50 citations,
September 2016 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride for hair loss may cause persistent sexual symptoms, depression, anxiety, and lower quality of life.
30 citations,
September 2016 in “BMJ” Taking 5-α reductase inhibitors for prostate enlargement or hair loss does not significantly raise the risk of erectile dysfunction.
19 citations,
September 2016 in “Pharmacotherapy” Finasteride for hair loss increases risk of long-lasting sexual dysfunction.
32 citations,
July 2016 in “PubMed” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are generally safe but can cause sexual side effects and require patient education on risks.
32 citations,
February 2016 in “Journal of Dermatology” Dutasteride safely promotes hair growth and reduces hair loss, with mild side effects.
43 citations,
January 2016 in “International Journal of Andrology” Finasteride caused long-term sexual and non-sexual side effects in young men with hair loss.
69 citations,
July 2015 in “Pharmacotherapy” Low-dose finasteride may cause lasting sexual dysfunction and suicidal thoughts in young men.
20 citations,
June 2015 in “Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation” Finasteride worsens erectile dysfunction and lowers testosterone in men with enlarged prostates, unlike tamsulosin.
7 citations,
June 2015 in “JAMA Dermatology” Finasteride's potential harms are hard to accurately measure.
44 citations,
April 2015 in “PubMed” Finasteride for hair loss may cause long-lasting side effects like impotence and low libido, but trials lack proper safety reporting.
10 citations,
December 2014 in “PubMed” Finasteride, a hair loss drug, may cause sexual dysfunction and depression, but these effects are usually temporary and the drug is generally safe. More research is needed.
15 citations,
September 2014 in “JAMA Dermatology” 
81 citations,
June 2014 in “American Journal of Men's Health” Finasteride can cause lasting sexual, emotional, and cognitive issues, with varying severity.
151 citations,
May 2014 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” Effective treatments for male pattern baldness include oral finasteride and topical minoxidil, while topical minoxidil is best for female pattern baldness.
34 citations,
September 2013 in “Urology” Long-term use of a certain medication can worsen erectile function in aged rats by damaging penile muscle cells.
73 citations,
July 2013 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride use changes brain chemicals, causing lasting sexual issues and anxiety/depression.
66 citations,
June 2013 in “Journal of Dermatological Treatment” Finasteride and dutasteride effectively treat hair loss, but may cause side effects like sexual dysfunction and depression.
3 citations,
May 2013 in “Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners” Use minoxidil or finasteride first, then try HairMax LaserComb if needed.
35 citations,
April 2013 in “Sexual medicine reviews” 5-alpha reductase inhibitors slightly increase the risk of sexual and mood side effects, and breast growth in men.
50 citations,
February 2013 in “Annals of Clinical Biochemistry” Understanding how DHT works is important for diagnosing and treating hormone-related disorders.
134 citations,
August 2012 in “The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” Former finasteride users with persistent sexual side effects have higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts.
112 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride may cause long-lasting sexual side effects.
29 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Rats had lasting erectile problems after stopping a certain medication.
185 citations,
March 2011 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Finasteride for hair loss can cause long-lasting sexual side effects like low libido and erectile dysfunction.
223 citations,
December 2010 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Some patients taking finasteride or dutasteride may have ongoing sexual problems and depression even after stopping the medication.
152 citations,
October 2010 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride helps hair growth but may cause sexual side effects.
225 citations,
July 2007 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Knowing about finasteride's sexual side effects increases reported dysfunction.
137 citations,
March 2006 in “Cns Drug Reviews” Finasteride treats enlarged prostate and hair loss, but may cause side effects in some patients.
44 citations,
July 2004 in “Archives of Dermatology” Finasteride for hair loss has minimal impact on sexual function.
36 citations,
September 2001 in “Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” Finasteride doesn't reduce sexual function in people with hair loss.
46 citations,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride effectively treats male pattern hair loss with a 1 mg daily dose.
65 citations,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Finasteride effectively reduces hair loss by decreasing androgen levels.
12 citations,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” 5 citations,
October 1999 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” 
211 citations,
November 1990 in “The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology” Finasteride effectively treats BPH, but needs more trials to understand potential.
147 citations,
April 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride safely lowers DHT levels without affecting testosterone.
55 citations,
March 1990 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride may treat baldness but less effective for those with 5α-reductase deficiency.
