Can Finasteride or Minoxidil Cause Acne?

Is minoxidil or finasteride acne a real side effect of hair loss treatment? These popular and effective FDA-approved hair loss medications can cause side effects in some men — but acne generally isn’t one of them.

While side effects of minoxidil as well as finasteride can include skin irritation, it’s very rare for these medications to cause or contribute to acne breakouts, including on your forehead or around your scalp. What these medications are proven to do, however, is stop hair loss and even produce hair regrowth.

That’s why if you’re starting to develop early signs of hair thinning, a healthcare professional might suggest using finasteride and minoxidil to bring your hair loss under control and promote healthy hair growth. Below, we’ll discuss how finasteride and minoxidil work to treat male pattern hair loss and explain why you’re unlikely to experience finasteride or minoxidil acne while using them.

Finasteride is a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5α-reductase) that works to block androgen receptors and prevent free testosterone from converting into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male sex hormone responsible for genetic hair loss in men. It’s available as a topical product or an oral pill.

Oral finasteride is sold under the brand names Propecia® and Proscar®, which healthcare professionals prescribe for male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia, and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate.

All medications can cause adverse effects, and finasteride is no exception. Potential side effects of finasteride include:

• A lower level of interest in sex

• Erectile dysfunction (ED)

• Changes that may affect your ejaculatory volume

These side effects from finasteride only occur in a small percentage of men.

For example, study data suggest that decreased sexual interest occurs in 1.8 percent of men who take finasteride versus 1.3 percent of men treated with a non-therapeutic placebo. Meanwhile, ED was reported by 1.3 percent of men who used finasteride in trials versus 0.7 percent of men who used a placebo treatment.

In other words, side effects from finasteride can happen, but they are generally rare.

Currently, there’s no research suggesting that taking finasteride increases your risk of getting facial acne, hormonal acne, or other adult acne breakouts.

One older study looked at the effects of 5 milligrams (mg) Proscar on female participants with alopecia or acne. The participants experienced few side effects and most saw a reduction in symptoms. That said, the study sample size was small (only 12 people) and didn’t include males.

Another more recent study involving 65 female participants concluded that finasteride is an effective treatment for moderate acne in females. Again, this study didn’t include male participants and didn’t look specifically at those using finasteride for hair loss specifically.

There’s also no evidence to suggest that finasteride makes existing acne vulgaris worse or that it prevents popular acne treatments from working properly.

Still, anecdotally, some people do report an increase in acne symptoms when using finasteride for hair loss — but that doesn’t mean finasteride is necessarily the culprit.

Like finasteride and other medications, minoxidil can cause side effects. Common side effects of minoxidil include:

• Temporary hair shedding

• Scalp irritation

• A burning sensation where applied

• Scaly, peeling skin where applied

In some cases, minoxidil products can also cause allergic contact dermatitis — an itchy rash that can affect your hairline and scalp. But most of the time, these side effects occur early in treatment and go away as your scalp becomes used to the minoxidil solution or foam.

Although minoxidil can cause skin reactions, there’s currently no evidence suggesting it can cause acne breakouts or interfere with the treatment of acne.

Minoxidil isn’t an oily medication, so it’s unlikely to clog your pores and contribute to acne breakouts and higher-than-normal acne lesion counts.

There’s also no evidence to suggest that minoxidil stimulates the production of sebum, a natural oil produced by your skin that causes whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples.

Ultimately, you shouldn’t worry about dealing with new acne breakouts if you use minoxidil solution or foam to treat hair loss.

If finasteride and minoxidil aren’t linked to acne breakouts, what can cause acne to develop on your skin?

Acne is a common skin condition that can crop up for a few possible reasons, including:

• Hormone changes

• Skin cell build-up on the face or scalp

• Overactive sebaceous glands

Several hormones play a role in acne, including androgen hormones like testosterone or DHT. Testosterone plays a vital role in regulating your skin’s sebum production, an oil-like substance that helps hydrate and protect the skin.

Oily products, including certain hair styling products, can also contribute to acne. For example, some men develop acne as a result of using oil-based pomades, waxes, and styling gels.

It’s also common for dead skin cells, which can build up on your skin as a result of the skin cell turnover process, to clog your pores and contribute to acne breakouts.

If you use finasteride or minoxidil and suddenly notice you’re developing more pimples than before or that your acne has become more severe, your first step should be to talk to a healthcare professional like a dermatologist.

It’s typical for acne breakouts to come and go. People with mild or moderate acne vulgaris often develop pimples and other skin lesions in response to dietary changes, feelings of anxiety, and ongoing stress. Even spending more time than usual in direct sunlight can cause acne breakouts.

Your healthcare provider can check your skin and let you know what might be causing you to develop breakouts.

Depending on the severity of your acne, you may benefit from:

• Using a cleansing face wash. Cleansing your face can help wash away extra sebum and reduce your risk of developing acne. Try adding a men’s facial cleanser to your skincare routine, either during your morning shower or before bed.

• Treating acne with topical medication. Topical treatments, such as tretinoin or enzyme treatments, can help lower your risk of developing acne breakouts. You can find tretinoin as one of several ingredients in our Customized Acne Cream for men.

• Taking oral acne medication. If you have severe acne, your healthcare provider might refer you to a dermatologist for treatment with oral acne medication, such as isotretinoin or an antibiotic.

Want to find out more about maintaining clear, acne-free skin? Our guide to getting clear skin for men covers everything you need to know, from common causes of acne to over-the-counter and prescription treatments for comedones, pimples, inflammatory lesions, and more.

Finasteride and minoxidil are currently the two most effective hair loss treatments on the market for men. They’re worth considering if you’re starting to develop a receding hairline or have noticed other signs of hair loss.

While both medications can cause side effects, more clinical trials are needed to better understand the link between hair loss medications like finasteride and acne. Ultimately though, there doesn’t appear to be any link between using finasteride or minoxidil and developing facial acne vulgaris.

However, there are a few things you should know before using these medications:

• Although minoxidil isn’t linked to acne, it can cause itching and skin irritation. If you have any skin condition or are prone to dry skin or an itchy scalp, it’s always best to talk with a healthcare professional before using minoxidil.

• If you already have acne, you should treat it while using finasteride or minoxidil. Consider using a topical cream, such as our Customize Acne Cream for men, to clear up your skin while you stimulate your hair follicles.

• Both acne and hair loss take time to get better. It can take several months of treatment before you notice major improvements in your hairline, your hair density, or your skin’s texture and tone. Similarly, acne may take time to clear up, even with effective treatments.

If you’re ready to take action and treat hair loss with finasteride or minoxidil, get started by taking part in a hair loss consultation with a Hims healthcare provider.

You can also learn more about your options, from medications to healthy habits, in our full guide to the best treatments for thinning hair.