Does finasteride only work a few years?

[Megadeth]

I've read a few posts saying that Finasteride works for a few years and then the body becomes tolerant to the drug and hairloss resumes. Is this true?

 

[Bryan]

How do you define "works" in this context? Be specific.

 

[Wash n' Gone]

Five year study shows declining average hair count after two years, but still above baseline at five. It all depends on whether the non-responders drag the average down or not after the initial regrowers have reached a plateau. I suspect that isn't the full story and in the long run the pathogenisis of the male pattern baldness will continue, but at a vastly slower rate than if you didn't inhibit DHT with finasteride.

 

[Pondle]

Someone (was it Michael Barry?) said they'd had conversations with various doctors/Merck scientists who'd intimated that finasteride mightprevent baldness progressing for well over a decade. John Ashcroft (GP who supplies my Proscar) has been taking for 12 years and claims his hair is still essentially the same as when he started. Only an anecdote, but an interesting one.

 

[Guest]

I think after some years hairloss is just getting too agressive and finasteride doesn´t block enough DHT anymore. Time to go up on dutasteride then.....