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In androgenetic alopecia, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) causes miniaturization of scalp hair. Finasteride, an inhibitor of type II 5α- reductase, reduces the conversion of testosterone to DHT in hair follicles and the prostate. The manufacturer and investigators report the results of two one-year, double-blind, randomized, controlled trials of finasteride use in men with androgenetic alopecia conducted in the U.S. and 15 other countries. In the first year, 1,553 men received either 1 mg oral finasteride or placebo daily, and the 1,215 men who continued for the second year either maintained or switched treatments.
The mean age of the subjects was early 30s and they had hair loss for a mean of 8 years. After one year, scalp hair counts increased a…