About Finasteride

• How does Finasteride work?

  The active ingredient in Finasteride (finasteride) blocks the action of an enzyme that converts the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the hormone that causes male hair loss.

  By reducing the amount of DHT affecting follicles in the scalp, Finasteride helps to halt hair loss and, in some cases, reverse it.

  Finasteride only stimulates hair growth on the head and will not cause hair to grow elsewhere on the body. 

• How effective is Finasteride?

  For most men, Finasteride takes three to six months of daily use to show effects. Like with most medications, certain treatments may work for some people and not for others. A hair loss study found that taking Finasteride halts hair loss for 83% of men, and that over two years 66% of men will see regrowth. Another study found that over 5 years, continuous usage of Finasteride can help halt hair loss for as many as 90% of men. 

  If you stop taking Finasteride, your hair loss will return. Finasteride will not work faster or better if you take more than one tablet a day. 

• How do I take Finasteride?

  Take one tablet of Finasteride each day. Can be taken with or without food.

  You must continue to take Finasteride for the treatment to work. 

• What's the dosage for Finasteride?

  Finasteride is taken in a 1mg dosage in the form of a tablet daily.  

• How long does it take to see the results of Finasteride?

  Results won’t be instant. Generally, you will need to take Finasteride daily for three to six months before you start to see any change in your hair loss.  

• How long should I take Finasteride for??

  You will need to continue with your treatment for as long as you would like to slow your hair loss.  

• What happens if you stop taking Finasteride?

  Even if you experience extremely positive results, with a slowing of hair loss and even hair regrowth, you must continue to take Finasteride to maintain the effect. 

• Finasteride side effects

  Side effects of Finasteride are uncommon and usually mild.

  Sometimes Finasteride can cause a rash, reduced sex drive, low mood, erection problems or tenderness on or around the nipples. Very rarely, sexual side effects can be permanent and remain after stopping the medication.

  For full information on side effects and correct use, see the patient information leaflet included in your pack. If any side effects concern you, contact us through your Patient Record.

• Does Finasteride cause depression?

  There have been very rare reports of depression associated with Finasteride. If you experience any of these symptoms stop taking Finasteride and contact your doctor for further medical advice as soon as possible. 

• Can I buy Finasteride online in Ireland?

  You can request and pay for a Finasteride prescription online. As Finasteride is a prescription-only medication, even when using an online doctor, you will need a prescription before you buy Finasteride. 

  You should never buy Finasteride without a prescription from a regulated online doctor service with professionally qualified and registered clinicians.

  When using our service, you’ll need to complete a hair loss consultation, and if suitable, one of our doctors will provide you with a prescription for the treatment. You can then collect the prescription from your chosen pharmacy and pay for the treatment there. 

• Does Finasteride treat women’s hair loss?

  Finasteride is for male hair loss only and is not suitable for women. 

• Safety: taking other medicines with Finasteride

  You should be able to take Finasteride alongside other medicines. However, it is important that you let us know which prescription, over-the-counter medicines and recreational drugs you are taking so that we can prescribe Finasteride safely. 

• Alternative hair loss treatments

  Other hair loss treatments such as Minoxidil (also sold branded as Regaine) are available from most pharmacies. 

  Other options include hair transplants, skin camouflage and wigs or hairpieces. 

• Reordering

  If you’d like to reorder Finasteride, you can go to your Patient Record and select ‘reorder’.