Topical minoxidil is an FDA-approved treatment for male and female pattern hair loss, also known as androgenic alopecia (AGA). Despite its popularity, not very many people continue using topical minoxidil for the long-run. In fact, one clinical study found that by the one-year mark, 95% of topical minoxidil users voluntarily quit applying the drug – … Read more…
In this article, we’ll explore the history of minoxidil, how it became a hair loss drug, and the debate over its mechanisms of action for hair growth. Despite decades of study, researchers still do not know how minoxidil promotes hair growth. But they do have some ideas, and these ideas have remained the subject of … Read more…
How Often Does Topical Finasteride Need To Be Applied? Most clinicians recommend using topical finasteride at least once daily. However, its minimum viable frequency of application depends on factors such as daily drug exposure and contact time with the scalp. For those who can keep topical finasteride on their scalps for 10-12 hours (or longer), … Read more…
Oral finasteride is a drug that helps lower levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – the hormone causally associated with androgenic alopecia (AGA). Since 1997, the FDA has approved oral finasteride at 1 mg daily doses to treat AGA.[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513329/ Having said that, clinical studies also suggest that daily doses of finasteride as low as 0.2 mg can … Read more…
Finasteride is an FDA-approved medication for androgenic hair loss in men. Clinical studies suggest that 1 mg daily of finasteride can improve hair loss in 80-90% of men with androgenic alopecia (AGA) – with 5- and 10-year studies demonstrating hair maintenance in a large portion of users who continue treatment. As such, many consider finasteride … Read more…
After quitting finasteride, many users wonder how long they have until: The drug leaves the bloodstream Hormone levels to return to baseline When hair loss will resume The answers vary slightly from person-to-person, but all relate to how finasteride behaves in the body: its distribution, saturation, tissue binding capacity, metabolism, and excretion. These terms are … Read more…
Oral finasteride is a gold-standard treatment option for men wanting a low-effort approach to hair maintenance. The drug is FDA-approved for androgenic alopecia (AGA) – with two-year studies showing that 1 mg daily of finasteride might slow, stop, or partially reverse AGA progression in 80-90% of men using the drug.[1]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9777765/ But what happens when someone … Read more…
In terms of hair regrowth, the “best” dose for medication is typically the one that maximizes improvements and minimizes the risk of adverse events. In the case of finasteride, 1mg daily has the most clinical support befitting a “best” dose given the risk-benefit ratio of hair improvements. However, there’s also evidence that finasteride doses as … Read more…
Post-Finasteride Syndrome is a term used to describe a constellation of symptoms reported by former finasteride users who quit using the drug, but who still report drug-related side effects more than 3 months after discontinuing. Amongst dermatologists, endocrinologists, and hair loss researchers, the existence and prevalence of Post-Finasteride Syndrome (PFS) is a hotly debated topic. … Read more…
In this article, we’ll explore the science behind topical finasteride, if incidental exposure to the drug comes with a risk of harming pregnant women and/or children, and strategies you can employ starting today to minimize inadvertently exposing your household to secondary finasteride exposure – all while still preserving your hair gains from the drug. Topical … Read more…