What happens when you stop Finasteride for hair loss?

This article was reviewed by Knox Beasley, MD.

What Are the Side Effects of Stopping Finasteride?

FDA-approved hair loss treatments like finasteride can potentially help prevent excess thinning from male pattern baldness. It can take several months to see results when using this hair loss medication, which is why it’s important to be patient. But what does stopping finasteride after months of use do?

Generally, when you stop taking finasteride, hair loss resumes since levels of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your scalp return to the levels they were at before you started taking the medication.

Below, we’ll outline what can happen when you stop finasteride and what hair loss treatment alternatives you might consider as a next step.

What Happens When You Stop Taking Finasteride?

After you stop taking finasteride and your body eliminates all the remaining finasteride in your tissues, its effect in your body will shortly stop.

Finasteride has a half-life of about six hours, though it ranges from roughly three to 16 hours between people depending on how your body processes it. This is considered relatively short compared to many other medications. 

The half-life refers to the amount of time until half of it is out of your system. After four to five half-lives, a medication is usually considered eliminated from your body. So for almost everybody, finasteride is considered eliminated within three days.

Stopping Finasteride: How Does Finasteride Work?

Knowing how finasteride works can help you understand what may occur when you stop taking it.

DHT is the male hormone partly responsible for pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia or androgenic alopecia). Some people are more sensitive to DHT than others due to their genetics.

Finasteride is FDA-approved to treat:

• Genetic hair loss in men. It helps promote hair growth by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT.
• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). High levels of DHT can also cause an enlarged prostate, so blocking it can help treat BPH.

Currently, only two hair loss medications are FDA-approved for male pattern baldness: minoxidil and finasteride. Minoxidil works by increasing blood flow to hair follicles, while finasteride works by blocking the action of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase (5AR), which reduces the conversion of testosterone into DHT. 

Clinical studies have shown that men who take 1 milligram (mg) of finasteride for male pattern hair loss experience significant improvements in scalp hair growth and a slowed progression of hair loss.

Stopping Finasteride FAQ

Find answers to frequently asked questions about stopping finasteride below.

Do You Have to Take Finasteride Forever?

Finasteride can be effective for some people in slowing or even reversing hair loss. The catch? These results only last while you’re on finasteride.

Once you stop taking finasteride, you can expect hair to start falling out again. It only works while the drug is active in your body, meaning you’ll go back to a normal rate of hair loss once you’ve excreted the medication.

Post-Finasteride Syndrome

While the majority of men don’t experience lasting side effects after stopping finasteride, a small number may continue to experience persistent mental, physical, and reproductive side effects. This is sometimes known as post-finasteride syndrome.

Note that this area of research is ongoing. More studies are needed to understand why it develops and how to treat it.

Our guide to post-finasteride syndrome has more insight.

How Long Does Finasteride Stay in Your System?

Finasteride only works if you continue to take it on a daily basis. Research has shown that once you stop taking finasteride, DHT levels return to their normal state within 14 days.

If you’re concerned about any finasteride-related side effects, they’ll typically stop within two weeks of stopping the medication. But you’ll also stop seeing hair growth results after two weeks and may start to lose hair again.

Do Finasteride Side Effects Stop With Continued Usage?

Although finasteride can benefit your hairline, it can potentially cause side effects, including reproductive side effects.

The most common finasteride side effects include:

• ED — reported in two to four percent of finasteride users
• Decreased sperm volume
• Loss of libido or low drive
• Gynecomastia (enlarged male breast tissue)
• Orthostatic hypotension (dizziness when standing), more likely in people also taking alpha-blockers
• Infertility
• Allergic reactions

For some men, post-finasteride syndrome can be an issue. As mentioned, this means side effects may persist even after discontinuing medication, but there’s limited research available.

People who are pregnant or trying to conceive should avoid contact with crushed or broken finasteride tablets, as the medication might enter their bloodstream.

Learn more about finasteride side effects in our extensive guide.

Is Finasteride Safe to Use Long-Term?

Finasteride needs to be circulating actively in the body to prevent hair loss. So you’ll need to take it daily if your goal is to stop hair thinning.

For many men, this means taking finasteride for years or even decades. But studies show that finasteride treatment is safe for long-term use.

One clinical trial from 2016 of 19,000 men who had taken finasteride for seven years found little evidence of long-term side effects from the medication.

There have been reports of a minor increase in risk of high-grade prostate cancer for men over age 55 (1.8 percent with a 5-milligram daily dose of finasteride compared to one percent with a placebo).

But keep in mind this is a much higher dosage of finasteride than the typical 1-milligram dose prescribed for hair loss. And the risk is for the entire class of 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5ARI) drugs, including Proscar®, Avodart®, Propecia®, and Jalyn®, which are commonly prescribed as generic finasteride and dutasteride.

How to Reduce Side Effects of Finasteride When Stopping

As with any medication, it’s always best to speak with your healthcare provider before stopping finasteride. Symptoms like hair loss or an enlarged prostate may come back after stopping the drug.

Your healthcare provider or a dermatology specialist can provide medical advice for safely stopping finasteride based on your individual medical condition. They can also talk to you about your options, such as other medications or hair transplants.

The Verdict on Stopping Finasteride

There are many reasons you might stop taking finasteride, including the financial burden, disappointing results, or troublesome side effects. If you decide finasteride isn’t for you, that’s okay. There are many ways to address hair loss, and finasteride isn’t your only option.

But before you stop finasteride, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Talk with a healthcare professional. Always talk to your provider before stopping any medication, including finasteride. Tell them about any changes to your health (such as intimate function issues) you’ve experienced while taking the medication or after stopping.
• It can take some time before finasteride is completely out of your system. Any adverse effects will generally stop once you stop taking finasteride — it typically clears from your body within two weeks of your last dose. If any potential side effects of finasteride persist after two weeks, speak with your provider.
• Finasteride only works for hair loss while you’re using it. Your hair loss may come back if you stop using it. But other hair loss treatments are available. 

• Related: Can You Make Topical Finasteride at Home?
• Related: Rosemary Oil for Hair Growth: Benefits, How to Use It & More

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This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.