This Japanese study (not the UPenn paper) shows that .2mg of finasteride is almost as effective as 1mg.

Finasteride in the treatment of Japanese men with male pattern hair loss.

This is interesting and I thank you for sending this. The problem I have is that there were prior studies that showed that 1/2 dose of Propecia (0.5mg finasteride) is about 70% as effective as a full dose.

In our hair restoration medical practice, I recommend 1mg finasteride for the treatment of male pattern baldness. For those who have unwanted side effects with Propecia, this study may show some promise. The study says that after 48 weeks, 58% of men on 1mg finasteride showed improvement, while 54% of men on 0.2mg finasteride also showed improvement. It doesn’t state to what degree of improvement was seen, so it is still possible that the 1mg worked better for that higher percentage of men. The study does say “All efficacy endpoints were numerically superior for the 1 mg dose over the 0.2 mg dose at 48 weeks.”

Nonetheless, if this study is true, perhaps more the pill cutting will begin. Who wants to be the first to try?

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