Comparing the Therapeutic Efficacy of Topical Minoxidil and Finasteride with Topical Minoxidil and Oral Finasteride in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized Trial

    July 2018 in “ International Journal of Research in Dermatology ”
    Priyam Bhaskar Rai, Pragya Khushwaha, Brian Tomlin, Swati Gupta
    From the encyclopedia
    Minoxidil →

    An essential vasodilator with some anti-androgenic effects

    Finasteride →

    Frontline, gold standard treatment for combatting androgenic alopecia

    Studysummary This study found that among patients with stage III and IV androgenic alopecia, 83% of those using topical 5% minoxidil with topical 0.1% finasteride showed improved hair density, suggesting it may reduce the need for long-term oral finasteride. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    This study compared the efficacy of topical 5% minoxidil combined with either topical 0.1% finasteride or oral 1 mg finasteride in treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA) over 12 months. Fifty patients were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A (topical minoxidil and oral finasteride) and Group B (topical minoxidil and topical finasteride). Results showed that 65% of Group A and 83% of Group B maintained good hair density and reduced hair fall, with Group B demonstrating statistically significant improvement (p<0.05). The findings supported the use of topical finasteride with minoxidil as an effective treatment for AGA, potentially reducing the need for long-term oral finasteride.
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