69 citations,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” Low-dose finasteride may cause lasting sexual dysfunction and suicidal thoughts in young men.
10 citations,
December 2014 in “PubMed” Finasteride, a hair loss drug, may cause sexual dysfunction and depression, but these effects are usually temporary and the drug is generally safe. More research is needed.
97 citations,
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.
75 citations,
January 2014 in “Korean Journal of Urology” 5α-reductase inhibitors can cause sexual problems, higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, and depression.
32 citations,
January 2014 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology” Finasteride and dutasteride effectively stop or reverse hair loss in women with androgenetic alopecia, with dutasteride being more effective for women under 50.
7 citations,
January 2013 in “European Urology” 5-Alpha reductase inhibitors may prevent prostate cancer but are not widely used due to concerns about trial relevance and potential risks, and more research is needed to confirm long-term benefits.
44 citations,
January 2013 in “International Journal of Trichology” Finasteride 5 mg/day effectively treats hair loss in postmenopausal women without hyper-androgenism.
134 citations,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” Former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects have higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts.
101 citations,
January 2012 in “Annals of Dermatology” Men with hair loss experience lower quality of life, worsened by factors like age, severity, and treatment history.
185 citations,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride for hair loss can cause long-lasting sexual side effects like low libido and erectile dysfunction.
65 citations,
January 2011 in “Frontiers in Endocrinology” Neurosteroids show promise for treating epilepsy and more research is needed.
223 citations,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Some patients taking finasteride or dutasteride may have ongoing sexual problems and depression even after stopping the medication.
22 citations,
December 2010 in “Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology” Finasteride may increase depression by reducing brain cell growth.
64 citations,
June 2010 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Finasteride improves hair density and thickness in women with hair loss.
32 citations,
May 2010 in “Pharmacopsychiatry” Finasteride reduces new brain cells in male mice, possibly causing depression.
29 citations,
May 2010 in “Annals of Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride may help some women with hair loss, but better options exist.
27 citations,
July 2009 in “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology & Diabetes” Finasteride safely reduces excessive hair growth in women.
225 citations,
July 2007 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Knowing about finasteride's sexual side effects increases reported dysfunction.
43 citations,
January 2007 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” Finasteride improves acne and hair loss in women with normal testosterone.
99 citations,
October 2006 in “BMC clinical pharmacology” Finasteride may cause slight depression and anxiety.
193 citations,
August 2005 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Hair loss common in Australia; men affected earlier, more often than Asians; women less concerned.
44 citations,
July 2004 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride for hair loss has minimal impact on sexual function.
408 citations,
May 2004 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” Dutasteride more effectively lowers DHT levels in men with enlarged prostates than finasteride.
6 citations,
January 2004 in “Acta dermato-venereologica” 
155 citations,
December 2003 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Hair loss increases with age; alcohol raises risk, more female partners lowers it.
56 citations,
April 2003 in “Fertility and Sterility” All three treatments reduce hirsutism, but spironolactone works best long-term.
40 citations,
January 2003 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” Finasteride effectively reduces hair growth in women with polycystic ovary syndrome or idiopathic hirsutism.
108 citations,
January 2003 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide may slightly improve hair loss in women, but finasteride does not work.
92 citations,
October 2002 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride improves hair loss in women with hyperandrogenism.
88 citations,
October 2002 in “Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride for hair loss may cause depression, affecting sleep and relationships.
51 citations,
October 2002 in “British Journal of Dermatology” Finasteride increases hair density in female androgenetic alopecia, but individual results may vary.
36 citations,
September 2001 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Finasteride doesn't reduce sexual function in people with hair loss.
239 citations,
November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride doesn't effectively treat hair loss in postmenopausal women.
50 citations,
May 2000 in “Fertility and Sterility” Flutamide reduces hair growth better but has more side effects.
125 citations,
January 1999 in “Drugs” Finasteride effectively treats baldness but may cause sexual side effects.
581 citations,
October 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride safely and effectively treats male pattern hair loss, but may cause reversible sexual issues and harm male fetuses.
38 citations,
January 1997 in “Gynecological Endocrinology” Finasteride and flutamide effectively reduce hirsutism in PCOS women, with flutamide also lowering hormone levels.
728 citations,
August 1996 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Terazosin and finasteride effectively treat BPH, but combining them adds no extra benefit.
70 citations,
August 1995 in “Fertility and Sterility” Finasteride reduces hairiness and androgen levels in women with unexplained excessive hair growth.
52 citations,
January 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride and spironolactone both reduce hirsutism, but finasteride lowers androgen levels more.
33 citations,
October 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces hair growth and is safe for women with excessive hair.
22 citations,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces dihydrotestosterone, increases testosterone, and may treat hirsutism in women.
1040 citations,
October 1992 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Finasteride effectively treats BPH but may increase sexual dysfunction risk.
