Finasteride for Hirsutism: A Dose Finding Study

Finasteride's effectiveness and side effects may vary based on male phenotypes, with some users noting differences in response related to body and facial hair characteristics. Some users report success with lower doses, while others experience side effects, suggesting individual variability in response to the treatment.

The efficacy of low doses of finasteride to reduce scalp DHT, and whether studies showing a 61% reduction are reflected in actual results. Replies discussed hair growth as an unintended consequence of minoxidil and finasteride use, as well as self-selective bias, potential side effects, and that studies measure effectiveness by hair count changes rather than DHT inhibition.

The user has been using finasteride for two years, gradually increasing the dose to 1 mg, and is satisfied with the results despite not using minoxidil due to lifestyle constraints. Another user shared their experience with finasteride, noting side effects like discomfort and loss of libido, and ultimately stopped using it before planning to have a child.

A 25-year-old is using 1.25mg finasteride six times a week and 5% topical minoxidil daily for hair loss. They are experiencing reduced libido and erectile issues, possibly due to stress, and are questioning if the finasteride dosage is affecting DHT suppression.

The conversation discusses using very low dose topical finasteride to achieve specific serum DHT reduction percentages. It concludes that finasteride dosage increases linearly between 5-30% DHT reduction but requires exponential increases for reductions up to 70%.

A 30-year-old man experienced significant hair regrowth and improved libido after using finasteride and dutasteride for androgenetic alopecia, with no adverse effects. He plans to reduce dutasteride dosage when trying to conceive and has been using topical minoxidil since 2015.