How Does the Hair-Loss Drug Finasteride Work? Can It Affect My Mental Health?

    November 2025
    Nial Wheate, Jasmine Lee
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    TLDR Finasteride can help with hair loss but may cause mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
    Finasteride is a drug used to treat male pattern baldness by blocking the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, reducing its concentration by 60-70%. While effective for hair regrowth, concerns have arisen about its potential mental health side effects, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Although initial clinical trials did not show these issues, recent reports and statements from the European Medicines Agency and the U.S. FDA have confirmed these risks. If mental health changes occur, consulting a doctor is advised, and stopping the medication is safe if necessary. Alternatives like topical minoxidil are available, though they may also have mild mental health risks.
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      community Please take a vitamin & hormone test

      in Chat  256 upvotes 1 year ago
      Checking vitamin and hormone levels is important for addressing hair loss, as deficiencies in vitamin D, zinc, and iron can affect hair growth. Treatments like finasteride, minoxidil, and vitamin supplements are used, but addressing deficiencies is crucial for effectiveness.

      community Accelerated Hair Loss from Creatine

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  134 upvotes 2 months ago
      Creatine may cause hair loss in some individuals, especially those on finasteride, despite no scientific link. Personal experiences suggest individual sensitivity to DHT could be a factor.

      community Male pattern baldness, and mental health

      in Finasteride/Dutasteride  332 upvotes 1 year ago
      A 48-year-old man has been using minoxidil for 15 years and considered finasteride but stopped due to potential side effects. He is concerned about his mental health and the impact of hair loss on self-image, and he encourages support among men experiencing hair loss.
      If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      community If You Have DUPA, PLEASE READ THIS: Everyone Should Be Scalp Biopsied

      in Research  830 upvotes 1 year ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community When are we getting a cure to hair loss?

      in Chat 2 years ago
      Potential treatments for hair loss, including Minoxidil, finasteride, RU58841 and various upcoming pharmaceuticals, gene editing and cloning. It is suggested that a cure, if found, would be highly profitable due to the large number of people affected by hair loss globally.

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