Can You Make Topical Finasteride at Home?

Finasteride is an effective medication for slowing hair loss and sometimes regrowing hair.

While the FDA hasn’t approved a topical version of the medication (it is FDA-approved in its oral form), there’s a growing body of research to suggest that a topical finasteride solution may be effective for a lot of people who struggle with androgenic alopecia, or male pattern baldness. 

Because of that, more and more healthcare providers are beginning to offer access to topical finasteride as part of a holistic hair treatment plan (and it’s a key component in our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray).

But can you make topical finasteride at home? Some of you MacGyver-types might be saying, “I got this,” but it’s not a safe idea. A topical formulation isn’t something you can just make at home.

Below, we’ve explained (with help from one of our medical reviewers, board-certified dermatologist Knox Beasley, MD) why you shouldn’t DIY a topical finasteride solution and what could go wrong if you decide to try to make topical finasteride. We’ve also suggested some safe alternatives.

Googled a lot about the hair loss treatment finasteride? If so, you may have encountered mentions of a form of finasteride applied topically to your scalp. Like its oral counterpart, topical finasteride may have benefits for hair loss, by itself or with other topical hair loss medications like minoxidil.

As we’ve explained in our full guide to topical finasteride, the results of studies looking at this finasteride formulation have been fairly promising so far.

Here are the essential points you need to understand:

• Finasteride and similar medications like dutasteride are 5-alpha reductase inhibitor medications. These medications block an enzyme from working, which prevents the conversion of testosterone into another hormone called dihydrotestosterone or DHT. High levels of DHT can cause male pattern baldness, so by cutting off the process with a finasteride treatment, you can stop or slow the progression of baldness.

• Oral finasteride is an FDA-approved pill for treating hair loss.

• Topical finasteride is a version of finasteride you apply directly to your scalp — while it doesn’t currently have FDA approval, it’s becoming increasingly popular and is often prescribed off-label.

Research into the effectiveness and safety of topical finasteride is ongoing, but the results we have so far are pretty impressive.

We’ll cut right to the chase — regardless of what comes up when you ask the internet if you can make topical finasteride at home, you should not attempt it.

“You should absolutely not make topical finasteride at home,” Dr. Beasley says. “The dosage is likely to be incorrect, which could cause side effects ranging from scalp irritation to an excessive amount of systemic absorption, causing erectile dysfunction or dizziness.”

At best, the DIY will be ineffective, and you’ll have wasted your time (and your finasteride). However, there are some actual, serious risks involved with trying this approach.

We can’t stress it enough, guys. Please don’t try making homemade topical finasteride. It’s a prescription medication and should be followed only as your healthcare provider recommends. Period.

There are also some obvious (and serious) reasons why it’s a bad idea:

• You’ll be putting stuff on your scalp that you don’t want there. Finasteride pills contain a variety of other inactive ingredients. Propecia^® (a common brand of finasteride) actually contains 12 inactive ingredients alongside 1mg of finasteride. These include emulsifiers, as well as milk, sugar, and other ingredients that help improve the digestion of the medication. Inactive ingredients account for a lot of the mass in that finasteride tablet you’re crushing up, and they could stick to your scalp and irritate your skin.

• You won’t get the dosage right. “With any medication, it’s important to have a reputable source to ensure the medication is at the right dosage,” says Dr. Beasley. Blocking DHT throughout your body is significantly different from blocking only your scalp DHT, and there’s no guarantee of getting the best dosage for topical finasteride on your own.

• It will not be as effective as taking the tablet or using topical finasteride from a reputable brand. “Topical finasteride can be an effective treatment for hair loss, but there are so many ways DIY topical finasteride could be made incorrectly that it most likely would end up being ineffective,” Dr. Beasley says.

• The other active ingredients may cause side effects. Many “recipes” for DIY topical finasteride include ingredients like propylene glycol and ethanol, which can be irritating and destructive to your overall hair health.

If you want to use finasteride to treat hair loss, your best bet is talking to a healthcare provider about oral finasteride or finding a version of topical finasteride like the one in our topical finasteride & minoxidil spray. 

If you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for, know that there are a lot of other medications and hair care products that can help you prevent hair loss and strengthen your hairline. These include:

• Oral finasteride. Finasteride fights androgenic alopecia just fine in tablet form — it’s one of the treatment options that has been thoroughly studied and proven effective in treating male pattern hair loss. We offer oral finasteride online, following a consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. 

• Minoxidil. If you’re looking for a topical hair loss treatment, minoxidil (also known as Rogaine^®) comes in minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution formats. Although minoxidil doesn’t block DHT, numerous studies have found it to be effective in preventing hair loss. It’s often used alongside finasteride to prevent hair loss and stimulate hair regrowth. We offer minoxidil online by itself, as well as part of our Hair Power Pack.

• Hair loss prevention shampoo. Shampoos formulated to block DHT may also help to prevent hair loss and stimulate hair growth. Consider our volumizing shampoo, volumizing conditioner, and thickening shampoo with saw palmetto if you’re not sure what to look for.

• Biotin. Biotin, which is a B vitamin, may play a role in promoting the growth of your hair, nails, and skin. Our biotin gummy vitamins are a convenient option for increasing your biotin intake and keeping your hair in optimal condition.

Medications like topical/oral finasteride and topical/oral minoxidil can help slow down hair loss, protect your hair, and even stimulate regrowth in areas of your scalp with noticeable thinning. But just because you can use topical minoxidil at home doesn’t mean you can mix your own topical finasteride.

• Fighting androgenetic alopecia may not require drastic measures like a hair transplant, but you should still talk to a professional for real medical advice to get the best results.

• While finasteride is proven to be effective, topical forms aren’t as well-studied and not approved by the FDA.

• Making your own topical finasteride creates room for error in dosing and could lead to skin irritation and other adverse events.

• If you’ve noticed some of the early signs of male pattern baldness and want to take action, you can schedule time to talk to a healthcare provider online and learn more about your options for treating hair loss. 

Want help? We offer hair loss treatments, but if you’re just learning right now, you should check out our male pattern baldness blog, our hair growth cycle blog, and our DHT blog to learn about hair loss, hair growth, and the potential culprit that flips the switch between them.