Finasteride Treatment May Not Prevent Telogen Effluvium After Minoxidil Withdrawal

This article discusses the use of finasteride and minoxidil to treat androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in men. While both treatments are effective in stopping the progression of AGA, interruption of minoxidil treatment can induce telogen effluvium, which can lead to severe hair loss. The article reports on three patients who experienced worsening of AGA after interrupting minoxidil treatment while continuing finasteride treatment. The authors suggest that physicians should be aware of the risk of AGA aggravation when minoxidil treatment is interrupted and that further observation is needed to confirm the hypothesis that withdrawal of finasteride treatment in patients using the combination finasteride-minoxidil might be followed by a slow and not severe hair loss.