What Happens if You Stop Taking Finasteride?

To start to see effects from Finasteride, it needs to be taken for at least 3-6 months of daily usage. Finasteride works in 90% of men who use it for male pattern baldness. It is most effective when used for mild to moderate hair loss. There is limited evidence to show its effectiveness in helping with severe hair loss or a receding hairline. 

Finasteride comes in 1mg tablets, which should be taken each day around the same time. Taking it at the same time each day allows it to maintain the DHT levels in your body. Take the tablet whole and swallow it with some water, without breaking or crushing it. Finasteride can be taken with and without food. If you forget to take the medication at the right time, just take it as soon as you remember. Do not double up on doses if you miss one. 

Finasteride only prevents hair loss when the drug is active in your body. This means it will not continue to have an effect after you stop taking the medication, as your body will be able to re-start converting testosterone to DHT. This will cause your hair follicles to shrink, and your hair will start to fall again. 

The half-life of Finasteride is around 5-6 hours in most men under 60, and about 8 hours in men over 70. This short half-life is why it needs to be taken daily and around the same time. 

The levels of Finasteride in your body will reduce slowly over several days after you stop taking the medication. Finasteride isn’t a medication that has permanent effects; it needs to be taken regularly for a long time for it to have long-term effects on stopping hair loss.

Finasteride shouldn’t give you any side effects after stopping. If you notice any side effects, they should resolve in around a week, as Finasteride has a short half-life and should be excreted from the body quickly. 

Clinical trials following men over 10 years have shown Finasteride is safe to use for a long period and only 6.8% of participants notice mild and reversible side effects, mainly sexual side effects (including erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation).

Here at Simple Online Pharmacy, we supply a number of alternatives to Finasteride. We stock Propecia, which is the branded version of finasteride. This should be roughly as effective as finasteride, with the same chemical makeup and similar side effects and half life.

We also stock Regaine (minoxidil), which comes in foam and solution formulations. Regaine is a topical treatment, meaning it is applied directly to the scalp to promote hair growth. Regaine can also be used in conjunction with Finasteride, to give you the best chance of hair regrowth. We also stock Regaine for Women – due to affecting hormone levels, these treatments do need to be separated along gender lines.

At Simple Online Pharmacy, you can order Finasteride after completing an online assessment. One of our doctors will review your answers, and if they have no concerns, will prescribe you medication and we will post it straight to your doorstep.