” September 2022 in “Reactions Weekly”
15 citations
,
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.
54 citations
,
September 2013 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride can reduce fertility in some men, but stopping it increases sperm count.
January 2007 in “Journal of Instrumental Analysis” A new method accurately detects tiny amounts of chloroform and dichloromethane in finasteride.
February 2007 in “Journal watch” Low-dose finasteride lowers PSA levels, which can make prostate cancer harder to detect.
May 2015 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Young men taking finasteride for hair loss have a higher risk of sexual dysfunction.
33 citations
,
July 2009 in “Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management” Finasteride effectively reduces prostate size and lowers surgery risk in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia.
November 2025 in “OPAL (Open@LaTrobe) (La Trobe University)” Plant-based nanovesicles effectively deliver finasteride for hair regrowth in androgenetic alopecia.
June 2025 in “Reactions Weekly” Finasteride may increase the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts.
September 2019 in “Clinical research in practice” High-dose finasteride effectively treats hair loss in postmenopausal women.
June 2017 in “Reactions Weekly” Finasteride (Propecia) may cause depression and suicidal thoughts; stop use and inform a healthcare professional if symptoms develop.