Finasteride Results Timeline: What to Expect

If you’ve searched for hair loss treatments, you’ve probably come across finasteride, an FDA-approved prescription medication. Finasteride results are backed by a number of scientific studies showing real, measurable improvements in things like hair count and density. 

Still, it’s important to remember that you won’t see major changes overnight — when you take finasteride, you’re playing the long game. In general, you’ll need to wait a few months before you spot any improvements in healthy hair growth or overall hair density from finasteride.

Below, we discuss how long finasteride takes to work and break down the typical timeline for seeing results after starting treatment.

Part of a class of medications known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, finasteride works by inhibiting a group of enzymes called 5-alpha-reductase and stopping your body from converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the androgen hormone associated male pattern baldness, or male androgenetic alopecia, as well as problems like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate).

While finasteride enters the bloodstream fairly quickly and starts reducing your levels of DHT as soon as it becomes active in the body, it generally takes three to four months of use to see noticeable results. Final results typically take around one year to become apparent.

Why does it take so long? It’s because the hair follicles on your head and body all grow as part of a four-phase hair growth cycle. 

This process starts with each hair growing from the root of the hair follicle inside the scalp during the anagen phase. As the hair grows longer, it eventually pushes through your skin, allowing it to become visible. Each hair’s anagen phase, or growth phase, can last for several years.

Since it takes time for new hairs to grow from the root to a visible length, the results from finasteride aren’t immediate — even though it’s working internally. Most of the time, you’ll notice a gradual, steady improvement in your hair over the course of several months.

You might notice an increase in terminal hair (thick hair like those on your head) and a decrease in vellus hair — those fine baby hairs you get all over your body. 

Finasteride can lead to vertex hair growth (hair growth on the crown of your head) and superior-frontal scalp hair growth — hair regrowth around a receding hairline and on the top of the head.

But, word of warning: Finasteride isn’t guaranteed to help regrow hair you’ve already lost. It may just slow down or stop male pattern hair loss from progressing any further. 

It’s safe to assume you’re considering finasteride because you want to see changes to your head of hair. As such, understanding the finasteride results timeline is important so you don’t feel defeated or throw in the towel too soon.

Below, we’ll break down exactly what positive results of finasteride you can expect month by month.

Finasteride Months 1 to 3: Finasteride Starts Working

As soon as your body begins to metabolize finasteride, it will start to reduce the amount of DHT that circulates in your bloodstream. Studies show a 65 percent reduction in DHT levels just 24 hours after taking your first dose of finasteride.

This means your hair will be protected from the harmful effects of DHT almost immediately. 

On average, finasteride reduces the amount of DHT in your bloodstream by around 70 percent, which is enough to significantly slow down, stop, or even reverse hair loss caused by male pattern baldness.

Keep in mind that during the first few months of using finasteride, you probably won’t notice much of a change in your hair. In fact, one-month finasteride results may have you wondering if it’s not working and if you should just ditch the medication (you shouldn’t). 

Some people make the mistake of stopping finasteride too early because they think it’s not working. The hairline, crown, and general level of hair thickness will probably look exactly the same as they did before, with no significant improvements apparent (but no further deterioration either).

However, this isn’t because finasteride isn’t working properly. Instead, the lack of visible progress during the first few months is simply because your hair needs to grow before results are obvious.

During the first few months, it’s important that you continue to use finasteride daily, even if you don’t notice any results. Rest assured, the medication is working properly — it’s just too early for its effects to be visible. 

Finasteride Months 3 to 6: Initial Results 

Early results from finasteride usually start to become visible after three to six months of daily use.

After taking finasteride for this amount of time, you may notice your hair loss has slowed down or stopped, with no further visible thinning. You may also see improvements in your hair, particularly around your hairline and crown, if you are dealing with a receding hairline.

In fact, in a 2004 study, researchers found that men with male pattern hair loss displayed “significant improvement” after using finasteride for 12 weeks, or just under three months.

Because your hair needs time to grow, the results after three to six months generally won’t be your “final” results from finasteride. 

Still, noticing an improvement after three to six months — even a relatively modest one — is generally a good sign that finasteride is starting to work for you. 

Finasteride Month 12: Noticeable Results

After taking finasteride consistently for 12 months, you should see further improvements in your hair that build on your progress from months three to six. 

Most studies on one-year finasteride results show significant, measurable increases in hair count, thickness, and reduction in the hair loss process after 12 months of treatment.

For example, a 1999 study found that men who used finasteride over a period of one year had a significant increase in hair count in the frontal scalp (hairline) area.

Clinical trials have also found that about 65 percent of men treated with finasteride show some degree of increased hair growth after 12 months.

Since everyone’s hair is slightly different, one-year finasteride results will vary, though you should be seeing at least improvements by this point. You may have a modest increase in hair regrowth that you can see when you brush your hair or look in the mirror or even significant improvements that are easy to notice. 

In some cases, however, taking finasteride for 12 months may not have a noticeable impact on hair thickness and growth. Rather, it will simply prevent hair loss from worsening, so you likely won’t experience further hair loss.

If you haven’t noticed any improvements in your hair volume or general hair growth after consistent use of finasteride for 12 months, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider. 

Long-Term Results From Finasteride

Finasteride continues to work after the 12-month mark, with most research showing that men who use the medication for the long term continue to see a reduction in hair loss and improved hair growth.

A study from 2003 looked at the results of finasteride over two years. The researchers found that men who used finasteride displayed a 14 percent improvement in hair count after one year of treatment, as well as a 16 percent improvement after two years.

