50 citations
,
September 2016 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” This study found no evidence of androgen deficiency or decreased peripheral androgen action in men with persistent sexual symptoms after finasteride use, but identified links to depressed mood and abnormal brain function.
31 citations
,
February 2016 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study found that nearly half of men using finasteride reported clinically significant depression, highlighting the need for psychiatric screening and careful risk assessment by prescribing clinicians.
33 citations
,
January 2016 in “Skin appendage disorders” This review examines medical literature on postfinasteride syndrome and reports no new results; the authors call for more controlled studies on permanent sexual dysfunction and mood changes linked to 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.
69 citations
,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” This study found that low-dose finasteride use in young men was associated with higher reporting of persistent sexual dysfunction, with some cases linked to suicidal ideation.
20 citations
,
June 2015 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” This study found that long-term finasteride therapy in men with BPH worsened erectile dysfunction and reduced testosterone levels, while these effects were not observed with tamsulosin.
2 citations
,
January 2015 
36 citations
,
June 2014 in “PLOS ONE” This study found that men with persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for androgenetic alopecia had higher androgen receptor expression in certain tissues compared to those who never used the drug.
81 citations
,
June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” This study highlights that adverse effects from finasteride may persist in men after discontinuation, indicating a potential "post-finasteride syndrome.
36 citations
,
June 2014 in “International Journal of Dermatology” This study suggests that dutasteride may be a viable alternative for Korean men with androgenetic alopecia who do not respond to finasteride, as it improved hair density and thickness in most participants.
97 citations
,
January 2014 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that dutasteride increased hair growth and restoration in men with androgenetic alopecia more effectively than finasteride and was well tolerated over 24 weeks.
2152 citations
,
November 2013 in “Urologia Internationalis” This study reviews the significant prevalence of organic etiologies, especially vascular causes, in erectile dysfunction among men under 40 and emphasizes thorough evaluation and consideration of treatment options like exercise and PDE-5 inhibitors.
134 citations
,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” This study found that former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects reported significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts compared to controls.
112 citations
,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, 96% of men with persistent sexual side effects from finasteride reported continued dysfunction after discontinuation, suggesting these effects may endure long-term.
41 citations
,
October 2011 in “Journal of Dermatology” This study observed that long-term use of finasteride in Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia was associated with progressive hair regrowth in 87.1% of participants without significant safety concerns.
185 citations
,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This study found that 94% of healthy men reported low libido and 92% reported erectile dysfunction as persistent sexual side effects after using finasteride for male pattern hair loss, with these effects lasting on average 40 months post-discontinuation.
223 citations
,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” This review discusses persistent adverse effects of 5α‐reductase inhibitors, like diminished libido and erectile dysfunction, in some patients and highlights the need for patient discussions before therapy, especially for androgenetic alopecia.
92 citations
,
June 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that 0.5 mg of dutasteride significantly improved hair growth compared to placebo and was well tolerated over six months in men with male pattern hair loss.
20 citations
,
December 2008 in “PubMed” In this study, treatment with finasteride 1 mg/day for five years significantly reduced the likelihood of further visible hair loss in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to placebo.
225 citations
,
July 2007 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” In this study, patients informed about finasteride's potential sexual side effects reported a significantly higher occurrence of these side effects, suggesting a nocebo effect.
215 citations
,
November 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that dutasteride increased scalp hair growth in men with male pattern hair loss, particularly at a 2.5 mg dose, and was more effective than finasteride over 24 weeks.
66 citations
,
June 2006 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study found that long-term finasteride treatment in men with androgenetic alopecia significantly increased hair weight and count compared to placebo over nearly four years.
12 citations
,
October 2004 in “PubMed” This study found that finasteride 1 mg per day improved hair growth and slowed hair loss in Japanese men with male pattern hair loss compared to lower doses and placebo.
88 citations
,
October 2002 in “Journal of Dermatology” In this study, 19 patients treated with finasteride for androgenetic alopecia developed moderate to severe depression, which resolved after stopping the medication, suggesting an association between finasteride and mood disturbances.
20 citations
,
April 2002 in “PubMed” This study found that long-term treatment with finasteride 1 mg/day significantly improved scalp hair growth and was well tolerated in men with androgenetic alopecia over five years compared to placebo.
129 citations
,
October 2000 in “British Journal of Dermatology” This study found that finasteride increases anagen hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia.
145 citations
,
December 1999 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings” Finasteride 1mg helps reverse hair miniaturization in men and postmenopausal women.
187 citations
,
June 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” This study reported that finasteride 1 mg/day significantly increased hair growth and slowed hair loss in men with frontal scalp hair thinning over one year, and these benefits continued or improved in the second year.
581 citations
,
October 1998 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” In male pattern hair loss, this study found that finasteride 1 mg daily significantly slowed hair loss and increased hair growth over two years compared to placebo.
143 citations
,
October 1996 in “Dermatologic Clinics” Too much androgen can cause hair loss; finasteride may help.
43 citations
,
July 1994 in “Archives of Dermatology” This study found that the prevalence of personality disorders in individuals with androgenetic alopecia was significantly higher than in the general population, irrespective of gender.
1040 citations
,
October 1992 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” In this study, 5 mg of finasteride per day significantly improved urinary symptoms and reduced prostate volume in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, but increased the risk of sexual dysfunction.
