Is Propecia more effective than Proscar for treating hair loss?

The active ingredient in both Propecia and Proscar is finasteride - 1mg in the former and 5mg in the latter. Finasteride reduces the production of dihydrotrstosterone (DHT) from testosterone by blocking the action of the enzyme 5alpha reductase type 2. I am not aware of any evidence that taking 5mg of finasteride is more effective than taking 1mg. However, the side effect profile is higher with 5mg.For cost effectiveness, some people take a 5mg tablet, divide it into quarters, and take a 1/4 tablet (approx 1.25mg daily). Alternatively some people divide the 5mg tablet in half which is easier and take 1/2 tablet three times a week.

It is the same and generic finasteride is cheaper than Propecia and is the same medication. You can obtain generic 5mg finasteride for as little as $20/year as opposed to over $1,000/year for Propecia and it is the same active ingredient.