What is finasteride and how does it treat hair loss?

It is a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor that reduces the conversion of testosterone to DHT, the hormone responsible for follicle miniaturisation in male androgenetic alopecia.

When do results become visible?

Signs of stabilisation appear at 3–6 months; visible improvement from 6–12 months. Treatment is continuous: on discontinuation, effects fade over 6–12 months.

What adverse effects are possible?

A small percentage of patients report reduced libido or changes in erectile function. These are reversible in most cases. The doctor reviews risks with you before prescribing.

Is it combined with minoxidil?

Yes — a common pairing in androgenetic alopecia: finasteride halts the process, minoxidil stimulates the follicle. The doctor decides whether to combine based on your case and the pattern of loss.

Can I get a consultation for Finasteride from Madrid?

Yes. Hi-Doctor runs 100 % online across the EU, so if you live in Madrid you can fill in the questionnaire and receive the medical review without travelling. The electronic prescription issued by the licensed doctor is valid in any EU pharmacy under Directive 2011/24/EU; in Spain it is dispensed directly from the prescription QR.

How does a doctor evaluate a hair-loss case in an online consultation?

Through the pattern of loss, how long it has been progressing, family history and current medication. In some cases we ask for scalp photos. The doctor proposes a tailored treatment plan and adjusts it to your tolerance.

What is the private electronic prescription and why is it valid across the EU?

The private electronic prescription (Receta Médica Privada Electrónica) is issued by a licensed doctor in Spain. It is a PDF carrying every field required by EU Directive 2011/24/EU (patient, prescriber with country of registration, active ingredient, dose), which makes it legally recognised across all 27 EU member states. In Spanish pharmacies it is dispensed from the QR; outside Spain, the pharmacist dispenses the locally marketed equivalent of the same active ingredient.

How does Hi-Doctor work step by step?

1) Fill in an online medical questionnaire in about 4 minutes. 2) An EU-licensed doctor reviews your case and replies in under 24 h through the private chat in your account. 3) If eligible, the doctor issues an electronic prescription. 4) You collect it at any EU pharmacy. The consultation costs €25 and, if the doctor decides it is not safe to prescribe, the full amount is refunded.

How much does it cost and what does the price include?

The medical consultation costs €25 and includes a licensed doctor's review of your case and, if approved, the electronic prescription. If the doctor decides the treatment is not appropriate, the €25 is refunded. The medication price is separate and paid at the pharmacy; it varies by country, pharmacy and product across the EU. Because your electronic prescription is valid at any EU pharmacy, you can compare and choose where to fill it.

FinasteridePrescription only

Online medical consultation for Finasteride.

An EU-licensed doctor reviews your case and, if eligible, issues an electronic prescription valid at any EU pharmacy under Directive 2011/24/EU.

One tablet a day, with or without food
Blocks DHT — the hormone behind pattern hair loss
Decades of clinical evidence

€25Refund if treatment not approved

Start consultation · €25 See how it works

Medication, if prescribed, is dispensed and paid for separately at a pharmacy.

Form1 mg oral tablet

FrequencyOnce a day

ResultsStabilises at months 3–6

StatusPrescription only

About

What is Finasteride?

Active ingredient: Finasteride · Dosages: 1 mg / day

Finasteride is a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor: it reduces the conversion of testosterone into DHT, the hormone responsible for follicle miniaturisation in male androgenetic alopecia.

It's a continuous daily treatment — on discontinuation, effects fade over 6–12 months. A licensed doctor confirms the diagnosis, reviews the risks with you and rules out contraindications before prescribing.

How it works in the body

By lowering DHT, finasteride slows or stops the progressive shrinking of the hair follicle. Stabilisation comes first — usually at 3–6 months — and visible improvement, where it happens, builds from 6–12 months.

How it helps

How it protects your hair.

Blocks the cause

Targets DHT, the hormonal driver of pattern loss — not just the symptom.

Stabilises first

Most men notice the shedding slows between months 3 and 6.

Built for the long term

Effects are maintained with continuous use and periodic medical reviews.

What to expect

A steady, monitored routine.

One 1 mg tablet daily. Results are assessed over months, not weeks — and your doctor follows up through your account chat.

Months 1–3 · Daily 1 mg; changes build silently
Months 3–6 · Shedding stabilises
Months 6–12 · Visible improvement is assessed
Ongoing · Continuous use with periodic reviews

Doses your doctor can prescribe

Standard dose1 mg / day
Pharmacy price~€15–25 / month

Your schedule is personal

These are typical steps only. Your doctor adjusts the plan to how you respond and tolerate it — and you can message them at any point.

