Finasteride is a clinically-approved medication for the treatment of hair loss in men. Also sold under the brand name Propecia®, Finasteride belongs to a class of drugs known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.

Finasteride is used to treat male pattern hair loss (gradual thinning of the hair on the scalp, leading to a receding hairline or balding on the top of the head in men.)

Male pattern baldness, or androgenic alopecia, is the most common form of hair loss and it is typically an inherited condition. As the condition progresses the natural hair growth cycle weakens and your hair follicles shrink, causing your hair to become shorter and finer. The exact cause for this type of hair loss is unknown but it is related to the production of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Treatments that inhibit the production of DHT are sometimes effective in slowing, stopping or reversing hair loss due to androgenic alopecia.

Finasteride (1mg dose prescribed for hair loss) has been shown to be 85% effective with hair regrowth usually noticed after about 3-4 months of daily use. The medication needs to be taken on a continuous basis or else new hair will be lost after one year of stopping the medication.

Finasteride works by preventing testosterone from breaking down into DHT, the hormone that is thought to contribute to baldness.

In the United Kingdom, finasteride is only available with a prescription. In order to get finasteride, you'll need to be evaluated by a prescriber either online or in person so they can determine whether a finasteride prescription is appropriate for you.

In clinical trials of Finasteride 1mg, the following side effects were the most common side effects experienced by patients:<br/>