Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy and Safety of the Combination Therapy of Topical 0.1% Finasteride and 5% Minoxidil in Male Androgenetic Alopecia

April 2025 in “ Archives of Dermatological Research ”

Farah Faulin Lubis, Lili Legiawati, Martha Saulina, Siti Rizny F Saldi

finasteride minoxidil androgenetic alopecia hair density hair diameter terminal hair libido reduction erectile dysfunction contact dermatitis Propecia Rogaine

From the encyclopedia

Finasteride →

Frontline, gold standard treatment for combatting androgenic alopecia

Minoxidil →

An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

Studysummary The combination of finasteride and minoxidil is as safe and effective as minoxidil alone for improving hair growth in men. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a combination therapy of topical 0.1% finasteride and 5% minoxidil for male androgenetic alopecia over 12 weeks, involving 40 subjects. The combination therapy showed significant improvements in hair density, diameter, and terminal hair rate, similar to the control group using only 5% minoxidil, with no significant differences between the groups. Systemic side effects included libido reduction in the control group and mild erectile dysfunction and chest pain in the treatment group. Local side effects like itching, shedding, and dandruff were similar across groups, with one case of contact dermatitis in the treatment group. Overall, the combination therapy was as safe and effective as minoxidil alone in increasing hair density and diameter.

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