Safety first

Safety, in full.

Finasteride is an effective medicine — and like any medicine it carries risks. Your doctor screens for all of this before prescribing. Here's the honest picture, not just reassurance.

Adult men with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss).

1 mg orally once a day, with or without food.
Visible response usually appears at 3–6 months and stabilises by 12 months.
Stopping treatment reverses the gains within 6–12 months.
Not licensed for pre-menopausal women; pregnant women should not handle broken or crushed tablets (risk to a male foetus).

Who should not take it

Women, especially during pregnancy or planning pregnancy — finasteride causes feminisation of male foetuses.
Children and adolescents under 18.
Known hypersensitivity to finasteride or any tablet excipient.
Severe liver impairment — discuss with the doctor before prescribing.

When to seek urgent care

For severe, sudden or unexpected symptoms, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest emergency department. Then let your doctor know through your account chat.

Read the full Finasteride safety summary

PRICING

One price. No surprises.

€25 per online medical consultation. If the doctor does not approve treatment, we refund you in full within 48 hours.

SINGLE CONSULTATION

What our patients say.

Verified reviews from Hi-Doctor patients · names changed for privacy · individual results vary.

The doctor was upfront that results would take months. By month five the shedding had clearly slowed.

Marc R.

8 months in treatment

Renewals and check-ins all happen in the account chat. No waiting rooms, no awkward conversations.

Jonas T.

1 year in treatment

They reviewed my history first and explained the risks honestly before prescribing anything.

Adrián M.

6 months in treatment

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Questions about Finasteride.

Find out if it's right for you

See if Finasteride is appropriate for you.

Answer a few questions and a licensed EU doctor reviews your case within 24 hours. Refunded in full if it's not right for you.

Start consultation · €25 See Hair growth

OTHER HAIR GROWTH TREATMENTS

Explore related treatments.

Propeciafinasteride Dutasteride Avodartdutasteride Minoxidil Oral minoxidilminoxidil Topical minoxidilminoxidil Rogaineminoxidil Regaineminoxidil

Finasteride is a selective type-II 5α-reductase inhibitor, EMA-approved in Europe for male androgenetic alopecia.

Type-II 5α-reductase inhibitorDaily oral tabletEMA-approvedPrescription-only

WHAT IT IS

Reduces the conversion of testosterone to DHT at the follicle.

Finasteride is the same molecule sold as Propecia (1 mg, alopecia) and Proscar (5 mg, benign prostatic hyperplasia). For hair, the relevant presentation is the 1 mg oral tablet.

It blocks 5α-reductase type II, the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — the main hormone driving progressive follicular miniaturisation in male androgenetic alopecia.

HOW IT WORKS

Why it slows shedding and partially restores density.

By lowering scalp DHT (≈60–70 % in studies), finasteride slows follicular miniaturisation. The clinical effect has two components:

Stops shedding in most patients during the first year of sustained treatment.
Partially restores density in areas where miniaturised but viable follicles remain (not on bald areas where follicles are lost).

The action only persists while treatment continues — once stopped, shedding resumes its natural course within months.

WHO IS A CANDIDATE

Indication, age and ruling out alternative causes.

The EMA indication is for adult men with mild-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia. It is not indicated in women of childbearing age or during pregnancy (teratogenic risk).

The licensed doctor reviews your questionnaire, history and expectations. Alternative causes — telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, nutritional deficiencies — are ruled out before proposing finasteride, which is not a universal solution.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Realistic timelines: 4 to 12 months for early changes.

Visible effects appear slowly. Most men on sustained treatment notice stabilisation in the first 4–6 months; density changes typically take 6–12 months to become visible on photographs.

Daily adherence is critical — missed doses reduce cumulative efficacy and reset the response cycle.

SAFETY

Sexual side-effects — data and expectations.

The most reported adverse events are sexual: erectile dysfunction, reduced libido, ejaculatory changes. In clinical trials the incidence is 1–2 %, though post-marketing series report wider rates and persistence after discontinuation in a minority of cases (post-finasteride syndrome).

The doctor discusses these data openly before prescribing and monitors via the private chat throughout treatment. If side-effects appear, treatment is paused and alternatives reviewed.

It is contraindicated in pregnant women — even contact with crushed tablets is restricted due to teratogenic risk for male foetuses.

REVIEWED BY HI-DOCTOR LICENSED PHYSICIANS · EDUCATIONAL CONTENT, NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR A CONSULTATION

ALSO AVAILABLE IN

The Finasteride consultation works the same way across the EU.

AVAILABLE ACROSS SPAIN