Another study from Japan looked at the effects of finasteride on hair loss over five years of treatment. The researchers noted that 99.4 percent of men who used oral finasteride tablets during the study period showed improvements.

Put simply, the long-term effects of finasteride appear to be the same as those that occur in the short term: a reduction in hair shedding, improved hair growth, and noticeable improvements in hair thickness and scalp coverage. In other words, it’s an effective treatment for hair loss.

Finasteride belongs to a class of medications called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs). As the name suggests, 5ARIs inhibit (or slow) the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. 

This enzyme is responsible for the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a male sex hormone linked to hair loss. 

DHT isn’t all bad, though. Before birth, it plays a role in the development of male genitalia. And during puberty, it promotes facial hair and body hair growth.

It’s during adulthood that DHT becomes rather annoying. The hormone can cause prostate enlargement and male pattern baldness in those predisposed to the condition. 

When it comes to hair loss, DHT binds to receptors in the scalp and causes hair follicle miniaturization, which is when the hair follicles literally shrink to the point that they cannot produce new hair. This process also shortens the anagen phase (or growth phase) of the hair growth cycle.

Finasteride reduces how much DHT is in your system. It’s pretty powerful — the medication can decrease prostate DHT levels by upwards of 90 percent and blood DHT levels by 70 percent. This helps slow hair loss. 

A 2019 study looked at how effective a daily 1-milligram finasteride treatment was in 532 men. Participants were followed for 10 years, and the results were pretty impressive. 

The oral finasteride treatment led to an improvement in male pattern hair loss for 91.5 percent of the men and prevention of further hair loss for 99.1 percent. We like those odds.

For the most part, using finasteride is simple — just take one pill every day (the best time to take finasteride is whenever you’ll remember), and then pay attention to any changes in your hairline that occur over the next few months. 

However, like with other medications, there are several things you can do to maximize your 

results from finasteride — and reassure yourself that it really is working. For instance, you may:

• Take finasteride every day. Finasteride is designed for daily use. Take your medication every day, even if you don’t notice any changes in your hairline, hair density, or thickness when you first start using it. Skipping finasteride doses or only using the medication occasionally may reduce its effectiveness and compromise your results.

• Use finasteride and minoxidil together. Although finasteride is effective on its own, it’s more effective when used with minoxidil, an over-the-counter medication that works by stimulating hair growth. A 2019 meta-analysis that looked at the efficacy of minoxidil and finasteride found that the combination of oral finasteride and topical minoxidil was more effective and just as safe as using either on its own. Our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray is an easy way to use both at once.

• Use a hair loss prevention shampoo. DHT-blocking shampoos, such as our Thick Fix Shampoo, help to break down buildup on your scalp that can damage your hair follicles and worsen hair loss. Try adding a hair loss shampoo to your hair care routine while you use finasteride and topical minoxidil to stimulate growth.

• Take photos to monitor results. Because you see yourself in the mirror virtually every day, it’s not always easy to see the incremental changes that can occur over several months of finasteride use. To track your progress, take a photo of your hairline, crown, and other areas affected by hair loss every month. Try to use similar or identical lighting conditions so that you have an accurate view of your hairline, hair count, and thickness over time.

• Continue using finasteride even after you achieve results. Keep taking finasteride, even after you see results. If you stop taking finasteride, your DHT levels will rise, and your hair loss may start to worsen again. If you’re curious, check out our post on potential side effects you may face after stopping finasteride.

Yes, finasteride can cause side effects, but it’s rare (most men who take finasteride won’t experience any side effects).

Side effects of oral finasteride include: 

• Decreased libido 

• Ejaculation disorders, including premature ejaculation (PE) and delayed ejaculation

• Erectile dysfunction (ED)

Clinical trials found that 1.8 percent of men who took finasteride experienced decreased libido compared to 1.3 percent of those who took a placebo.

If you’re concerned about potential side effects or have dealt with them in the past, consider topical finasteride instead of the oral medication. The topical treatment can come with fewer adverse effects. Learn more in our guide to topical finasteride side effects. 

As we mentioned, you can take minoxidil and finasteride together, but you can also use either on its own. Minoxidil is a vasodilator, meaning it brings blood flow and oxygen to your hair follicles. It also widens hair follicles, which can lead to thicker new hair. While results vary by person, when it comes to how long it takes minoxidil to work,  it’ll usually be a few months before you see tangible growth, similarly to finasteride.

Other treatments for hair loss, namely hair transplants, can have much more immediate benefits. However, a hair transplant is also more expensive and invasive than medication.

Remember that before you see tangible results, finasteride is working behind the scenes to lower DHT levels. Here’s the TL;DR on what you can expect the timeline for finasteride results to look like:

• Although finasteride starts working immediately, your hair follicles need time to begin producing new hairs that are visible. This means that you’ll usually need to wait three to six months before seeing any changes in your hairline or hair thickness after starting treatment with finasteride. 

• Somewhere between nine and 12 months, you should start to see noticeable results. If you’ve been taking photos, you should see a difference in hair thickness or, at the very least, notice that your hair loss has not progressed. The changes may become noticeable to others, too (so, yeah, you’ll be getting a lot of compliments).

• Unless you receive medical advice saying otherwise, it’s best to continue taking finasteride to maintain results in the long term. You can also pair finasteride with the FDA-approved hair loss treatment minoxidil, which can maximize the efficacy of finasteride.

If you’re on the fence about medications, but are interested in lifestyle tweaks you can make to improve your hair health, check our hair regrowth tips for men. 

Curious to learn more about slowing or even reversing hair loss? Connect with a healthcare professional online who can assess your hair loss and help you decide what treatment plan is best for you.