Is it safe to take Finastride the rest of your life? Or do you need to ease off of it?

here are some 10-25 years dates from studies on patients taking Finasteride for that length of time and there was now significant difference in their health compared to those who did not take the medication. Taking breaks may make the medication less effective and possible cause you to lose some ground  ( Have some hair loss) .

Taking a drug for a long period of time should be discussed followed by your doctor. In general, men take Propecia (finasteride 1mg) for many years.  Each year you should revisit the benefits, possible side effects and update your health with the doctor that is prescribing you the medication.

Long term Finasteride usage is safe and recommended if you intend to maintain the gains you have made while on therapy.Additionally, as a hormone blocker long term Finasteride use has shown to reduce the relative risk of the development of prostate cancer.As always, discuss your concerns with a board certified plastic surgeon (ABPS) with experience in hair restoration.Donovan Rosas MD
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For most men, there is no harm in taking Finasteride for the rest of your life. Everyone is different, however. I recommend you talk it over with your doctor so that you get a better idea on if it works for you or not. 

There are several known problems that exist when using Propecia/Finasteride as a hairloss medication, lets take a look at each one:Finasteride only works for a short
period of time.

 It works for just a few hours a day (its half-life is 6 hours).Finasteride does a poor job of
actually blocking DHT production. Propecia
only blocks 1 out of 3 types of DHT receptors. That means hair loss is
STILL taking place while you are using the medication.  This combined
with the short half life means that Propecia is about 60% effective at
stopping DHT from thinning your hair. Finasteride is not customized to the
individual. Like millions of Big Pharma medications out there, the exact same dose
of Propecia is given to people who have different heights, weights and
biochemistry.  This means that men who want to stop hair loss for good
can take the recommended
dose of Propecia every day, and experience nasty side effects for no
good
reason! While for other's their dose may be insufficient to even reduce
DHT by the 60% it is rated at.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 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.
The treatment is out there. Good luck on your search.

Hello, great question. Many men take Finasteride for years and years with no ill effects. That being said, it best you speak to a doctor you trust and get his/her opinion based on your current health. Good luck to you.

This is a common and relevant question. Finatseride is an effective and FDA approved treatment for Androgenic ALopecia in Men. Studies have shown its efficacy beyond doubt. In recent years, a lot of talk is being done about its side effects. The talk is not without reason. There is a risk of sexual weakness, gynaecomastia and rarely depression. However, the risk is small and the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. Studies estimate the risk of sexual weakness at around 0.7% only. 
Regarding the side effects on long term usage, there have been long term studies of 5 years or so, which have found it safe for long term use. When you ask about permanent damage, you must be referring to the "Post Finasteride Syndrome". This is a genuine concern, but there are only a handful of case reports and the details are smudgy. We are vigilante about it. However, till the final word is out, we have strong reasons to believe that Finasteride is OK for long term use.
Having said that, now topical finasteride is available which may be used as maintenance treatment, However, it is not FDA approved and the use remains off label.

Yes you can remain on Finasteride your entire life. There is increasing evidence that supports its safety profile. It also has a protective role against Prostate cancer. 

Thank you for your question. Finasteride has a safe long term use profile, and many patients take this medication for years to maintain stability with hair loss. However, there are small cases reported of long term side effects, so I highly recommend you consult with a board certified dermatologist for evaluation and discussion of treatment. Take care and good luck.

Once you start and depend upon finasteride, you should continue for the rest of your life, unless you have problems with it. The good news is the you will reduce your risk of prostate cancer by 25% if you stay on the drug