Finasteride for Hair Loss: What Is It and How Does It Work?

What is finasteride and what is it used for?

Finasteride, also known by the brand name Propecia®, is a medicine for hair loss taken in pill form. As many as two in three men will experience hair loss in some form during their lifetime, and finasteride is a popular medicine that can help treat it. 

Male pattern baldness or hereditary hair loss are such common problems because of a hormone in men called DHT that binds to men’s hair follicles and damages them. Unlike shampoos and hair growth vitamins, finasteride gets to the root of the problem, literally. Finasteride targets the DHT hormone directly and saves men’s hair follicles — preventing hair loss altogether or helping damaged follicles start regrowing hair. 

Finasteride is a common medication for male pattern baldness and is one of the main ingredients in Keeps hair loss solutions for men. Finasteride can also be used to treat prostate issues, such an enlarged prostate, in higher doses. Between finasteride as a hair loss solution and as a prostate medication, the difference is just the amount you take. Men taking finasteride to fix prostate problems take 5 mg, while finasteride for hair loss is only 1 mg per day. 

How does it work?

Finasteride works by blocking DHT (dihydrotestosterone) — a hormone that binds to men’s hair follicles and damages them. This damage results in the hair follicles not being able to grow new hair, which means that many men’s hair starts thinning, hairlines receding, and bald spots forming. Finasteride stops further hair loss by preventing your body from converting testosterone into DHT.

Customer Review: Alex from Milwaukee, WI

"I was losing my hair so drastically at 25, I was so defeated. After starting with Keeps, I have a full head of hair and receive compliments from friends and my hair stylist!"

Since finasteride blocks a type of testosterone, women and children should not take it in any form. Additionally, women who are pregnant should not handle crushed or broken finasteride tablets as it could affect the proper development of an unborn male child.

How long does it take to work?

It may take at least four to six months of daily and consistent use of finasteride before you start to notice a visible improvement in your hair loss. That may seem like a long time, but the slow and steady process will surprise you. After starting to take finasteride, your hair follicles are slowly starting to heal. Regrowing hair also takes time, but look closely at your scalp after a few weeks, and you may start to see those baby hairs growing.

Customer Review: David from New York, NY

"Keeps, as well as its main product, Finasteride, have been an incredible boost in my life! After over a year of use, my hair is thicker than ever before, and Keeps makes it easy to maintain this new boost in self-confidence."

Since so many men start experiencing hair loss as young as their twenties, even stopping your hairline from receding can be a huge win. Even if you don’t have a full head of thick hair, having a bald spot is much worse than having thinner hair than you used to. If it doesn’t seem like finasteride is working, it may just be preventing you from losing even more hair. 

Are there any side effects?

Like any prescription medication, side effects are possible. During clinical trials, 3.8 percent of men taking finasteride noticed some of these side effects: 

• dizziness
• weakness
• feeling like you might pass out
• headache
• runny nose
• rash
• swelling in your hands or feet
• swelling or tenderness in your breasts
• impotence
• decreased sex drive
• decreased semen volume
• depression

To contrast, 2.1 percent of men taking a placebo during clinical trials (a sugar pill instead of the real medication) had side effects as well. Comparing the placebo to the finasteride medication, the numbers are very similar. It’s important to be aware of possible side effects, but that being said, your chance of having them is really low. 

A good way to see how finasteride is working for real men is to check out customer reviews. All of the Keeps reviews on our site have 5 stars, and no men mention having any side effects. 

Customer Review: Evan from Van Nuys, CA

"So far so good--I love that it gets delivered and I don't have to go somewhere to pick up a prescription. I like that it's a reasonable price. And I like that the pills are small and manageable. I haven't had any side effects. I've been taking pictures, and it does seem like it has at the very least prevented more hair loss and possibly grew some back after a year or so. Other friends and family SWEAR there's been significant regrowth, so that's a plus! People have even commented on my hair looking fuller who didn't know I was on anything. Recommended."

Does finasteride cause E.D. (erectile dysfunction)?

There’s one specific finasteride side effect that you may be worried about: E.D. or erectile dysfunction. Even though finasteride is a hormonal medication, it only blocks a specific type of testosterone hormone, DHT, that binds to hair follicles. 

Studies on finasteride as a treatment for male pattern baldness have shown that a small percentage of men experienced side effects related to sexual health, but those side effects most often stopped when the participants stopped taking finasteride. Even better though, the side effects also often went away after time when participants kept taking finasteride. So even if you’re part of the small (less than five) percent of men who experience sexual health side effects, waiting it out while still taking finasteride or stopping treatment right away are both good options to get whatever side effects you have back to normal. 

With or without taking finasteride, many men experience E.D. at some point in their lives. There are many men’s health companies that specialize in sexual health that can help solve conditions like E.D. 

Where can you buy finasteride?

The easiest way to buy finasteride is through companies that provide men’s hair loss solutions. You don’t even have to visit your doctor — companies like Keeps have doctors that give you the prescription and get you started with finasteride 1mg right away. 

Customer Review: Jasonsilber33 from Vacaville, CA

"I have been using Keeps for almost 2 years. It has been an extremely simple and effective process for not only maintaining but regrowing my hair. I recommend any man who is concerned about their hairline give it a try. For about a dollar a day I have hair again!"

Since all of the Keeps reviews on our website have five stars, with so many customers mentioning excellent customer service, a streamlined treatment process, and great results, we recommend looking into Keeps for finasteride men’s hair loss solutions.