Commentary on Article on Clinical Efficacy of Oral Finasteride by Won, Lew, and Sim

September 2018 in “ Dermatologic Therapy ”

Mary P. Lupo

finasteride female pattern hair loss FPHL hirsutism menstrual irregularities postmenopausal women Propecia

TLDR Finasteride at 2.5mg/day may help postmenopausal women with hair loss.

The article discusses the use of finasteride for female pattern hair loss (FPHL). While the drug has been successful in treating male pattern hair loss, lower doses of 1mg/day have shown limited results in women. However, higher doses of 2.5-5mg/day have been associated with side effects such as headaches, hirsutism, and menstrual irregularities. In the present study, 2.5mg/day seemed to be well tolerated and showed clinical benefit in postmenopausal women with FPHL. The author suggests that while more studies need to be done, a trial of this drug at the 2.5mg/day dosage seems like a reasonable option for clinical benefit to postmenopausal patients with FPHL.

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Similar Efficacy of Maintenance Treatment of Finasteride 1 mg Every Other Month Compared with Finasteride 1 mg Daily in Korean Men with Androgenetic Alopecia After Taking Finasteride 1 mg Daily for 1 Year

research Similar Efficacy of Maintenance Treatment of Finasteride 1 mg Every Other Month Compared with Finasteride 1 mg Daily in Korean Men with Androgenetic Alopecia After Taking Finasteride 1 mg Daily for 1 Year

November 2020 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Finasteride 1 mg every other month works as well as daily dose for hair loss maintenance.