TOPICAL FINASTERIDE: The GREATEST Underrated Hair Remedy?

This user was using topical finasteride with minoxidil to treat his hair loss. After only three and a half months, he completely reversed his hair loss, as you can see.

By using finasteride topically instead of taking the pill, he certainly got incredible results. But how did he do it exactly? Is using topical finasteride better and safer than oral finasteride? In this article, I will explain all you need to know about topical finasteride and how you can start doing it yourself at home. So stay until the end and find out.

Topical Finasteride vs Oral Finasteride:

First of all, if there's already a finasteride pill that people can take to fight their hair loss, why would someone use topical finasteride instead? Well, there are two main reasons for that.

The first reason is the side effects. Although it is generally very safe, consuming oral finasteride can cause side effects, especially sexual ones, in about 2% of the population. In the worst case, if you experience side effects, you can just stop using the pill, and the side effects should disappear. However, if you’re afraid of using the pill in the first place, like this particular user was, and don’t even want to try it, then topical finasteride is a great alternative.

The second reason is that even if you’re taking the pill, it won’t necessarily stop balding completely. This is because DHT, which is the hormone that causes hair loss in the first place, is also produced inside the scalp of balding people. If you take the pill—one milligram of finasteride—you will likely reduce 70% of serum DHT, which is the DHT in your bloodstream, but only around 40% of the scalp DHT.

On the other hand, with topical finasteride, depending on the concentration (as we will see in a minute), you can reduce the DHT in your scalp by 50% or even more, while reducing serum DHT by just 25%. This is good because it means that you can get better results with fewer side effects.

Topical finasteride’s perfect dose:

Okay, great. So we’ve established that topical finasteride is, if not the same, perhaps even a little better than oral finasteride. But how much should you use? On one side, companies like Hims offer finasteride in a 0.3% solution, or the company Keeps offers a 0.25% solution.

What they don’t explain is what that really means, and why every company offers different percentages? Don’t worry, I will explain it to you.

This is one finasteride pill. Inside is 1mg of finasteride. A 0.3% topical finasteride solution means that there are three of these pills in 1ml of the solution. In the other example, the 0.25% Keeps solution would contain two and a half pills in 1ml.

If 1ml is what you apply daily, isn’t that a lot? I mean, you’re applying the equivalent of three pills to your scalp, while with oral finasteride, you only take one pill. Although it may sound like a lot, and possibly more dangerous, the amount of topical finasteride that reaches the bloodstream is very low. That’s why it’s safer than taking the pill. But since these companies offer their solutions in different concentrations, which one is better for you? Well, several studies have determined the best concentration of topical finasteride. Here are the results:

The best concentration to address hair loss and reduce 70% of scalp DHT is a 0.25% finasteride per 1ml solution. This is about the same concentration that the company Keeps offers. So, even though they’re not sponsoring this content, I would recommend using that brand if you want to try it.

How to do your own topical finasteride:

Personally, I make my own topical finasteride solution at home, and in case you’re interested, I’ll show you how I do it. Just a few things first: this is not medical advice, and you should always consult with your healthcare professional. Second, I use a much lower concentration of topical finasteride because I’m already taking the pill. I use roughly a 0.011% concentration, which is seven of these pills in a 60-milliliter solution.

Here’s how I do it: I use a typical coffee grinder to grind the seven finasteride tablets. Once that’s done, you’ll need a carrier solution. The perfect thing for that is just using a regular minoxidil bottle—that will work. If you don’t want to use minoxidil, you can make the solution yourself using 70% ethanol and 30% propylene glycol. These two ingredients can easily be found on Amazon. I add the powder to the solution, shake it for five minutes, and done! That's it. Until next time, I wish you a happy hair journey. Bye!