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Finasteride is the generic name of the medicine branded under the name of Propecia. The medicine is helpful for treating male pattern (androgenic) hair loss in men. Finasteride reduces the hormone dihydrotestosterone in the scalp to help arrest hair loss.
The male hormone testosterone gets converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in men. An excess of DHT in the male body has an adverse effect on hair follicles. As DHT increases, with time hair follicles begin to shrink in size and are unable to produce new hair; this causes baldness. Finasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT, thus reducing the presence of this hormone at the scalp. This process helps the hair follicles to regain their natural size, start growing hair again, and thus stops hair loss. Finasteride is on average 90% effective at stopping hair loss in most cases.
However, hair growth is a slow process, and it will be 3 to 6 months before the Finasteride results are visible. Usually, hair growth or a significant change in the appearance of hair is visible only after 12 months. If you have taken the hair loss medication for a year – you can hopefully see the realistic status and trajectory for the treatment and if it will have good long term results or not.
Finasteride should be taken as one 1 mg tablet a day. Swallow the Finasteride tablet whole with a glass of water, before or after meals. If you miss a tablet, do not compensate by taking two tablets the next day. The missed tablet does not have a negative effect on the results. Do not crush the tablet.
Finasteride needs to be taken continuously as long as you wish to prevent hair loss in men. If the daily finasteride dose is stopped, hair loss is likely to begin again at the same rate as it was before you began the medication.
You can buy Finasteride online on MedsNow after an online consultation.
When taking Finasteride, keep the following safety information in mind –
If your baldness is a result of something other than natural male pattern baldness, you should not try to prevent hair loss by taking Finasteride
Finasteride is not to be taken by women or children. This is a hair loss medication for male pattern baldness, to be taken only by men.
Finasteride can create health problems for pregnant women or for women who are about to be pregnant. Therefore, this medicine should not be handled by women who are expecting.
Finasteride may be taken alongside other medication, but make sure to inform your doctor about the other medicines you have been taking before starting a daily Finasteride dose.
Finasteride may cause inaccuracies in the blood tests for prostate cancer. If you are to be tested for prostate cancer, make sure to inform the doctor about your dosage of Finasteride.
Always read the patient information leaflet before taking a prescription medicine like Finasteride.
Before taking Finasteride, inform your healthcare provider about:
Any other medical conditions you have, especially related to the prostate or liver.
Any other medications that you are taking regularly. These could be prescription or non-prescription medicines including vitamin supplements, herbal medicines, or painkillers.
Propecia and Finasteride contain the same active ingredient i.e. Finasteride and work to treat male pattern baldness in the same way. Propecia is the branded medicine and Finasteride is the generic version of the same medicine. The generic version is usually a cost-effective alternative.
Some of the most common hair loss medications are Finasteride, Propecia and Regaine. There is a difference in the way these three medications work. Here is a comparison of all three:
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|
Finasteride |
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|
Effectiveness |
Effective in arresting baldness or starting hair re-growth in 9/10 men |
Effective in arresting baldness or starting hair re-growth in 9/10 men |
Prevents hair loss or helps to regrow hair in 8/10 men |
|
Ingredient |
Finasteride 1mg |
Finasteride 1mg |
Minoxidil 5% |
|
How To Use |
One 1mg tablet per day |
One 1mg tablet per day |
Apply 1ml medicine to scalp, twice daily. |
|
Time to Work |
At least 3 months |
At least 3 months |
Minimum 8 weeks |
