Minoxidil vs Finasteride in the Treatment of Men With Androgenetic Alopecia
September 2003
in “
Archives of Dermatology
”
![Image of study](/images/research/378f4a9f-37bf-44f9-a4c4-ac4d92ee5caa/medium/2485.jpg)
TLDR Finasteride slightly better long-term, minoxidil faster initial results, but stopping minoxidil may cause hair loss.
This study compared the effectiveness of oral finasteride and topical minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia (AA) in men. Both treatments were similarly effective in stopping the progression of AA, with finasteride producing marginally better results with increasing duration of treatment. Minoxidil produced faster initial improvement in hair growth in up to a third of treated patients, but interruption of minoxidil treatment can induce telogen effluvium, which can lead to severe hair loss.