Finasteride belongs to the synthetic steroids and is used to treat hereditary hair loss in men, as well as prostatic hyperplasia.
What is finasteride?
Finasteride belongs to the synthetic steroids and is used, for example, to treat hereditary hair loss in men. Finasteride is a drug that was originally developed to treat benign enlargement of the prostate, but its stimulant effect on male hair growth has also been noted and is used in pill form for this purpose. For the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia (enlargement of the prostate), the drug is used in dosages of 5 mg, and in the treatment of hereditary hair loss in dosages of 1 mg. The symptoms of an enlarged prostate, e.g. reduced urine flow, may decrease with therapy after about half a year. The consequences of hereditary hair loss can, according to some studies, be counteracted in two out of three men with significant new hair growth. However, the side effects of finasteride can lead to prostate cancer or sexual dysfunction.
Pharmacologic effects
Finasteride is one of the synthetic steroids and inhibits the conversion of the sex hormone testosterone to the modified form dihydrotestosterone. Research has shown that some hair follicles are sensitive and stop growing in response to dihydrotestosterone. This behavior of hair follicles is common and hereditary. As a result of treatment with finasteride, the growth phase of the hair follicles is prolonged. How effective this therapy is depends on the remaining activity of the hair follicle. If it has already decreased significantly, it will probably not respond to finasteride. If taking the drug has been started and there are signs of success, finasteride must continue to be taken for as long as the man wishes to keep his hair. Baldness is thus postponed to a later stage of life and resumes at the latest when finasteride is discontinued. A number of studies have demonstrated the enormous success potential of finasteride in combating hereditary hair loss. Thus a stop of the continuous hair loss could be determined with over 80% of the test persons and with over 60% even a renewed regression and strengthening of already clearly unproductive hair follicles. This effect was also seen in men who had already significantly exceeded the age of 40.
Medical application and use
Although finasteride enjoys great popularity in the treatment of hereditary hair loss in men, it is also still used in the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia and shows good results in the higher dosage of 5 mg per day, which can lead to a significant reduction in symptoms. In the treatment of hair loss, finasteride, similar to externally applied minoxidil, shows good success at the hairline and on the cranial plate, with the greater success in the back of the head. In a 10-year study, only 14% of men remained without a decrease in hair loss. However, the results vary significantly. For example, there are also men who see no improvement in the first year of treatment, but have subsequently seen success. In addition to the treatment of prostatic hyperplasia and hereditary hair loss, there are also some reports of its use for hormonal control in transsexuals who want to undergo male-to-female transformation. However, this use did not show great success and is not recommended. Especially since finasteride can lead to emotional imbalance, moreover transsexuals, due to their complicated situation, already belong to the risk group anyway.
Risks and side effects
Finasteride can lead to a variety of adverse side effects. Chief among these are impotence, gynecomastia (enlargement of the mammary gland in men), erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory dysfunction, testicular pain, and depression. Many sufferers report lingering side effects even after they stop finasteride. While finasteride is used to treat benign prostate enlargement, there is an increased risk of developing prostate cancer from taking it. Erectile dysfunction and decreased sexual desire may pass after discontinuation of the drug, but many cases are reported to be permanent, even after discontinuation of the drug.Even at a mild dosage of 1 mg per day, more than 70% of patients show mild to severe cases of depression.
