Oral Finasteride Treatment Plan

Manual Finasteride Treatment Plan

Thank you for choosing to start a Manual hair plan. We were happy to recommend our Oral Finasteride Plan.

As a first step it’s important for you to take the time to read the manufacturer’s patient information leaflet (PIL) enclosed in your box. This gives you a lot of information about how to take the medication, what to avoid, side-effects and potential interactions with other medication.  This is important to help you decide if this medicine is suitable for you, and to review some of the side effects taking this medicine has on a small percentage of men.

Now this is the initial step in your journey to tackle your hair loss, and we are going to support you through the whole process of what should be a 12 month journey. Any worries, concerns, questions just message us – we are here for you. 

How does Finasteride work?

One of the most common causes of male pattern baldness (MPB) is the activity of the hormone Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the hair follicle which causes weakening and eventual shedding of the hair. Finasteride is a drug that blocks the enzyme 5-alpha reductase (5AR), and so reduces the conversion of testosterone to DHT.  This lowers DHT blood levels and its hair loss destruction at the scalp level.

Will Finasteride work for me?

Finasteride is a highly effective and clinically proven treatment solution for MPB.  It has evidence of working in 90% of men with mild to moderate male pattern baldness, with the optimal outcomes in at least 12 months of use. There is unclear evidence that it works for receding hairlines at the temples only, or for men with extensive hair loss. However it should in theory still prevent further recession into the middle of your scalp. 

You may need to take finasteride for at least 3-6 months before you see a benefit. If finasteride has not worked for you within 12-24 months, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit. We are with you along the way and happy to support you in your journey with regular follow up reviews with the clinician team.

When and how is it taken?

For the best results, it is important to start treatment early on to minimise hair loss. If you think about it, it is easier to keep the hair you currently have, than regrow what is lost. 

Remember to take one finasteride tablet each day, for optimal performance, with or without food. It can take upto 3-6 months to start to see noticeable improvement. So for maximal success and continual benefit, consider using finasteride as a long term treatment. Commitment is key.  If you forget a dose – Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten tablet.

How long should I take it for?

Put simply – the same amount of time you wish to keep your hair for, with optimum results seen at 12-24 months. This treatment plan is not a cure for baldness, but an ongoing hair loss stabilisation management plan which offers scope for potential hair regrowth.

What are the side effects?

Finasteride is highly effective and has many years’ worth of clinical data on its safety. 98.6% of men who took Finasteride in clinical trials, continued to do so as they experienced no adverse effects to the medication. However all medications have side effects, so it’s important you understand the ones sometimes seen with Finasteride. Stop using this treatment plan and talk to a clinician, your own doctor or a pharmacist  if you experience any of the following:

Potential side effects include:

• Decreased libido
• Inability to get or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)
• Pain or discomfort that affects the testicles
• Ejaculation/fertility disorders or problems, such as decreased ejaculatory volume
• Changes in mood or depression
• Breast tenderness or lumps

If you are allergic to finasteride or the excipients of finasteride, anaphylaxis or a generalised severe allergic reaction may occur. Symptoms can include fainting, shortness of breath, sudden drop in blood pressure and swelling of the face and neck. If you feel very unwell or experience serious, severe or persistent side effects please go to your local Accident & Emergency department immediately or in an emergency call 999.

We want the best for you and your health. It is important you don’t feel alone, so please voice your concerns and get in touch with one of our team for more help if you need it. You can message a clinician via the messaging function on your patient account, and we will typically reply within 24hrs.

Who should not take it?

Our Hair treatment plans are NOT suitable for women and male patients under 18 years of age. The Finasteride tablets are film coated to protect handlers from the active ingredient, but crushed or broken tablets must never be handled by those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, including females of childbearing age. This is due to the risk of potential harm it may cause to an unborn baby.

Men who take Finasteride do have traces of the medication in their semen. Available evidence suggests this is unlikely to pose a risk to an unborn child, but we advise you should not take this medication if you are planning a pregnancy. You should use a condom when having sexual intercourse with a woman who does not take regular contraception.

The treatments have not been shown to be effective in men who have complete hair loss.

Finasteride is not suitable:

• for men with benign prostate enlargement (BPE) currently receiving treatment with an 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (e.g. Finasteride 5mg tablets or Dutasteride).
• If you are or have suffered from male breast cancer or prostate cancer 
• If you have galactose intolerance, lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption

Fertility or partner is pregnant

Men who take Finasteride do have traces of the medication in their semen. Available evidence suggests this is unlikely to pose a risk to an unborn child and there is no known risk to the foetus as the amount of finasteride excreted following a 1mg dose is too small to be harmful. Having said this, foetus abnormalities can develop without an obvious reason. From an emotional point of view, if that were to happen, you may agonise and go back and try to see if ‘you did anything wrong’. This may sound illogical or unscientific but that is human nature. Given this, conservative advice is that when taking finasteride-containing treatments (such as our All-in-One Capsule) you should use a condom if having intercourse with a woman who is known to be pregnant. This is conservative advice, and you have the discretion to decide how to apply this advice given your own risk appetite.

In relation to fertility, long-term data from the use of Finasteride and/or oral minoxidil impacting human fertility is lacking, and specific studies in subfertile men have not been conducted. The male patients who were planning to father a child were initially excluded from clinical trials. Animal studies do not show relevant negative effects on fertility, however. Some spontaneous reports of infertility and/or poor seminal quality have been reported with finasteride. In some of these reports, patients had other risk factors that might have contributed to infertility. Normalisation or improvement of seminal quality was reported after discontinuation of finasteride. We would like our patients to be as well informed as possible, before deciding on treatment. We do not want to be seen to be omitting any pieces of information. It is important to note that most of the studies deem finasteride 1mg to be safe and effective, and that is our overwhelming experience from thousands of customers. We also understand concerns that new or potential users of finasteride treatment may face when deciding whether or not to take finasteride. We advise if you are actively trying to conceive then you should consider the above information and make an informed decision on whether you wish to proceed with treatment based on your personal fertility circumstances. If you are undergoing fertility treatment or have a known low sperm count and are trying to conceive, we advise you to not take Finasteride-containing treatments so that you are not worrying about any theoretical impact they could have. 

Mental Health

Finasteride may increase the risk of depressive symptoms in a small percentage of users, however it is considered an uncommon side effect. Some studies suggest that there may be a link between Finasteride and low mood, with other studies finding no difference. Generally, most men tolerate finasteride well, but those with a personal history of depression should weigh the potential risk against the benefits. When starting your treatment plan we advise that you monitor your mood and contact our clinical team if you experience any depressive symptoms.

What if my medical status changes or I am due a blood test?

Not to worry – the good news is studies indicate no significant interactions between Finasteride and other medicines.

Finasteride can lower a hormone called PSA measured in a blood test for prostate problems. Please tell your GP that you are taking this medication if you have this blood test so that they can interpret your test results correctly.

Please inform our clinicians via your patient account messaging facility: if you start taking any new medicines or if there are any significant changes to your medical history. Also if you experience any significant side-effects or want further advice on your treatment.

It is important that you inform your GP about the medicines you take to ensure they have an accurate medication history. If you do not share this information with your GP it could result in the healthcare professional not having enough information to make informed clinical decisions about your care, increasing your risk of injuries or side effects. On your account page, you can download a letter to share with your GP that contains all the relevant information about your treatment plan.