Finasteride Increases Anagen Hair in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

October 2000 in “ British Journal of Dermatology ”

D. Van Neste, Vivian L. Fuh, P. Sanchez-Pedreno, Eduardo López-Bran, Helmut H. Wolff, David A. Whiting, Jay Roberts, Daisy Kopera, J. J. Stene, Stefano Calvieri, Antonella Tosti, Errol P. Prens, Marcella Guarrera, P Kanojia, Wenlong He, Keith D. Kaufman

finasteride anagen hair androgenetic alopecia anagen phase telogen phase anagen to telogen ratio male pattern hair loss Propecia male pattern baldness

TLDR Finasteride helps increase hair growth in men with hair loss.

A study involving over 1,500 men with androgenetic alopecia found that finasteride can increase hair density by increasing the anagen phase of hair growth. The drug was found to be effective in increasing the number of actively growing hairs and decreasing the number of resting hairs, resulting in a higher anagen to telogen ratio. Continued treatment over 48 weeks leads to a progressive increase in anagen hair count and anagen to telogen ratio. Finasteride is a safe and effective treatment for male pattern hair loss, but should be avoided by pregnant women due to the potential risk of undervirilization of a male fetus.

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Research cited in this study

8 / 8 results

research Lack of Efficacy of Finasteride in Postmenopausal Women with Androgenetic Alopecia

239 citations, November 2000 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Finasteride doesn't effectively treat hair loss in postmenopausal women.

research Finasteride in the Treatment of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

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.

research Effects of Finasteride, a Type 2 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor, on Fetal Development in the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca Mulatta)

67 citations, February 1997 in “Teratology”

Finasteride, when given in high oral doses to pregnant monkeys, caused genital abnormalities in male fetuses, but not in female fetuses or those exposed to intravenous finasteride.

research Hair Problems in Women: A 1997 Study on Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and Treatment Approaches

37 citations, January 1997 in “Clinics in Dermatology”

Hair problems are common and distressing for women, but increasing knowledge of treatments offers hope.

research Photographic Documentation of Hair Growth in Androgenetic Alopecia

102 citations, October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics”

Photographic documentation crucial for evaluating hair growth in androgenetic alopecia.

research The Effect of Finasteride, a 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor, on Scalp Skin Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone Concentrations in Patients With Male Pattern Baldness

61 citations, September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism”

research Diagnostic and Predictive Value of Horizontal Sections of Scalp Biopsy Specimens in Male Pattern Androgenetic Alopecia

309 citations, May 1993 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Horizontal scalp biopsy sections effectively diagnose and predict MPAA, with follicular density and inflammation impacting hair regrowth.

research Testosterone Metabolism in the Skin

74 citations, November 1975 in “Archives of dermatology”

Increased DHT formation in skin can cause hair loss, acne, and excessive hair growth, and antiandrogens might treat these conditions.

Related Research

9 / 9 results

Maintenance of Optimized Hair Growth from Viable Terminal Scalp Hair Follicles at Baseline with Oral Finasteride in Male Pattern Hair Loss and First Evidence of a Drug Dependency and a Post-Finasteride Rebound Effect

research Maintenance of Optimized Hair Growth from Viable Terminal Scalp Hair Follicles at Baseline with Oral Finasteride in Male Pattern Hair Loss and First Evidence of a Drug Dependency and a Post-Finasteride Rebound Effect

4 citations, May 2019 in “Skin Research and Technology”

Finasteride helps hair growth but stopping it causes faster hair loss.

research Hair Loss (Alopecia or Baldness)

June 2018

Baldness is often hereditary and linked to male hormones, becoming noticeable when half the hair is lost.

research Finasteride in the Treatment of Female Androgenic Alopecia

November 2014 in “PharmaTutor”

Finasteride may help postmenopausal women with hair loss but is not effective for all and should be used cautiously in premenopausal women.

research Androgenetic Alopecia and Its Remedies: A Review

August 2014 in “Journal of drug discovery and therapeutics”

Topical minoxidil and oral finasteride can help regrow hair in androgenetic alopecia.

research Characteristics of Korean Scalp Hair and Male Pattern Baldness

January 2013 in “Journal of The Korean Medical Association”

The document's conclusion cannot be provided because the text is in Korean and cannot be parsed.

research Androgens and Alopecia

165 citations, December 2002 in “Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology”

Male hormones, particularly DHT, are linked to male pattern hair loss, and treatments like finasteride can help, but they don't work for postmenopausal women's hair loss, which may have different causes.

Androgenetic Alopecia: Pathogenesis and Potential for Therapy

Finasteride Increases Anagen Hair in Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

Research cited in this study

research Lack of Efficacy of Finasteride in Postmenopausal Women with Androgenetic Alopecia

research Finasteride in the Treatment of Men with Androgenetic Alopecia

research Effects of Finasteride, a Type 2 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitor, on Fetal Development in the Rhesus Monkey (Macaca Mulatta)

research Hair Problems in Women: A 1997 Study on Prevalence, Psychological Impact, and Treatment Approaches

research Photographic Documentation of Hair Growth in Androgenetic Alopecia

research The Effect of Finasteride, a 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor, on Scalp Skin Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone Concentrations in Patients With Male Pattern Baldness

research Diagnostic and Predictive Value of Horizontal Sections of Scalp Biopsy Specimens in Male Pattern Androgenetic Alopecia

research Testosterone Metabolism in the Skin

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