What is finasteride?

Hair loss is a very common condition, with various different causes including genetics (such as male or female pattern baldness), weight loss, stress, illness and so on – but there are different treatments available, depending on what’s causing the problem.

If you are concerned about hair loss or thinning, it can be beneficial to seek further medical attention so you can find out what’s causing it and how you can go about treating it.

While it is normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, hair loss can also be a symptom of an underlying medical condition, so discussing your condition with a healthcare professional may be advisable.

Medication is available that can be taken to help slow hair loss and address male pattern baldness. Finasteride is one such treatment option, available here at MENS once you’ve completed a confidential medical questionnaire with our UK-based certified prescriber.

How does finasteride work?

The hair follicles can be affected if there are elevated levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the body. As levels of DHT increase over time, these hair follicles can start to shrink, which means they’re no longer able to produce new hair, leading to baldness and thinning.

But medication like finasteride works to stop the conversion of testosterone to DHT, reducing the effect it has on the scalp. This then allows the follicles to regain their natural size and start producing hair again, which can help prevent hair loss.

How to take finasteride

Finasteride is available in 1mg dose tablets, which should be taken daily with a glass of water, either before or after meals.

Do not crush the tablet before taking it. If you miss a dosage, do not take two tablets the next day to make up for the missed dose. Missing a tablet will not have an impact on the effectiveness of the medication.

However, it is important to remember that hair growth and regrowth is a slow process and you should not expect to see immediate results when you start taking finasteride. It can take between three and six months to see results and it’s possible that you may only see a visible difference in hair growth after 12 months.

You will need to continue taking finasteride for as long as you want to prevent hair loss. If you stop taking it, you will probably start to see hair loss resume once again.

Are there any side-effects to taking finasteride?

As with any medication, there is a risk of experiencing side-effects when taking finasteride for hair loss. These include:

– Problems achieving an erection
– Decreased sex drive
– Ejaculation problems (such as little to no semen)

You are able to string finasteride discreetly online here at MENS following a confidential online consultation with our UK-based certified prescriber.