What Should I Tell My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Finasteride?
You should talk with your healthcare provider before taking this medication if you have:
- Liver disease or liver failure, including cirrhosis
- Any allergies, including allergies to foods, dyes, or preservatives.
Also, let your healthcare provider know if you are:
Tell your healthcare provider about all other medicines you may currently be taking, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Finasteride works by blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which decreases the amount of DHT in the body. Since DHT is important for male pattern baldness, using finasteride to decrease DHT levels can help to stop hair loss and regrow hair.
This medication works for male pattern baldness with hair loss on the top and front of the head. It has not been shown to be effective for a receding hairline near the temples. It is also not licensed to treat hair loss in women or children.
Finasteride is not a hair loss cure. Hair loss will return within a year of stopping treatment.
There have been several studies looking at how well finasteride treats male pattern baldness.
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