Description
Healpecia (Finasteride) 1 mg
Healpecia 1 mg is a finasteride-containing oral medicine presented as 1 mg film-coated tablets. Finasteride is a prescription 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor used for male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia, in men only. It is not indicated for use in women or children.
Active Ingredient and Medicine Class
The verified active ingredient is finasteride. It belongs to the 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor class. This group of medicines reduces the activity of the enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, a hormone involved in androgenetic alopecia.
Established Medical Uses
Finasteride 1 mg tablets are established for the treatment of male pattern hair loss in adult men. Regulatory information notes that benefit may take several months to become visible, and that continued use is generally needed to maintain the effect. The medicine is not established for a receding hairline at the temples, and it is not approved for use in women for this indication.
How It Works
Finasteride inhibits type II 5-alpha-reductase, which lowers DHT levels in the scalp and in the blood. In men with androgenetic alopecia, DHT contributes to gradual miniaturisation of hair follicles. By reducing DHT, finasteride helps slow hair loss and may support regrowth or thickening of existing hair in some users.
Important Safety Information
Finasteride is contraindicated in pregnancy and in people with hypersensitivity to any component of the product. It should not be used by women or pediatric patients for this indication. Pregnant women should not handle crushed or broken tablets because of the potential risk to a male fetus.
Finasteride can lower serum prostate-specific antigen, which may affect interpretation of PSA testing. An increase in PSA while taking finasteride should be medically assessed. Official prescribing information also notes a potential association between 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors and an increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer in some studies.
Clinically significant interactions are limited, but the medicine should still be reviewed alongside other treatments, especially when prostate monitoring or sexual side effects are a concern.
Possible Side Effects
Commonly reported adverse effects include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation disorder. These effects were reported more often than with placebo in clinical studies, although overall rates were low.
Less common but important reactions can include breast tenderness or enlargement, rash, and persistent sexual or mood-related symptoms reported after discontinuation in postmarketing experience. Any new or troubling symptoms should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional.
Scientific Evidence
Clinical trials in men with androgenetic alopecia have shown that finasteride 1 mg daily improves hair counts and photographic assessments compared with placebo. In longer follow-up studies, benefit was generally maintained during continued treatment, while stopping therapy led to loss of the treatment effect over time.
Research has also shown that finasteride lowers PSA concentrations in men taking the 1 mg formulation, which is clinically relevant when PSA testing is being interpreted. Overall, the evidence supports finasteride as an established treatment option for male pattern hair loss, with benefits that are modest but measurable in appropriately selected men.
Medical Information Notice
This page is an educational summary based on sources available at the time of review. It does not replace the official patient leaflet, product labelling, or an individual medical assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Medical Sources
- DailyMed / U.S. prescribing information Finasteride tablets USP, 1 mg for oral use, highlights and full prescribing information. View prescribing information
- Kaufman KD et al. Finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1998. View scientific article
- Anthony V D’Amico et al. Effect of 1 mg/day finasteride on concentrations of serum prostate-specific antigen in men with androgenic alopecia: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Oncology, 2007. View scientific article
