Finasteride in the treatment of alopecia
April 2004
in “Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy”
TLDR Finasteride effectively treats male pattern baldness, improving hair growth and density.
This document discusses the use of finasteride in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) or male pattern baldness. Finasteride inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is responsible for the miniaturization of hair follicles and hair loss. The drug has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of male pattern hair loss at a dose of 1 mg/day and has been found to significantly improve hair growth and density. Finasteride is well-tolerated with a favorable adverse event history, with the most common adverse events being reduced libido, decreased ejaculate volume, and gynecomastia. The document also discusses the pharmacokinetics and metabolism of finasteride, including its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
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