Finasteride Hair Loss Treatment

This service is not suitable for you if you are:

• Female (birth sex)

• Less than 18 years of age

• Require a prescription for a medication other than Finasteride

• Already using Finasteride or Dutasteride medication for reasons other than hair loss

• History of breast or prostate cancer

Finasteride is not appropriate for everyone. Please provide accurate information when filling out the patient questionnaire.

Male Pattern Hair Loss is the most common type of hair loss in men (Androgenic Alopecia). Men can begin to notice a receding hairline or scalp hair loss any time after puberty.

It affects around 30% of men by 30 years of age, and 50% by the age of 50 years. For some men, this normal ageing process can cause significant psychological distress, particularly if it is excessive, or occurs in early adult life.

This pattern of hair loss can sometimes occur in females. Unfortunately, this treatment is neither safe nor suitable for this problem in females (except very occasionally under specialist supervision). Therefore we are NOT able to provide this treatment for females safely via our prescription service.

Male Pattern Hair Loss is caused by a combination of hormonal and genetic factors. The hormone testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which causes hair follicles to shrink and hair to fall out sooner.

This process has more of an effect on some individuals than others and is usually more pronounced if you have a family history of Male Pattern Hair Loss, which can be inherited from either parent.

There are many other causes of hair loss in men; stress, certain illnesses, some medications, cancer treatments, and some hairstyle treatments.
The hair loss may be temporary or permanent. If you are concerned about another cause for your hair loss, you should speak with a doctor for advice.

Unfortunately, the treatment offered by our service is for Male Pattern Hair Loss ONLY and will not help other causes of hair loss.

A daily dose of 1.25 mg is taken orally daily. We issue prescriptions for 5 mg tablets. These can be cut into quarters using a tablet cutter (available at any pharmacy). The prescription will be for 46 tablets, which (when cut into quarters) is enough for 6 months of treatment.

It can take 3-6 months of continuous use before any benefit is seen. There is no evidence that an increased dose will provide better or faster results.

If no improvement is observed by 12 months of continuous treatment, it is unlikely this treatment will work for you and you should stop it.

Please be aware, this is an “off-licence” use of this medication.

Every medicine must have a licence for its specified use, issued by the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority. However, some medications have additional therapeutic uses outside of their intended use.

Finasteride 5 mg daily is typically used to treat prostate problems but can be used at lower doses to treat hair loss in men in an “off-licence” manner. This means that doctors can prescribe Finasteride 5 mg on the basis of the patient taking a quarter of a tablet daily.

A licensed 1 mg version of Finasteride is also now available on the Irish market and can also be requested (up to the age of 41 years only). If this is something you are eligible for, you can let us know by sending a message on your secure patient account.

Side effects of this treatment are uncommon and are usually mild. They include:

• Rash
• Erectile dysfunction
• Decreased libido
• Tenderness in/ around the nipple area
• Low mood/ suicidal thoughts

It is important to note that a small number of men (less than 3%) may experience erectile dysfunction and decreased libido. This often settles without having to stop the medication but very rarely, it can persist after the medication has been stopped (i.e. it is permanent).

Please stop this medication and seek medical advice if you:

• Experience any changes in the breast tissue (lumps, discharge, swelling, pain). This is due to a few very rare reports of breast cancer in men taking this treatment
• Notice any change or deterioration in your mood when taking this medication
• Develop side effects that you feel are related to this medication (even if they are not listed)

For full information about this medication, it is important to read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine before you start taking it.

Yes, but you will need a valid prescription before you can buy this from a pharmacy.

If you are deemed medically suitable, one of our doctors will prescribe Finasteride and send the prescription directly to your chosen pharmacy.

Propecia is a branded product and contains the active ingredient Finasteride (1 mg tablets). This specific brand is licensed and available in the UK but not in Ireland. However, there is a generic version of this brand available in Ireland called Finasteride 1 mg. We can arrange a prescription for Finasteride 1 mg tablets subject to clinical suitability. Please send us a message with your request if you would prefer this specific medication.

You can take Finasteride with most medications but please ensure you tell us about all other medications, supplements and herbal remedies you are taking when completing our medical questionnaire. This is so we can check for interactions and ensure safe prescribing.

You may notice small improvements when you first start taking Finasteride, however, results will not be immediate. In most cases, you will need to take Finasteride consistently for three to six months before you notice any improvements and it can take 1-2 years for maximum benefit.

If no improvement is observed by 12 months of continuous treatment, it is unlikely this treatment will work for you and you should stop it.

This varies from person to person. It is important to be aware that all men do not benefit from Finasteride treatment.
In those that do, 1 in 3 to 6 men gain enough regrowth for Finasteride to be considered beneficial.

You will need to keep taking this medication to maintain results as the balding process will return once you stop taking this medication.

Finasteride may cause harm to an unborn baby.

• Pregnant women MUST avoid handling these tablets once they have been removed from the protective packing
• If you are trying to conceive you should NOT use this medication
• If your partner is pregnant or might be pregnant you MUST use condoms.