In 2022, Finasteride costs between £12.20 and £73.00 per prescription. This depends on the dosage, pack size, pharmacy, and whether you opt for topical or oral Finasteride.
In this guide, you’ll learn all about the cost of Finasteride for hair loss, including:
If you have certain conditions (such as BPE, or benign prostate enlargement), Finasteride is available on the NHS and you’ll pay the standard prescription price (currently £9.35 per item).
But Finasteride isn’t available to treat hair loss on the NHS. So you’ll have to get a finasteride prescription from a private clinic. That means you’ll usually pay slightly more.
*Prices correct as of 10th December 2022. Based on the cheapest private product in the UK.
It’s rare for a trichologist to prescribe 5mg Finasteride to hair loss patients in the first instance. That’s because there may be a slightly higher risk of side effects — read more about Finasteride safety. The 5mg dosage is usually reserved for people with medical conditions like BPE. In these cases, the drug can be obtained on NHS prescription, which is much cheaper.
Also, some online pharmacies charge additional processing fees, which can increase the cost of your Finasteride prescription.
Many pharmacies charge more for branded 1mg Finasteride — also known as Propecia — than generic Finasteride. But medically, there’s no difference between the two. So Propecia isn’t necessarily more effective than generic Finasteride, despite the higher cost.
This is also true for the 5mg dosage, which is commonly sold under the brand name Proscar. Expect to pay more for Proscar than generic 5mg Finasteride.
Oral 1mg Finasteride is the most common type of medication prescribed to hair loss patients. Almost 70% of International Society Of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) practitioners say they often prescribe it to patients [1]. Topical Finasteride, meanwhile, is much less common, with just 17% often prescribing it to patients.
Evidence suggests topical Finasteride reduces hair loss with fewer side effects than the oral version [1-4]. But it’s much less widely available than oral Finasteride. You can’t order it online in the UK; online hair loss sprays are usually a combination of topical Minoxidil (5%) and Finasteride (0.1%).
Topical Finasteride isn’t manufactured on a large scale in the UK. To get it, you’ll need a prescription and a chemist who can formulate topical Finasteride. Not all chemists or pharmacists can do this, so call in advance to check. They’ll be able to give you specific pricing based on their availability.
Yes. We always recommend consulting with a hair loss specialist before you start taking any medication to stop your hair falling out. Finasteride is very effective, but it’s not always the most suitable treatment. For example, Finasteride for women isn’t usually recommended, and it should be avoided by men who are trying to conceive with their partner. So it’s important to check you’re eligible and aware of the side effects beforehand.
Get free impartial advice from our trichology team when you book a consultation at the Wimpole Clinic. If Finasteride isn’t the right solution, we’ll talk through the other options with you, including:
Oral Finasteride is widely available. You can buy it online or from a licensed hair loss clinic. Prices vary between pharmacies and clinics, so shop around to get the right dosage, pack size, and price for your needs. See how to get Finasteride for more information.
Find out more about Finasteride in our series:
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