35 citations,
January 2002 in “Dermatology” A woman's hair loss during treatment with specific hepatitis C drugs grew back after stopping the medication.
34 citations,
February 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride and minoxidil together promote hair growth better than either alone.
33 citations,
January 2016 in “Skin appendage disorders” The document concludes that sexual and psychiatric side effects from 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors are reported, but more high-quality research is needed to understand how often they occur.
33 citations,
October 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces hair growth and is safe for women with excessive hair.
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.
30 citations,
August 1992 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect hormone levels in normal men.
29 citations,
July 2012 in “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” Rats had lasting erectile problems after stopping a certain medication.
26 citations,
August 2014 in “Genetic Testing and Molecular Biomarkers” High levels of TNF-α may contribute to obesity and insulin resistance in PCOS, but not due to the C850T genetic variation.
22 citations,
August 2014 in “Clinical endocrinology” Taking finasteride for benign prostate hyperplasia may increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially at higher doses.
22 citations,
January 2001 in “Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin” Some new progesterone derivatives are better at blocking testosterone conversion than a common drug.
22 citations,
September 1994 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride reduces dihydrotestosterone, increases testosterone, and may treat hirsutism in women.
21 citations,
March 2018 in “JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology” 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may help stabilize or slow down hair loss in some frontal fibrosing alopecia patients, but more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and safety.
19 citations,
April 2020 in “Dermatologic Therapy” Dutasteride works better than finasteride for hair loss, with both being safe to use.
19 citations,
October 2018 in “PLOS ONE” 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors can slightly improve symptoms of enlarged prostate but have a high risk of sexual side effects.
19 citations,
January 2016 in “Annals of Dermatology” Dutasteride is safe and effective for treating hair loss, but may decrease libido.
18 citations,
June 2017 in “Journal of the neurological sciences” Using 5 alpha reductase inhibitors may increase dementia risk in the first two years.
18 citations,
February 2012 in “Experimental Dermatology” No link found between specific genes and female pattern hair loss.
17 citations,
February 2001 in “Urologia Internationalis” Stopping alpha-blocker medication after 6-9 months is safe and effective for most patients with bladder outlet obstruction.
15 citations,
January 2017 in “Experimental Neurology” Finasteride reduces movement issues in Parkinson's disease rats.
15 citations,
December 2006 in “Clinical interventions in aging” 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors like finasteride may lower prostate cancer risk and improve cancer screening.
15 citations,
June 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism” Finasteride doesn't affect erections much, but may decrease libido in men.
14 citations,
April 2021 in “Biology” Thai rice bran extracts, especially from Tubtim Chumphae rice, can significantly reduce the activity of hair loss genes, with x-tocopherol showing potential as an anti-hair loss product.
13 citations,
November 2019 in “Scientific reports” Certain drugs change freshwater snail shells to a "banana" shape.
13 citations,
September 1986 in “Archives of Dermatology” Women with more 3α,17β-androstanediol glucuronide compared to sex hormone binding globulin are more likely to have female pattern baldness.
12 citations,
April 2020 in “Medical hypotheses” Men on 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors might have worse COVID-19 outcomes.
12 citations,
April 1995 in “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry” The new compounds moderately block a specific enzyme and strongly counteract a male hormone, suggesting potential for treating certain male-related health conditions.
12 citations,
March 1995 in “Journal of the American Chemical Society” Finasteride modifies 5-alpha-reductases through a two-step process, affecting inhibitor potency and possibly causing side effects.
11 citations,
April 2014 in “Journal of Clinical Virology” Older age, pre-existing skin conditions, cirrhosis, and pegylated interferon use increase the risk of skin issues during hepatitis C treatment.
11 citations,
May 1996 in “The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism/Journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism” The main enzyme found in pubic skin that could be targeted to treat excessive hair growth is 5 alpha-R2.
10 citations,
October 2018 in “Sexual medicine reviews” Men using hair loss drugs like finasteride may experience sexual side effects like erectile dysfunction, but it's unclear who will be affected and when. Treating depression and sexual symptoms is suggested, as these men often have higher rates of both. More research is needed to understand why these side effects occur.