Finasteride: Facts and Myths

Eight years ago, the paper "Finasteride: Facts and Myths" by Denise Steiner and Carolina Marçon addressed the misconceptions surrounding the use of finasteride, a drug used to treat androgenetic alopecia. The authors noted that media reports and misinformation had contributed to a negative image of the drug, causing concern among patients and hesitancy among dermatologists to prescribe it for long periods due to unfounded fears of long-term side effects. The paper emphasized that finasteride, used alone or in combination with topical minoxidil, was effective in reducing hair loss and/or restoring hair growth in 90% of male patients. The drug could be taken at any time of the day, with or without food, and had no significant drug interactions or allergies reported. However, caution was advised for patients with liver diseases due to the drug's metabolism in the liver.