Finasteride is worth a try. It usually helps with the crown, is sometimes helpful at mid-scalp, though rarely an aid to hair loss in the hairline. The side-effects you are concerned about occur in a minority of men and can be adjusted if you do experience them. We have thousands of patients successfully taking the medication without issue. You also have the added benefit of safeguarding your prostate as Finasteride is the drug used to treat Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), a condition of aging that affects so many men.

You may want to consult a doctor to try Finasteride to see if they gain any benefit, and yes, the majority of our patients will use finasteride after a hair transplant. Why? Because although the transplanted hair is DHT resistant, the native hair will still be at risk. Hair loss tends to be progressive. You don’t want to be “chasing hair loss” with further hair transplants if you can avoid it. So, consult a doctor about Finasteride and see if it works for you. Remember that it may take months before there is any benefit.

You might also consider submitting photos for a free recommendation. Please follow our photo guidelines before taking digital photos to submit with your consultation form:

• Free Hair Loss Consultation
• Photo Guidelines

Thanks for the question. As per the usual disclaimer, this is not intended as medical advice. If you have any health concerns including concerns about hair loss, consult your family physician, or, book an appointment at the Hasson & Wong clinic.

Victor Hasson, MD.

I guess I am lucky as I have got to my forties with what I’ll call cosmetically acceptable hairloss. I have never tried any treatments, including finasteride. But now I am beginning to develop a balding arc from temple to temple (as well as recession and thinning on the crown and mid-scalp, but I’ve lived with that). Should I therefore be trying finasteride, if it is rarely helpful at the front? My preference would be to avoid drugs (side-effects) and consider the one-stop solution of a transplant. Or do you recommend patients take finasteride after transplant? In which case, I might as well try it first?

Many thanks.