Finasteride and Minoxidil are commonly used for male pattern hair loss. But, can using both together lead to even better hair loss results? Learn more here.
When settling on a treatment for male pattern hair loss, you and your doctor will likely gravitate toward two big players -- Minoxidil and Finasteride.
Both of these medications have been widely used and been around for a long time, and the benefits for slowing hair loss progression and potential regrowth are well studied.
So, how are you supposed to choose between the two?
As it turns out, you may not have to.
There is growing evidence that these two medications don’t only just play well together, they may lead to greater hair benefits when used together rather than just one or the other.
Below, we will delve into why you would use Finasteride and Minoxidil together, if it is safe to combine Finasteride and Minoxidil, what the studies say about this hair loss combination, and where you might be able to get started on a combination therapy.
Also Watch: Dr. Bauman: Does Topical Finasteride Have Fewer Side Effects Than Oral? (Video)
For men that are looking for an overall, comprehensive hair loss treatment regimen, there really are no better combinations than Finasteride and Minoxidil.
Finasteride targets the root cause of male pattern hair loss, which is DHT shrinking the hair follicles in the scalp. The main goal of Finasteride is to slow or stop this follicle shrinkage to help you maintain your current hair.
Minoxidil, on the other hand, has another angle when it comes to hair loss. This medication was originally used for high blood pressure, because it helps to dilate the vessels and improve blood flow. In your scalp, this ends up meaning that tiny scalp blood vessels are widened to allow for a steady supply of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to help with healthy hair growth. Minoxidil may also help reset the hair growth cycle, and lead to longer anagen phase (growth phase) time frames.
Basically, these two medications really don’t overlap as far as what they are doing for your hair, making them a great team to target different aspects in hair loss treatment -- slowing hair losses, while helping to boost potential regrowth with healthier hairs.
As mentioned above, these two medications have pretty different turfs as far as hair loss goes, so there aren’t any issues with them negatively interacting with each other.
However, you still want to make sure that each drug individually is a good fit for you. Always talk to your doctor before starting on a new medication, even if it is over the counter like Minoxidil, to ensure that each medication is ok for you to use.
Many doctors and patients have caught on to the potential benefits of using both of these male pattern hair loss medications together. But, do the studies back up the hair loss benefits?
One 2015 randomized controlled study had men with androgenetic alopecia use either 5% topical Minoxidil, 1mg Finasteride tablets, or both 5% topical Minoxidil and 1mg Finasteride tablets once daily for 12 months. At the end of the study, 80.5% of the Finasteride only group showed hair improvement, 59% of the Minoxidil only group showed hair improvement, and an impressive 94.1% of the Finasteride plus Minoxidil group showed hair improvements. This suggests that Finasteride and Minoxidil can’t only be used together successfully, but that they may deliver better results together than either ingredient individually.
Another study looked into the effectiveness of hair loss prevention for men who were currently taking oral Finasteride with topical Minoxidil, but were switched instead to a combination topical Finasteride with Minoxidil product. (For some men, they may prefer a topical Finasteride treatment over an oral one to potentially help reduce rare but unwanted side effects, like sexual dysfunction.) The study found that 84.44% of the men still maintained a good hair density after switching from an oral Finasteride treatment to a topical Finasteride fortified with Minoxidil. This suggests that topical Finasteride may be similarly effective as the oral tablet for preventing the progression of male pattern hair loss, and most men should not experience reduced hair benefits from making the switch from oral to topical.
Read Related: Strut Topical Finasteride: Real Customer Reviews
Another potential benefit to having these two male pattern hair loss medications combined together into one once-daily topical regimen is better patient adherence.
With an oral Finasteride and topical Minoxidil regimen, men would need to remember to take their Finasteride tablet by mouth once a day (usually in the morning), while also applying their topical Minoxidil once a day (usually before bed to be left on overnight). This regimen requires the patient to take two separate steps in their daily hair treatment, while a combination formula is normally just applied once daily at night to be left on overnight and washed off in the morning.
While shortening a regimen from 2 daily steps to 1 daily step may not seem that substantial, when it comes to keeping up with a long-term daily regimen that may derive much of its results from consistent daily use, it may make all the difference for the patient and the potential results.
Here at Strut Health, we try to simplify the search for better hair loss treatments. We offer oral and topical Finasteride treatments, and our topical Finasteride can be combined with various strengths of Minoxidil, to suit your hair goals and personal preferences.
Our topical Finasteride and Minoxidil formula can be customized to you, by our doctors. You can have a free online telemedicine questionnaire and image-based consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors today.
If you are a good candidate for treatment with oral or topical Finasteride, your prescription can be shipped to your front door with our fast and free shipping.
If you have any questions or concerns during your treatment, our staff and doctors are available for free unlimited follow-ups.
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