Why I Choose Topical Finasteride For My Male Hair Loss Patients

As a doctor who specializes in hair loss for men, it is really exciting when I hear about new treatments that can help my patients. Topical Finasteride is one of those products. Finasteride has been around since the 1990s for male pattern hair loss in tablet form, and since it came on the market it has become the gold standard for prescription hair loss treatment in men. It has the main function of helping to retain the current hair, and helps prevent additional hair loss by blocking the enzyme that metabolizes Testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is responsible for male pattern hair loss, also known as Androgenetic Alopecia.  This process causes hair follicles to shrink, known as miniaturization, producing finer and shorter hairs over time, and eventually stopping hair production altogether. So, having Finasteride there to block DHT formation is great for maintaining hair.

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Watch Related: Dr. Bauman: Does Topical Finasteride Have Fewer Side Effects Than Oral? (Video)

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However, there is one caveat to Finasteride when taken as an oral tablet -- in a small percentage of male users (roughly 1%), it can reduce their mood, libido, and potentially sperm count while they are taking it. While this side effect of Finasteride is relatively rare, with the many men who do take it orally, there are going to be some people who just will not be able to tolerate it. Also, there are some men who would simply prefer not taking oral medications in general as the population has become much more health-conscious; so it is nice that we now have some great alternatives such as topical finasteride.

Once I discovered that I can utilize compounding to put Finasteride into a topical formula, I knew that my male hair loss patients would be happy to have this new option. With topical Finasteride gel, the source of the issue (the scalp) is the main target, and the rest of the body is almost entirely left out of the equation. With Strut Health, I also have the ability to combine Finasteride with the hair loss mainstay, Minoxidil, along with Ketoconazole and Latanoprost, and a little Tretinoin to help everything penetrate in. Being able to combine ingredients in this way really amplifies the hair results in my patients. A once-daily application at night and quick wash-off in the morning is all that my patients need.

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Also Read: Strut Topical Finasteride: Real Customer Reviews

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I choose topical Finasteride combinations often for my patients because I find them to be a great option for those who have either had an issue with taking Finasteride orally, or simply do not want to take medicines orally. In my experience, these compounded formulations are significantly more effective than Minoxidil alone, and also they do not have that sticky/greasy feel of the traditional commercial Minoxidil preparations...