Finasteride Alternatives: What Can I Use Instead of Finasteride?

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If you’re one of the 85% of men globally who are affected by hair loss, you’ve probably heard of an array of products that claim to prevent baldness and promote healthy hair growth [1]. Although male pattern baldness is something that most men will have to deal with at some point, there are ways to minimise hair loss and/or stimulate hair growth.

Finasteride is one of the most popular products among men for treating hair loss. It’s an oral and topical hair loss treatment which can be used for men who are experiencing hair thinning or balding.

If you don’t want to take Finasteride for hair loss, or if you haven’t experienced any improvements when using it, you may be looking for some alternative hair loss treatments to Finasteride you can use instead. In this article, we’ll be talking about the Finasteride alternatives you can use to counteract male pattern baldness.

Table of Contents

What is Finasteride and what is it used for?
Why might you want to avoid Finasteride?
What can I take instead of Finasteride?
Are you worried about hair loss?

What is Finasteride and what is it used for?

Finasteride is part of a group of drugs known as 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors. These drugs work to limit the amount of testosterone that gets converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

DHT has been linked to genetic hair loss conditions such as androgenetic alopecia (also known as male or female pattern hair loss), where it binds to androgen receptors in the hair follicles causing them to shrink over time and eventually stop producing hair.

Finasteride can come as either an oral drug or in topical form. Oral Finasteride comes in two strengths: 1 mg Finasteride and 5mg Finasteride. 5mg Finasteride is used to treat an enlarged prostate due to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BHP) where as the lower dosage of Finasteride is usually prescribed to men who are suffering from hair thinning, hair loss, and baldness. It’s normally available on private prescription, as it’s not currently available under the NHS as a hair loss treatment.

Finasteride is an effective treatment to prevent hair loss, with many studies presenting impressive results. In one study, up to 80% of test subjects noted an improvement in hair loss [2]. In another, it was found that after taking Finasteride for two years, 83% of men experienced increased hair growth [3].

Why might you want to avoid Finasteride?

There are several reasons why you may want to find a Finasteride alternative to combat hair loss. The first is that you have a type of hair loss that the drug isn’t designed to treat.

1. Finasteride is not effective for treating your hair loss condition

Finasteride is not proven to be effective on all types of hair loss, particularly telogen effluvium or alopecia areata. If you have one of these hair loss conditions, there may be better ways to combat hair loss while stimulating hair growth without taking an oral drug like Finasteride.

2. Finasteride is not generally recommended for women

Secondly, if you’re suffering from female pattern hair loss, an oral drug like Finasteride is not recommended. This is because Finasteride works by preventing testosterone from converting to DHT, the most common cause of male pattern baldness.

As women’s bodies do not produce testosterone and DHT in the same way as male bodies, Finasteride will not have as much of an effect.

3. You are affected by the side effects of Finasteride

Alternatively, you may have already tried taking Finasteride as a treatment for hair loss without noticing any results, for a range of reasons. Some Finasteride users report side effects, including:

Sexual dysfunction, including lowered libido and erectile dysfunction
Gynecomastia
Mental health conditions including depression
Post-Finasteride syndrome

It should be noted that Finasteride side effects are not permanent and should cease when you stop taking the medication.

What can I take instead of Finasteride?

There are plenty of different options when it comes to Finasteride alternatives. Ranging from other oral drugs to topical treatments that all promise to prevent hair loss and encourage hair regrowth.

1. Rogaine

Rogaine is a topical treatment that’s available over the counter. It’s a popular hair loss treatment that uses the active ingredient Minoxidil to encourage hair growth and help people who are suffering from hair loss or hair thinning.

This treatment has been approved to treat both male and female pattern baldness and is thought to work due to its anti-inflammatory, vasodilating, and anti-androgenic properties [4].

Rogaine isn’t an immediate solution to hair loss. It normally takes up to four months to notice any difference. But, if you’re willing to wait a while before seeing results, this is a safe and well-tolerated treatment.

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2. Dutasteride

Like Finasteride, Dutasteride is a prescription drug that people can take if they’re experiencing hair loss – most commonly under the brand name Avodart.

Dutasteride works in a similar way to Finasteride, as it belongs to the same group of drugs. There have been a few studies that have compared the efficacy of both Finasteride vs Dutasteride in promoting hair growth. Dutasteride has been found to increase hair count, hair width, and hair growth more effectively than Finasteride [5].

3. Natural DHT blockers

Some men who don’t want to take traditional treatments for hair loss have started to turn to natural DHT blockers to help encourage hair growth.

The research into these natural hair loss treatments is nowhere near as extensive as the studies that have been conducted around oral and topical treatments like Finasteride, Minoxidil, and Dutasteride. However some early studies have observed their effectiveness at promoting hair regrowth.

Ingredients like caffeine, rosemary oil, pumpkin seed oil, and black seed oil are all said to have some impact on DHT, and may block the processes that lead to male pattern baldness.

Check out our comparison of saw palmetto vs Finasteride to see how this natural hair loss remedy measures up.

4. Botox scalp injections

Evidence suggests botox scalp injections for hair loss can help those experiencing male pattern baldness [6].

5. Redensyl

While botox is a more invasive treatment type than other Finasteride alternatives, Redensyl is less invasive than hair transplant surgery, so it may be a useful alternative option.

6. Low-level laser therapy

Low-level laser therapy uses focused low-powered lasers of red or near-infrared light on the scalp to enhance cell metabolism and increase blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles. Low-level laser therapy is painless and safe to treat androgenetic alopecia in addition other types of non-scarring hair loss conditions including alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, and chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

Are you worried about hair loss?

If you’ve started to notice your hair thinning or bald patches appearing, you may want to tackle your hair loss as quickly as possible.

There are many options available during the early stages of hair loss. However, once your hairline has really receded, or you’re left with little hair left on your head, a lot of the treatments may not be powerful enough to make a big difference. If this is the case for you, and you’ve exhausted all other treatment options, you may be considering a hair transplant.

At the Wimpole Clinic, we specialise in providing hair transplants to men and women who feel self-conscious about their thinning or balding hair.

If you’re interested in learning more about the various types of hair restoration treatments we do at the clinic, schedule a free, no-obligation call with one of our specialists. They can talk you through the whole process. Book your free consultation today.