Can I stop Minoxidil and continue with Finasteride ?

Question

I've heard that if I stop Minoxidil all the hairs gained through this will be lost .suppose Ive lost all the hairs gained through Minoxidil. Now if I continue to take Finasteride ( life long),is there any chance to get back hairs on those areas ?

Daniel J. Lee, MD, FACS, ABHRS · Answer

All methods to reduce or stop hair loss work in different ways.  You are probably getting a benefit from both the minoxidil and finasteride.  If you stop the minoxidil you will lose the effect it has on preventing your hair loss.  There is always a better chance of preventing hair loss by using different methods.  Topical minoxidil (Rogaine), oral finasteride, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, and low level laser therapy (LLLT) have all been shown to help prevent hair loss.  So if you are getting beneficial effects from both the minoxidil and finasteride I wouldn't stop either as long as you are not having any side effects from them.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Yes, you can stop Minoxidil, but you may have increased hair fall. I suggest seeing a hair loss expert now to evaluate and go over your condition and provide you information about your best treatment options. There are great non-invasive options like prp/progesterone and/or hair transplantation. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

P. Daniel Ward, MD · Answer

If you stop taking minoxidil, the benefits that you are receiving from this medication will stop. Finasteride works via a different mechanism on different hairs.  I recommend talking to and experienced hair restoration specialist.

Robert Nettles, MD · Answer

You are right to be concerned.While minoxidil works for some, the problem with the medicine is that
 it does not stop hair loss, and the DHT will continue is binding to the
 hair shaft which will eventually overtake any additional growth caused 
by the Minoxidil and die, perhaps just slightly later than it would have
 without the medicine.
Also, the alcohol base required to support the active ingredients 
also cause irritation of the scalp and severe reactions for many people,
 such as the increased shedding you are describing. The fact is that it 
does not work for everyone.
In addition, side effects reported for
 brands like Propecia/Finasteride are the result of hormone imbalances 
caused by standardized dosing of those medicines in oral form.
The
 number one first step I recommend is a comprehensive consultation with a
 hair regrowth specialist who will perform lab tests to determine the 
underlying cause of your thinning. Without labs, no-one can really know 
what your true cause is and any treatment will be temporary at best. From here, you can receive the best treatment for your case. It is also worth noting that any medicine that actually can make changes inside your body, are 
required under the FDA to be available by prescription only. This 
therefore means that it is not possible for anything that does not 
require a prescription to cure or prevent hair loss or regrow thinning 
hair. Thus, a personalized medicine will be the best choice because 
instead of a "one size fits all" approach, you will be taking something 
which is truly catered to your body's needs.
The treatment is out there. Good luck on your search.

Joseph MacDonald, MD · Answer

The safe answer would be to continue using both as if you stop the Minoxidil then you are likely to lose the benefit gained from it. With combination therapy the science would support that Finasteride is doing most of the heavy lifting. In practice I have found some men able to discontinue Minoxidil after a time, while staying on Finasteride, and still having a good result. I would recommend you discuss this plan with a qualified hair restoration physician.

Ryan Welter, MD · Answer

The reason we prescribe both drugs is because they both work in completely different ways.  You can continue without the minoxidil but you will lose all of the added benefits of taking it.

Sara Wasserbauer, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

The book answer is to continue using both. However of the two you are better of using Finasteride. It does an even better job of keeping what you have. Typically those hairs lost don’t regrow. However every patient has different results.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

The hairs created by minoxidil are usually new hairs while the hairs created by finasteride are often miniaturized hairs so the two are not the same hairs. I am not sure; however, that for those people who stop minoxidil and continue with finasteride, that if both were working at full capacity, what would happen under the circumstances your defined.

Can I stop Minoxidil and continue with Finasteride ?

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