Finasteride for hair loss: A review

Background and objectives Finasteride 1 mg/day is indicated for androgen-dependent conditions such as male androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Methods The literature is comprehensively summarized on the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, and metabolism of finasteride. Pairwise and network meta-analyses were performed to assess the efficacy of finasteride reported in clinical trials. The adverse events profile is described along with the post-marketing reports. Results and conclusion Finasteride 1 mg/day significantly increased total hair count compared to placebo after 24 weeks (mean difference =12.4 hairs/cm2, p