In recent years, interest in topical finasteride has exploded. For people with androgenic alopecia, the hope is that topical finasteride comes with the same hair-promoting effects as oral finasteride, but at a lower risk of side effects – since the medication is applied topically instead of taken orally and thus "remains" in the scalp.
Unfortunately, this assumption isn't true. Even worse, popular articles and videos about topical finasteride seem to focus mostly on its "percent dilution" – 2.5%, 0.3%, 0.15%, etc. But these numbers are meaningless by themselves, since they're just part of an equation to calculate total daily finasteride exposure, which we will need if we want to effectively estimate systemic leakage rates of the drug.
Without understanding these formulas, exposure rates, and estimations for systemic leakage, many people using topical finasteride end up over-applying the topical and causing reductions to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) everywhere throughout the body – often at the same level as oral finasteride. This defeats the purpose of paying a premium for the topical! And this can occur with application margins as small as 0.5-1 mL.
Fortunately, there may be a way to maximize the hair growth-promoting effects of topical finasteride while minimizing the drug's risk of side effects. There's also a formulation of finasteride that appears to have minimal (if any) effects on serum hormones like DHT.
This video reveals the science, our take on the best formulations, how you can get your hands on it, and what you should consider before (and after) starting topical finasteride.
Specifically, we'll uncover:
-Finasteride's dose-dependent effects on dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
-Daily exposure rates (in mg) of topical finasteride & serum DHT changes
-Strategies to minimize adverse events while using topical finasteride
-Which formulation is the best? It varies based on daily exposure rates.
-Why you should consider lab testing DHT before/after topical finasteride
-How to lab test and troubleshoot effectively
-And more
I hope the information helps anyone considering topical finasteride as a treatment for pattern hair loss.
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About Rob English:
-Editorial board member of Dermatology and Therapy
-Medical editor specializing in hair loss disorders
-Peer-reviewed publications: https://perfecthairhealth.com/publications
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0:00 – Intro
0:48 – What Is Finasteride?
1:00 – Dihydrotestosterone (DHT): Role In Androgenic Alopecia (AGA)
2:41 – Challenge With Finasteride: Side Effects
3:30 – Can We Localize Finasteride To The Scalp?
4:10 – Problem With Topical Finasteride: Systemic Leakage
5:35 – Topical Finasteride Goals: Lower Scalp DHT Without Affecting Serum DHT
6:01 – Topical Finasteride "Dilutions" Are Meaningless By Themselves!
7:24 – Chart: Topical Finasteride Exposure vs. Serum DHT Changes
8:41 – Best Formulation Of Topical Finasteride
10:33 – What Telehealth Companies Are Getting Wrong
11:14 – 2021 Study On Topical Finasteride
12:30 – Topical Finasteride Formulations: Localized Vs. Diffuse Hair Loss
13:13 – 1 mL of 0.1% Finasteride ≠ 1mg of Finasteride Always!
14:00 – How Much Topical Finasteride Will Go Systemic?
14:22 – Options For Blood DHT Tests
15:17 – Directions For Measuring Serum DHT Before & After Application
16:21 – Periodically Test Serum DHT!