Efficacy of Topical Finasteride 0.25% With Minoxidil 5% Versus Topical Minoxidil 5% Alone in Treatment of Male Pattern Androgenic Alopecia

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) (male pattern hair loss) is the most common form of alopecia in men, affecting 30% of men by the age of 30 years and 50% by the age of 50 years. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of topical finasteride 0.25% with minoxidil 5% versus topical minoxidil 5% alone in the treatment of male pattern androgenic alopecia. METHODS: A total of 164 male patients aged between 30 and 60 years, presenting with androgenic alopecia of more than 2 months duration, were included in this single-blind study conducted at the Department of Dermatology, JPMC, Karachi. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (topical finasteride 0.25% with minoxidil 5%) and Group B (topical minoxidil 5% alone). Patients were followed up for 12 weeks, and hair regrowth was assessed at each visit. RESULTS: The mean age in Group A was 33.99±5.97 years, and in Group B, it was 33.91±5.71 years. At baseline, the mean salt score was 1.8±0.7 in both groups. The efficacy of the treatment was significantly higher in Group A (86.7%) compared to Group B (69.1%; P=0.006). CONCLUSION: The combination of topical finasteride 0.25% with minoxidil 5% provides superior efficacy in the treatment of male pattern androgenic alopecia compared to topical minoxidil 5% alone. These findings support the use of this combination therapy as a potential treatment option for patients with androgenic alopecia. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(11):1003-1008. doi:10.36849/JDD.7826.