Does Finasteride Work for Female Hair Loss?

Hair loss in women is very common. About half of the women worldwide suffer from hair shedding, pattern hair loss, etc., in mid-age or earlier. While dermatology has developed several treatment options and medications to tackle female hair loss, much of the curiosity revolves around Finasteride. Even at our clinic, many female patients visit us for consultation on questions like how effective is Finasteride for hair growth, Finasteride dosage for female hair loss, side effects of Finasteride in females, etc. Here’s the answer.

Propecia (Finasteride) is a US FDA-approved oral medication for male pattern baldness. It is a selective 5-alpha reductase inhibitor that reduces the conversion of testosterone into the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

The most common cause of baldness is androgenetic alopecia, a condition that affects both men and women. While researchers haven’t been able to unearth the exact reason for it, they believe that it involves a sensitivity of hair follicles to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) as it begins after puberty when hormones peak and is observed to be genetically inherited in families. For those suffering from pattern baldness, DHT makes the hair follicles shrink and weaken resulting in hair loss.

Now, how does Finasteride work? It slows down the body’s conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. Reduced DHT levels help curb hair loss and increase hair density.

There’s little research that supports Finasteride’s role in reducing female hair loss and increasing hair growth. A study on a few postmenopausal women revealed that Finasteride resulted in significant improvement in more than half the women, moderate growth in a little less than one-third, and no improvement in 15-16 percent of them. But in another study, as much as 80-82 percent of women experienced appreciable results concerning hair thickness after consuming Finasteride for three years.

Despite these studies, one cannot generalize the effect of Finasteride dosage on female hair loss. Everybody’s response to medications are unique. Hence, before choosing Finasteride, a specific dermatologist’s advice is highly recommended.

Finasteride isn’t approved for female hair loss but used worldwide as off-label indication. In males it is given at doses of daily 1 mg usually. In females, it is given at doses of 1.25mg to 5mg daily. But again, it requires a dermatologist to diagnose and prescribe the right amount of Finasteride, if it is suitable in your case.

The use of Finasteride in females has been linked with various side effects. Some include dizziness, low libido, headaches, breast tenderness, menstrual irregularities, dry skin, etc.

It could be tempting to use over-the-counter medications based on a layperson’s advice and observation. But one must avoid them, especially if they aren’t approved. While hair is one aspect, consuming a medicine without expert advice can cause overall health issues, further complicating the case.

The best way is to visit experienced dermatologists at HairMD and get your female hair loss treated. In addition to diagnosing your case and prescribing the appropriate treatment, our dermatologists will answer all your questions about the suitability of Finasteride dosage for female hair loss.