There are currently no studies to show whether taking Finasteride in the morning or at night has any impact on its effectiveness. What is more important is the consistency and regularity with which you take it. That is because regardless of the time of day when you administer your tablet, it is designed to produce a high enough blood concentration to be effective against male pattern baldness for the next 24 hours.
However, if you are using topical Finasteride, you may find it somewhat more comfortable to apply the solution on your scalp before going to bed. This gives the medication plenty of time to be absorbed while you sleep and you can safely wash your hair in the morning.
Continue reading this article to find out all you need to know about:
Finasteride works very effectively against a specific type of alopecia called androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness or female pattern baldness). This condition develops when an excessive amount of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is produced by your body, binding to androgen receptors in your hair follicles and preventing them from growing hair [1]. Finasteride suppresses the activity of an enzyme which plays a role in excessive DHT production [2].
The best way to take any hair loss medication is always as per the recommendations of your trichologist. Normally, this treatment is prescribed as Finasteride 1mg tablets (although Finasteride 5mg tablets may sometimes be recommended). You are supposed to take them with water, once per day, at approximately the same hour.
However, while oral Finasteride is the only form currently approved by the FDA for treating androgenetic alopecia, studies show that topical Finasteride can be just as effective and produce fewer side effects [3]. So if you have been prescribed this solution off-label, here is the best way to apply topical Finasteride for excellent results.
It doesn’t really matter what time of day you take your Finasteride pill, as long as you can remember to take it around the same time every day. That is because while the half-life of Finasteride is sufficiently long to ensure that there is enough active substance left in your system if you delay or skip a dose, doing so frequently can interfere with the treatment’s efficacy [4].
Different Finasteride users have various preferences regarding the time of day they choose to take their medication. Here are some pros and cons for each of them:
Taking your Finasteride in the morning
Taking your Finasteride at night
PROS:
CONS:
Finasteride effectiveness is not influenced by the presence of food and it has not been known to hurt your digestive system if taken on an empty stomach [5].
If you would like to know more about your treatment for hair thinning or want to make sure that it is indeed the best option for your condition, book a consultation with one of our experienced trichologists.
They will be happy to answer your questions and give you personalised recommendations, based on your particular needs, characteristics, and hair growth goals. And should non-surgical treatments prove ineffective for you, they will determine if you are a good candidate for a permanent hair transplant.
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