Can Male-Pattern Baldness Be Prevented? Promising Results from a Study on Treating Male-Pattern Baldness with Oral Finasteride

July 1997 in “ The Lancet ”

Robin Marks

male-pattern baldness oral finasteride androgenic alopecia non-vellus hairs placebo global scalp photography libido erectile dysfunction Propecia

TLDR Finasteride may increase hair growth and prevent baldness in men, but can cause sexual side effects.

Promising results from a study on treating male-pattern baldness with oral finasteride were reported. The study involved 1,879 men aged 18-41 years with stage II or higher androgenic alopecia. They were treated with finasteride for 12 months. The results showed an average increase of 14.0 non-vellus hairs per cm² in the treated group, compared to a decrease of 2.3 hairs per cm² in the placebo group. Global scalp photography indicated that 9% of treated men experienced regrowth of hair, while baldness continued to worsen in 8% of them. Side effects included a decrease in libido in 1.8% of treated men, compared to 1.3% in the placebo group. Erectile dysfunction was also more common in the treatment group (1.3%) than in the placebo group (0.7%).

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9 / 9 results

research Ethnopharmacological Review of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Alopecia

March 2023 in “International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology”

Various medicinal plants like Polygonum multiflorum, Red ginseng extract, and Zizyphus jujuba can potentially treat hair loss, offering benefits like low cost and multiple ways of working. Other effective natural substances include Pygeum africanum, Seneroa, Urtica dioica, and more.

research Untargeted Metabolomics and Steroid Signatures in Urine of Male Pattern Baldness Patients After Finasteride Treatment for a Year

September 2021 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

research Untargeted Metabolomics and Steroid Signatures in Urine of Male Pattern Baldness Patients After Finasteride Treatment for a Year

March 2020 in “Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)”

research Untargeted Metabolomics and Steroid Signatures in Urine of Male Pattern Baldness Patients After Finasteride Treatment for a Year

February 2020 in “Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)”

research Mesotherapy with Dutasteride and Minoxidil in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia

1 citations , September 2018 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Dutasteride and minoxidil mesotherapy effectively treats hair loss with minimal side effects.

research Guidelines on the Use of Finasteride in Androgenetic Alopecia

33 citations , March 2016 in “Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology”

Taking 1 mg of finasteride daily can increase hair count and improve hair appearance, but it may have side effects on sexual function and a potential risk of prostate cancer. It may not be effective for postmenopausal women unless taken in higher doses.

research Dutasteride Improves Hair Growth in Patients with Male Pattern Baldness More Effectively Than Finasteride

January 2007 in “Inpharma Weekly”

Dutasteride is more effective for male pattern baldness than finasteride, and black cohosh extract BNO 1055 is as effective as conjugated estrogens in treating postmenopausal symptoms, with added benefits in reducing sweating and mental symptoms.

research Follow-Up of 1 mg Finasteride Treatment of Male Pattern Baldness: Difference Between Clinical Trials and Private Office Follow-Up

May 2004 in “Dermatologic Surgery”

Most men stopped using finasteride for baldness due to unsatisfactory results or were lost to follow-up, and those who continued saw minimal to moderate improvement.

research Reproducibility of Global Photographic Assessments of Patients With Male Pattern Baldness in a Clinical Trial With Finasteride

5 citations , January 1995 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

A trial found that using finasteride, a hair growth drug, can be effectively measured by comparing before and after photos.