Medical Library

Welcome to our medical library. Here you’ll find easy-to-read articles that cover everything you need to know about male and female hair loss, as well as overall hair health and wellness. They’re all reviewed by our doctors, so you can trust that they’re scientifically accurate. 

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Female Hair LossWoman with female pattern hair loss holding brush full of hair.

Female Pattern Hair Loss

Female pattern hair loss is a common hair loss disorder that is most often associated with aging and changing hormone levels. It's a complex condition that can begin as a gradually widening hair pa...

Female Hair LossFemale patient with hair loss taking minoxidil for women.

Minoxidil For Women

Minoxidil is a treatment that is available over-the-counter (topical) and as a prescription (oral) for the management of female androgenetic hair loss. Its safety and efficacy are well-established ...

Hair Loss CausesYoung woman holding handful of minoxidil shedding hair.

Minoxidil Shedding

Shedding when you begin any hair loss treatment is more common than you think. It's often reported with finasteride, but it can also occur with minoxidil. At the heart of minoxidil shedding is a si...

Hair HealthExercising man using steroids and hair loss.

Steroids and Hair Loss

Anabolic steroids are performance enhancing substances that mimic the effects of male sex steroid hormones. There has been speculation that anabolic steroid use can cause hair loss in some men. The...

Hair loss treatmentsMan wondering how long it takes for finasteride to work.

How Long Does Finasteride Take To Work?

In general, you'll need to take oral or topical finasteride for 3-6 months before noticeable changes will appear. There are a few things you can watch out for during this period that are signs that...

Hair Loss CausesMan with hair loss showing finasteride regrowing hairline.

Can Finasteride Regrow My Hairline?

Many people wonder if finasteride will work on specific areas of hair loss, including the frontal hairline. The good news is that this treatment will work on the entire scalp and for most people, a...

Hair loss treatmentsMan holding capsule reading leaflet on minoxidil side effects.

Minoxidil Side Effects

Minoxidil is a time-tested treatment for hair loss. It’s available in different forms, some of which can be purchased over the counter, while others will need a prescription. When comparing topical...

Hair loss treatmentsMan considering dutasteride 05 mg dose for hair loss.

Dutasteride 0.5 mg Capsule

The most commonly prescribed form of dutasteride is the dutasteride 0.5 mg capsule. Dutasteride has not been approved in the USA or Canada for hair loss at any dosage but can be prescribed off-labe...

Hair loss treatmentsMan with dropper of rosemary oil comparing rosemary vs minoxidil effects on hair.

Rosemary Oil vs Minoxidil

Rosemary oil is considered potentially useful to maintaining scalp health and even in treating pattern hair loss in men (also referred to as androgenetic alopecia). But how does it measure up to mi...

Hair loss treatmentsTopical dutasteride clinical trial scientist holding blood test tube.

Topical Dutasteride Clinical Trial Results

A newer generation 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, dutasteride, has increasingly been prescribed off-label to treat androgenetic alopecia. SiloxysSystem™ Gel, was developed to allow healthcare profess...

Hair loss treatmentsMan deciding on switching from finasteride to dutasteride.

Switching From Finasteride to Dutasteride

Dutasteride is increasingly being prescribed off-label to treat pattern hair loss. If you’re already taking finasteride, is there a good reason to switch to dutasteride? Both finasteride and dutast...

Hair loss treatmentsPharmacist giving patient finasteride over the counter.

Can I Buy Finasteride Over the Counter?

While there are over-the-counter treatments that may help with milder cases of hair thinning, the treatments that have the biggest impact typically require a prescription. In both the US and Canada...

Hair loss treatmentsSaw palmetto plant for hair growth and hair loss.

Saw Palmetto for Hair Growth

The saw palmetto plant has been used throughout history to treat various medical conditions and recently, it’s gained attention as a possible alternative treatment for androgenetic alopecia. While ...

Hair Loss CausesFather who may carry male pattern baldness gene with his son.

Male Pattern Baldness Gene

Whether hair loss comes from the father’s or mother’s side of the family is a hotly debated topic. It’s a common misconception that balding comes from the mother’s side of the family. Baldness is m...

Female Hair LossYoung woman taking tablet of dutasteride for female hair loss.

Dutasteride for Female Hair Loss

There is some data that suggests that dutasteride and other 5-alpha reductase inhibitors might work for female patients, but it's important to understand that the management of DHT levels is just o...

Hair loss treatments3D rendering of finasteride's structure to show how affects its mechanism of action.

Finasteride Mechanism of Action

Finasteride's mechanism of action involves binding to the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme and preventing testosterone from attaching to the enzyme and being transformed into DHT. This phenomenon is also r...

Hair loss treatmentsMan looking at hair considering using finasteride for hair loss.

Finasteride for Hair Loss

Finasteride is one of the most common drugs used to treat male hair loss. It’s an example of a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor (5-ARI), which works by blocking the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha re...

Hair loss treatmentsYoung couple considering finasteride and pregnancy safety.

Finasteride and Pregnancy

Finasteride should not be handled or used by women who are, or may become pregnant. This is because the medication works by lowering a male sex steroid hormone called DHT, which plays a key role in...

Hair loss treatmentsMan examining drug brochure for finasteride interactions.

Finasteride Interactions

Drug interactions can affect how the body breaks down a medication and may have an effect on drug safety. A few key interactions with finasteride to be aware of include Viagra, alcohol and certain ...

Hair loss treatmentsPile of generic vs branded dutasteride tablets.

Dutasteride Cost

In addition to being a costlier medication than finasteride, topical formulations of dutasteride tend to also cost more than the oral pill. There are many reasons for these price discrepancies and ...

Hair Loss CausesYoung man looking in mirror touching hair wondering about causes of hair loss.

Causes of Hair Loss

Sex steroid hormones drive the development of androgenetic alopecia (also known as male pattern hair loss). But there are many other reasons and causes for hair loss. Let this be your starting poin...

Hair loss treatmentsYoung man taking dutasteride while researching dutasteride side effects on his laptop.

Dutasteride Side Effects

Dutasteride can be prescribed off-label to treat male pattern hair loss. Like other medications used to treat hair loss, there are some associated side effects that may be reduced by switching to a...

Hair loss treatmentsMan looking out window looking worried about post-finasteride syndrome.

Post-Finasteride Syndrome

In general, finasteride is a safe and well-tolerated medication. But some people who experience side effects find that they last even after stopping the medication. This is a rare condition called ...

Hair HealthCGI rendered image of hairs emerging from scalp to illustrate the hair growth cycle.

How Does Hair Grow? The Hair Growth Cycle

The hair growth cycle can be broken down into three main stages that describe the process through which the hair follicle produces a healthy hair. These stages are anagen, catagen and telogen.