There was ongoing controversy about the adverse events of finasteride, a drug used in the management of alopecia and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In 2012, reports started emerging on men who had used finasteride and either attempted or completed suicide.

A recent STUDY investigated the association of suicidality (ideation, attempt, and completed suicide) and psychological adverse events (depression and anxiety) with finasteride use.

Results showed that finasteride use in patients younger than 45 years who used finasteride for alopecia there was significant incidence of depression and anxiety.

The results of the new study show similar the findings of a smaller study in 2015 using a different adverse drug event. Whether the risks outweigh the benefits is an individual determination, as finasteride has also been known to potentially cause erectile dysfunction and loss of libido. “Still, it is a commonly used medicine by many patients.”

Men who want to try finasteride for hair loss should be told of the risks, especially younger men who appear to be at higher risk of negative side effects as the studies have shown.

Providers should counsel their patients about the possibility of sexual, physical, and psychological adverse events during treatment. Some patients continue to experience these symptoms after they stop using the drug, she said, although physicians are not sure why that occurs.

If younger men choose to use the drug for hair loss, they should contact their doctor if they experience any side effects, especially thoughts of suicide.

Better solution to baldness is a hair transplant. There are, however, several ways a person’s lifestyle might have led them to hair thinning or hair loss. This is important to know if you want to keep on to whatever hair follicles you have left ahead of finally having a hair transplant.

DIET
Everyone knows that eating the wrong foods can increase your weight. Unfortunately, what most people don not know is how a misjudged diet can also cause hair loss. If you haven’t been getting enough protein or vitamins, for instance, you might find that this has been excelling the rate at which your hair has been dropping off your head.

STYLE
If you have been doing your hair every day to make it look sleek and fashionable for you might have indirectly given yourself a condition known as horseshoe alopecia. It essentially means that your hair has become strained, generally because you have applied too much force or greasy products or using a comb to keep it in place.

SMOKING
Hair loss may be linked to smoking. If you have been smoking over the years, this will have likely effected your hair growth cycle. Some harmful ingredients that entered your body during smoking could have caused your hair to thin or fall out.

WE CAN HELP:
It is now time to forget about the past. After all, there is a bright future ahead of you once you have made your appointment with Hair MAXX Clinic. We offer the premier hair transplant service in a purpose built theatre and suite in Newcastle upon Tyne. You can get in touch with us to arrange a free consultation for initial assessment and then if you like you can have your life life-changing procedure. Please contact us on 01912841355 or emails to us at: info@hairmaxxclinics.com.

Investigation of Suicidality and Psychological Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Finasteride
David-Dan Nguyen, MPH 1,2 ; Maya Marchese, MSc 1 ; Eugene B. Cone, MD 1 ; et alMarco Paciotti, MD 1 ; Shehzad Basaria, MD 3 ; Naeem Bhojani, MD 4 ; Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD 1
Author Affiliations
JAMA Dermatol. 2021;157(1):35-42. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.3385