From the Research
Effect of Combining Finasteride and Minoxidil Topically
- The combination of finasteride and minoxidil has been shown to be effective in treating androgenetic alopecia, with studies demonstrating improved hair density, hair diameter, and global photographic assessment compared to minoxidil alone 1, 2, 3.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found that the combination of finasteride and topical minoxidil had better therapeutic efficacy than monotherapy, with a significantly higher global photographic evaluation score and more patients with marked improvement 2.
- Another study found that the combination of minoxidil with finasteride, low-level laser light therapy (LLLT), or microneedling was superior to monotherapy in terms of global photographic assessment, and that the combination of LLLT or microneedling with minoxidil also showed a significant increase in hair count 3.
- Topical finasteride has been shown to be effective in maintaining hair density after initial treatment with oral finasteride, with 84.44% of patients maintaining good hair density with topical minoxidil-finasteride combination 4.
- The combination of topical minoxidil and topical finasteride may enhance efficacy, and topical finasteride reduces both scalp and plasma DHT levels, with similar inhibition of plasma DHT to oral finasteride 5.
Safety and Tolerability
- The combination of finasteride and minoxidil has been shown to be well-tolerated, with minimal systemic adverse events reported 1, 2.
- Topical finasteride has been found to reduce the potential for systemic side effects, including the risk of sexual dysfunction, with side effects localized to the application site, such as scalp pruritus, burning sensation, irritation, contact dermatitis, and erythema 5.