27 citations
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March 2013 in “Social Semiotics” Commercial hair loss websites promote Propecia by making men feel insecure about baldness and suggesting it's a medical issue needing treatment.
October 2009 in “Nature Reviews Urology” April 2012 in “The Journal of Urology” Persistent ED in Propecia users is not due to abnormal blood flow.
July 2021 in “Reactions Weekly” Man experienced lasting sexual dysfunction from finasteride, but malpractice claim was rejected.
108 citations
,
March 2006 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride with oral contraceptive helps improve hair loss in premenopausal women.
March 2023 in “Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine” Oral and topical finasteride are effective and safe for treating female hair loss.
3 citations
,
October 2015 in “PubMed” Most men stopped using the hair loss treatment not because of sexual side effects, but because they didn't see positive results.
3 citations
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November 2005 in “Journal of Research in Medical Sciences” Finasteride cream didn't significantly reduce hair more than a placebo, but users felt it helped.
November 2022 in “Journal of Education, Health and Sport” Combination therapy for hair loss can improve results and reduce side effects.
8 citations
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October 2019 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Bicalutamide improves hair density in women safely.
Long-term finasteride use may affect sperm structure and chromosomes.
December 2010 in “Dermatologic Surgery” Finasteride's effectiveness on the frontal hair loss area is not well-studied or confirmed.
1 citations
,
March 2022 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Adjusting minoxidil dosage may be safer than using bicalutamide for hair loss in women.
November 2022 in “Hair transplant forum international” Finasteride does not cause sexual dysfunction in men with hair loss.
January 2008 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” Finasteride may cause sexual and psychological side effects by affecting an enzyme related to epinephrine.
97 citations
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January 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Dutasteride 0.5 mg works better than finasteride and placebo for increasing hair in men with hair loss.
November 2023 in “Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride and dutasteride are effective in treating male hair loss but can cause sexual side effects and birth defects.
May 2022 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride is linked to sexual dysfunction, especially in younger men using it for hair loss.
January 2021 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Men with hair loss who take a certain type of medication may experience fewer COVID-19 symptoms.
112 citations
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July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride may cause long-lasting sexual side effects.
February 2025 in “Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas” Low-dose oral minoxidil can help improve hair and eyebrow growth in people with frontal fibrosing alopecia.
30 citations
,
October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Use "female pattern hair loss" term, finasteride may help, more research needed.
January 2025 in “JAAD International” Bicalutamide added no extra benefit over minoxidil alone for female-pattern hair loss.
January 2026 in “Reactions Weekly” Both finasteride and dutasteride can cause sexual side effects, but they may differ in frequency and severity.
8 citations
,
January 1991 in “European Urology” Finasteride lowers DHT levels and raises testosterone in a dose-dependent way.
May 2016 in “Hair transplant forum international” The conclusion about long-term side effects of 1 mg finasteride remains unclear.
April 2006 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature” Oral finasteride, combined with drospirenone, improved hair loss in 62% of premenopausal women, with no reported side effects.
August 2025 in “Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry” A new topical finasteride formulation effectively promotes hair growth with fewer side effects.
4 citations
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May 2019 in “Skin Research and Technology” Finasteride helps hair growth but stopping it causes faster hair loss.