Can You Quit Finasteride and Keep Your Results?

Finasteride is a clinically proven treatment for male pattern baldness, but it only works while you’re using it. Just like stopping a blood pressure medication can cause your blood pressure to rise again, discontinuing Finasteride will allow hair loss to resume.

We explain what will happen to the hair you’ve gained from Finasteride if you stop taking it.

How Finasteride Prevents Hair Loss

Finasteride blocks dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – the main hormone that causes male pattern baldness. It does this by blocking the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which is responsible for converting testosterone into DHT. Some men are more sensitive to DHT than others, which means it binds to hair follicles on their scalp and causes them to shrink, leading to hair loss. By reducing DHT levels, Finasteride is effective in up to 90% of men at stopping hair loss.

But Finasteride only stops hair loss while you are taking it.

What Happens to Your Hair After You Quit Finasteride

If you stop using Finasteride, hair loss will resume and any hair you have gained will gradually be lost.

A clinical study looked at what happens when men stop taking Finasteride. Participants with male pattern baldness took 1 mg of Finasteride daily for one year, then were unknowingly switched to a placebo (a sugar pill) for the second year. During the first year, their hair count increased. However, within 12 months of stopping Finasteride, their hair count dropped back to roughly where it had started.

This doesn’t mean that Finasteride makes hair loss worse, it simply shows that the benefits only last while you continue using it. In fact, men who took Finasteride for one year and then stopped still had slightly higher hair counts than those who took a placebo for both years.

Overall, the study demonstrated that 1 mg of Finasteride can slow hair loss and promote regrowth, but continued use is needed to maintain those results. When treatment stops, hair typically returns to near-baseline levels within about a year.

Does Stopping Finasteride Accelerate Hair Loss?

No, stopping Finasteride does not accelerate the rate of hair loss. Remember: male pattern baldness is a progressive condition, which means without treatment hair loss naturally continues to worsen over time. As DHT builds up around hair follicles, it shortens the growth phase of the cycle. Each new strand becomes thinner and shorter until the follicle eventually stops producing visible hair. When Finasteride is stopped, DHT levels naturally rise again, and the natural progression of hair loss resumes.

Some men worry that quitting Finasteride will make their hair fall out more quickly, but research shows this isn’t the case. The hair simply returns to its original pattern and rate of loss.

What to use instead

Finasteride isn’t the right fit for everybody, so if you need or want to stop using it, there are alternatives you can check out.

Minoxidil – available in both pill and spray versions, Minoxidil can be used as a complement to Finasteride, or as a standalone treatment. Combining with microneedling using a derma roller can improve the absorption of Minoxidil Spray and may enhance its benefits.

Natural DHT blockers – natural plant extracts such as Saw Palmetto and Pumpkin Seed Oil have been shown in studies to have natural DHT-blocking properties, though evidence is still limited compared to licensed Finasteride.

Topical Finasteride – Finasteride is available as a spray, which studies show works as well as the pill version, but with a lower risk of side effects. The chances of experiencing side effects with oral Finasteride are low (about 2%) but as lower amounts of the drug are absorbed into the bloodstream with the spray, the risk is lowered further.

Dutasteride – Dutasteride is also a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, but it blocks up to 93% of DHT compared to about 70% blocked by Finasteride. It reduces DHT more because it blocks both versions of 5-alpha reductase, type 1 and type 2. If you didn’t see the results you were hoping for with Finasteride, Dutasteride may be a suitable alternative for you.

PRP – there is emerging evidence on new treatments you can receive at clinics, including PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) which involves injecting your own blood into your scalp, which could help slow or stop hair loss and promote regrowth by lengthening the anagen (growth) phase of the hair.

Hair Transplant – this is a surgical procedure which involves taking hair follicles that are resistant to DHT (typically from the back of your head) and strategically placing them in balding spots (like along the hairline and crown). A hair transplant can improve the appearance of the hair by filling in balding spots, it does not prevent further loss of your existing (‘native’) hair. For this reason, clinics often recommend continuing hair loss treatments after the procedure to help maintain and protect your remaining hair.

Conclusion

As with any hair loss treatment, stopping Finasteride typically leads to loss of treatment progress, so any hair you have preserved or gained since starting to use Finasteride will become vulnerable to hair loss once you stop. But Finasteride is not the only hair loss solution out there – there are lots of other options to consider if you want to keep hair loss at bay, but Finasteride is not suitable for you.

If you’re unsure where to start, take our free online consultation for treatment recommendations based on your stage of hair loss.

All of our blog articles are reviewed for medical accuracy by our Medical Director before publication.

Posted in: All, Finasteride