Side Effects After Stopping Finasteride

Hair loss treatments like finasteride can help prevent excess thinning from male pattern baldness. But what happens when you stop taking finasteride?

It can take several months to see results when using this hair loss medication, which is why it’s important to be patient. During this time, some people may develop side effects.

If you’re experiencing adverse effects, you might be wondering: Can you stop taking finasteride suddenly and how long after stopping finasteride will hair fall out?

Below, we outline what can happen when you stop finasteride and what hair loss treatment alternatives you might consider as a next step.

Knowing how finasteride works can help you understand the potential side effects that may occur when you stop taking it.

How Does Finasteride Work?

Finasteride is FDA-approved to treat:

1. Hair loss. It helps promote hair growth by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (aka enlarged prostate). DHT can also cause prostate enlargement, so blocking it can help treat BPH.

DHT is the male sex hormone responsible for pattern hair loss. Some people are more sensitive to DHT than others due to genetics.

Currently, only two hair loss medications are FDA-approved for male pattern baldness: minoxidil and finasteride.

Studies have shown that men who take 1 milligram (mg) of finasteride for male pattern hair loss experience significant improvements in scalp hair growth, with a slowed progression of hair loss.

In one study, 1 mg of finasteride taken daily decreased DHT levels on the scalp by about 64 percent — enough to significantly slow, or even stop, hair loss in most men.

Participants in this study also reported improved hair quality after one year of finasteride use.

Do You Have to Take Finasteride Forever?

The catch? These results only last while you’re on finasteride.

Once you stop taking finasteride, you can expect hair to start falling out again. It only works while the drug is active in your body, meaning you’ll go back to a normal rate of hair loss once you’ve excreted the medication.

Post-Finasteride Syndrome

While the majority of men don’t experience lasting side effects after stopping finasteride, a small number will continue to experience persistent mental, physical, and sexual side effects. This is known as post-finasteride syndrome.

Note that this area of research is ongoing, and more studies are needed to understand why it develops and how to treat it.

You can read more about the syndrome in our guide to post-finasteride syndrome.

Finasteride only works if you continue to take it on a daily basis. Research has shown that once you stop taking finasteride, DHT levels return to their normal state within 14 days.

So if you’re concerned about any finasteride-related side effects, they’ll typically stop within two weeks of stopping the medication.

But you’ll also stop seeing hair growth results after two weeks and may start to lose hair again.

While finasteride can benefit your hairline, it can potentially cause some side effects, including sexual side effects.

The most common finasteride side effects include:

• Erectile dysfunction (reported in 2 to 4 percent of finasteride users)

• Decreased ejaculation volume

• Loss of libido or low sex drive

• Gynecomastia (enlarged male breast tissue)

• Orthostatic hypotension (more likely in people also taking alpha-blockers)

• Infertility

• Allergic reaction

For some men, post-finasteride syndrome can be an issue (this is also the case for another 5 alpha-reductase, dutasteride). These side effects may persist even after discontinuing medication, but there’s limited research available on this syndrome.

You can read more about it in our guide to post-finasteride syndrome.

It’s important to know that people who are pregnant or trying to conceive should avoid contact with crushed or broken finasteride tablets.

Learn more about finasteride side effects in our extensive guide.

Finasteride needs to be circulating actively in your body to prevent hair loss. So you’ll need to take it daily if your goal is to stop hair thinning.

For many men, this means taking finasteride for years. Currently, studies show that finasteride treatment is safe for long-term use.

One clinical trial of 19,000 men who had taken finasteride for seven years found little evidence of long-term side effects from the medication.

Other long-term clinical studies of finasteride have demonstrated similar results, with a 1 mg dose generally well tolerated over five years of use.

There have been some reports of a minor increase in risk of high-grade prostate cancer for men over age 55 (1.8 percent with a 5 mg dose of finasteride compared to 1 percent with a placebo).

But keep in mind this is a much higher dosage of finasteride than the typical 1 mg dose prescribed for hair loss. And this risk is for the entire class of 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5-ARI) drugs, including Proscar®, Avodart®, Propecia® and Jalyn®, 5-ARIs, which are commonly prescribed as generic finasteride and dutasteride.

As with any medication, it’s always best to speak with your provider before stopping finasteride. Symptoms like hair loss or an enlarged prostate may come back after stopping the drug.

Your healthcare provider can provide medical advice for safely stopping finasteride based on your individual medical condition.

If you decide finasteride isn’t for you, that’s okay. There are many ways to address hair loss, and finasteride isn’t your only option.

But before you stop finasteride, there are a few key things to keep in mind:

• Talk with a healthcare professional. Always talk to your healthcare provider before stopping any medication, including finasteride.

• It can take some time before finasteride is completely out of your system. Any adverse effects will generally stop once you stop taking finasteride — it typically clears your body within two weeks of your last dose. If any side effects of finasteride persist after two weeks, speak with your healthcare or dermatology provider.

• Finasteride only works for hair loss while you’re using it. Your hair loss may come back if you stop using it. But other hair loss treatments are available:

  • Topical finasteride & minoxidil spray. A topical version of finasteride may have fewer side effects than its oral form. This two-in-one spray combines finasteride with minoxidil to effectively combat thinning hair in a quick-drying formula.

  • Minoxidil solution. If you’d rather skip finasteride but are still looking for a hair loss treatment, consider minoxidil. It’s one of the most popular hair loss treatments for male pattern hair loss. While it’s not completely understood how topical minoxidil works, it’s believed to improve microcirculation by the hair follicles. In turn, you may see hair regrowth and slowing hair loss.

Still weighing your options? Get a free hair consultation for an expert-recommended hair loss treatment plan today — all from the comfort of your home.