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Did you mean Topical Finasteride?

Glossary Topical Finasteride

medication applied to the scalp to treat hair loss

Topical Finasteride is a medication applied directly to the scalp to treat hair loss, particularly androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness). Unlike oral finasteride, which can have systemic side effects, the topical form aims to reduce these risks by delivering the drug directly to the affected area, thereby minimizing its absorption into the bloodstream.

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5 / 1000+ results

community Topical finasteride & minoxidil

in Finasteride/Dutasteride 1 upvotes 2 years ago

A 20-year-old is using a topical solution with finasteride, minoxidil, and tretinoin for hair thinning. They seek advice on application, duration, and potential results.

community Topical Finasteride Minoxidil: Experience/Price/Research

3 upvotes 7 years ago

Topical finasteride combined with minoxidil is used for hair loss treatment, with some users experiencing fewer side effects compared to oral finasteride. Morr-F, a topical solution, shows better results than minoxidil alone, with minimal adverse effects reported.

community Topical Finasteride and Minoxidil Progress : 4 month update

in Progress Pictures 16 upvotes 5 months ago

The user experienced thicker hair and less hair loss after using topical finasteride (0.5%) and minoxidil (5%) foam for four months, with minimal side effects compared to oral finasteride. They also use a derma needler and injectable testosterone, noting no increased hair loss despite higher testosterone levels.

community Topical Finasteride and Minoxidil results after 1 year

33 upvotes 1 month ago

A 25-year-old shared progress pictures after using 0.3% topical finasteride and 8% minoxidil for a year, showing improved hairline and positive feedback. They use a telehealth solution from Happy Head and CVS foam minoxidil.

community Topical finasteride and minoxidil 2 months treatment update

in Progress Pictures 5 upvotes 5 months ago

The user shared a 2-month progress update using topical finasteride and minoxidil for hair loss. The conversation included comments on the user's appearance and potential side effects.

View more "topical finasteride minoxidil" in community →

Research

5 / 1000+ results

research Faculty Opinions recommendation of Efficacy of the association of topical minoxidil and topical finasteride compared to their use in monotherapy in men with androgenetic alopecia: A prospective, randomized, controlled, assessor blinded, 3-arm, pilot trial.

October 2023 in “Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature”

Using both minoxidil and finasteride together on the scalp works better for male hair loss than using either one alone.

research The Efficacy and Safety of Finasteride Combined with Topical Minoxidil for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

8 citations , March 2020 in “Aesthetic Plastic Surgery”

Finasteride and minoxidil together safely and effectively increase hair growth and density for androgenetic alopecia.

research Topical minoxidil fortified with finasteride: An account of maintenance of hair density after replacing oral finasteride

32 citations , January 2015 in “Indian Dermatology Online Journal”

This study found that a combination of topical minoxidil and finasteride helped maintain hair density in patients with androgenetic alopecia after initial oral finasteride treatment.

research Comparing the therapeutic efficacy of topical minoxidil and finasteride with topical minoxidil and oral finasteride in androgenetic alopecia: a randomized trial

4 citations , July 2018 in “International Journal of Research in Dermatology”

This study found that among patients with stage III and IV androgenic alopecia, 83% of those using topical 5% minoxidil with topical 0.1% finasteride showed improved hair density, suggesting it may reduce the need for long-term oral finasteride.

research The efficacy of the combination of topical minoxidil and oral spironolactone compared with the combination of topical minoxidil and oral finasteride in women with androgenic alopecia, female and male hair loss patterns: A blinded randomized clinical trial

August 2023 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology”

This study found that combining minoxidil and spironolactone was more effective for hair density and severity of hair loss in women with androgenic alopecia compared to minoxidil and finasteride, with no serious adverse effects reported.

View more "topical finasteride minoxidil" in research →

Learn

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learn Scalp Micropigmentation

Can I use hair loss treatments (finasteride, minoxidil) after scalp micropigmentation? About half of clinics say finasteride can continue through scalp micropigmentation, and about half ask clients to pause topical minoxidil during the sessions and for roughly 30 days afterwards. That pause is clinic aftercare convention, not a label instruction - ask your prescriber first, because stopping minoxidil usually causes shedding.

learn Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole: Can I use it with minoxidil or finasteride? No published study has tested ketoconazole shampoo together with minoxidil and finasteride, and no interaction between them has been reported; the only direct evidence for a pairing is a ten-patient finasteride-plus-ketoconazole arm in a 2002 study, and a 2020 systematic review calls topical ketoconazole promising while asking for randomized trials.

learn Finasteride

Is Finasteride unbeatable or are there equally powerful alternatives? Finasteride has the longest record of trial evidence in male androgenetic alopecia; in pooled 24-week trials dutasteride increased hair counts more, and minoxidil, topical finasteride, PRP, LLLT and microneedling have supporting studies. Regulators warn that finasteride can cause sexual side effects, depression and suicidal thoughts that may persist after stopping, its label also lists breast, semen and other physical effects, and dutasteride now carries a precautionary mood warning; both are prescription-only, and dutasteride and oral minoxidil are off-label for hair loss.
Are there really risks with topical finasteride? Reports on topical finasteride describe scalp irritation and dermatitis as the effects specific to it, and blood levels lower than the oral drug; whether the oral drug's systemic side effects (sexual, mood, suicidal-thought, cognitive and breast/semen effects, some reported to persist after stopping) are genuinely rarer on the topical form has not been measured in a trial powered to answer it. Both forms are prescription-only and contraindicated around pregnancy.

learn Caffeine

Is it safe to combine caffeine with other topical treatments? Two small trials, reported only in a Persian-language paper and a conference abstract, have tested caffeine with minoxidil and favoured the combination. Caffeine with topical finasteride, ketoconazole or plant oils has never been studied, so no source can call those combinations safe.