4 Topical Finasteride Alternatives That Skip the Sexual Side Effects
Four topical alternatives to oral finasteride, each graded honestly: topical finasteride, topical dutasteride, RU58841, and clascoterone. The real evidence, no hype.
Philippe Boissard
Philippe Boissard, M.Sc., is a hair loss researcher and author. He breaks down the science of androgenetic alopecia and the treatments men actually weigh up, working from the primary literature rather than marketing claims. New here? Start with his guide to how hair loss actually works.
The Earliest Signs of Balding Most Men Miss
The earliest signs of balding are not bald spots. They are thinner hairs, diameter diversity, and a creeping temple line. How to spot going bald years early.
Hair Shedding vs Hair Loss: How to Tell the Difference
Hair shedding vs hair loss are not the same thing. How to tell reversible telogen effluvium from progressive pattern balding, with the pull test explained.
Finasteride Isn’t Working After 6 Months? Here’s What to Do Next
Finasteride not working at 6 months? Don't quit yet. A decision guide on timelines, adherence, adding minoxidil or microneedling, and switching to dutasteride.
Finasteride + Minoxidil: Why the Combination Beats Either Alone
Finasteride suppresses DHT, minoxidil stimulates follicles. Together they outperform either drug alone in head-to-head trials. The mechanisms and the real numbers.
How Long Until Hair Loss Treatments Actually Work? A Realistic Timeline
Minoxidil, finasteride, microneedling: when each one actually shows results. A realistic month-by-month hair loss treatment timeline, anchored to real trial data.
Do GLP-1 Drugs (Ozempic, Retatrutide) Cause Hair Loss?
GLP-1 hair loss is mostly telogen effluvium from rapid weight loss, not a follicle toxin. The real trial and pharmacovigilance numbers, why it reverses, and how to mitigate it.
Do You Still Need Finasteride After a Hair Transplant?
A hair transplant moves DHT-resistant follicles, but your native hair keeps thinning. Here's why finasteride after a transplant protects the result you paid for.
Saw Palmetto and Natural DHT Blockers: Do They Actually Work?
Saw palmetto inhibits 5-alpha-reductase in a test tube. In humans, the evidence is far thinner. Here is what the trials actually show, and what they don't.
RU58841 vs Finasteride for Hair Loss: What the Evidence Really Says
RU58841 blocks DHT locally at the follicle; finasteride cuts it systemically by 70%. Here is what the actual evidence shows and why one is a known quantity.