Finasteride for Hair Loss: Does It Work, and What It Costs

Below: how it works, what the trials found, who it suits, how to get it, and what it costs. Prices checked November 14, 2026. We do not give doses. Your prescriber picks the product and the amount.

What finasteride is

Finasteride is a tablet. The brand for hair loss is Propecia, and generic tablets are the same drug. A higher-strength brand, Proscar, treats an enlarged prostate. Our finasteride brand names guide explains the names.

The Propecia label says it treats "male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) in MEN ONLY" (DailyMed: Propecia label). Androgenetic alopecia is the medical name for male pattern hair loss.

How finasteride works for hair growth

Male pattern hair loss is driven by DHT, a hormone the body makes from testosterone. Over time, DHT shrinks the hair roots on the top of the head. The hairs grow back thinner and shorter until some stop. If you worry that creatine raises DHT, see our creatine and hair loss guide.

Finasteride blocks the enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT. MedlinePlus puts it simply: "Finasteride treats male pattern hair loss by blocking the body's production of a male hormone in the scalp that stops hair growth" (MedlinePlus).

So finasteride for hair growth works mainly by slowing the loss. Some men also regrow hair. The label's trials show both.

What the trials found

The FDA label reports three trials in 1,879 men with mild to moderate hair loss. Most had thinning on the crown. An independent panel rated photos of each man's head without knowing who took the drug.

Source: Propecia label, clinical studies, photo panel ratings, read November 14, 2026.

The 5-year numbers tell the fuller story. On finasteride, 48% had more hair and 42% had no change. Only 10% had lost hair. On the dummy pill, 75% had lost hair. The label says the panel rated men "as having lost hair when compared to baseline." Baseline means where each man started.

In plain words: most men on finasteride kept their hair or gained some over five years. Most men without it kept losing.

What it does not do as well

A receding hairline. The label says "Efficacy in bitemporal recession has not been established." Bitemporal recession means the hairline pulling back at the temples. The front trial measured the mid-scalp, not the hairline.

Speed. The label says "daily use for three months or more is necessary before benefit is observed." Our finasteride timeline walks through the months.

Stopping. The label says "Withdrawal of treatment leads to reversal of effect within 12 months." Hair kept on the drug tends to go within a year of stopping.

Finasteride for men only

Finasteride for men is the only use on the label. The label says "PROPECIA is not indicated for use in women." It also warns that women who are or may be pregnant should not handle crushed or broken tablets. The drug can harm a male baby in the womb.

The tablets are coated. The coating prevents contact during normal handling, as long as the tablet is whole.

Side effects in brief

In the first year of the trials, decreased sex drive was reported by 1.8% of men on finasteride and 1.3% on the dummy pill. Erection trouble was 1.3% against 0.7%. The label also lists reports after approval of sexual problems that continued after stopping, and of depression.

Finasteride lowers PSA, a blood test used to screen for prostate cancer. Tell any doctor who orders one that you take it.

For the full picture, see our finasteride side effects guide and our page on post-finasteride syndrome.

How to get finasteride

Finasteride is prescription only in the US. There are three common routes:

1. An online program. You fill in a health form, a clinician licensed in your state reviews it, and a pharmacy ships the tablets. The visit is usually in the price.
2. Your own doctor. A primary care doctor or dermatologist can write the prescription. You then fill it at any pharmacy.
3. A cash pharmacy. With a prescription in hand, you can fill it at a low-cost pharmacy such as Cost Plus Drugs.

Our finasteride online guide covers each route, and how to check that a pharmacy is licensed.

What finasteride costs

Prices are live from our price table, each read on the seller's own page. The lowest monthly prices usually need a plan of several months. Every plan, with its read date, is on our finasteride price page and our hair loss price page. Insurance rarely pays for hair loss; see finasteride insurance.

Finasteride with minoxidil

Many men use finasteride with minoxidil, a different drug that works on the hair root in another way. Some programs sell the two mixed in one spray or pill; those mixes are compounded and not FDA-approved. Our finasteride and minoxidil guide compares a combo with two separate generics.

To compare whole programs, see best hair loss treatment online and our ranked best programs.

Sources and read dates

Each source below was read on November 14, 2026.

• DailyMed, Propecia label, revised 8/2022.
• MedlinePlus, finasteride drug information, last revised 06/15/2026.
• FDA, compounding Q&A, for the status of compounded mixes.
• Seller prices: each seller's own page, on the date shown on our price pages.