Finasteride for hair loss: how long it takes and what to watch for
| Availability: | Yes |
| Delivery: | 4-7 days |
| Payment: | credit cards, bank transfer |
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Generic Propecia contains finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia. In Spain, finasteride 1 mg is prescribed for men aged 18 to 41 with early male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia); the 5 mg tablet is a different medicine, used for an enlarged prostate.
Below the price table you'll find how long it takes to work, what the trials showed, what happens if you stop, which side effects to watch for, including the European Medicines Agency's 2025 review on mood, and how to get a prescription here. This shop also sells 5 mg tablets, which we don't recommend for hair loss. In Spain, prescription-only medicines may not be sold online, and customs can hold a parcel that contains them. We do not check prescriptions: talk to your doctor before you order.
| What it is | A 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor: it blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone that gradually shrinks scalp hair follicles. |
|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Finasteride (finasterida in Spanish) |
| What Spanish pharmacies stock | Propecia 1 mg (Organon) and 1 mg generics marked EFG (Cinfa, Normon, Sandoz, Stada and others). For the prostate, Proscar and 5 mg generics. |
| Prescription needed? | Yes (CIMA). Propecia isn't funded by the public health system. |
| Who it's for | Men aged 18 to 41 with mild to moderate male pattern hair loss. Not for women. |
| Dose | 1 mg once a day, with or without food, long term. |
| In this shop | «Propecia Generic» 1 mg and 5 mg, packs of 30 to 366 tablets. The manufacturer isn't stated. |
What it can and can't do
Finasteride 1 mg stabilises male pattern baldness: it slows or stops the loss and, in some men, brings back a little hair, mainly on the crown and mid-scalp. The Spanish product information is clear about its limits:
- it hasn't been shown to work on a receding hairline at the temples, or on advanced baldness;
- it was tested in men aged 18 to 41 and isn't indicated outside that range;
- it does nothing for other kinds of hair loss (stress, anaemia, thyroid problems, alopecia areata);
- it didn't work in post-menopausal women and must not be used by women who could become pregnant.
Sudden or patchy hair loss, or loss with itching or sores, isn't pattern baldness: see a dermatologist.
Month by month
It usually takes 3 to 6 months to tell whether the loss is stabilising. Stop taking it and the benefit starts to fade at about 6 months; after 9 to 12 months your hair is back where it was before treatment. It only makes sense as a long-term treatment.
Finasteride timeline
Say whether you're taking it or have stopped, then move the slider. It sums up the product information; your own case is for your doctor.
What the trials found
The licensing studies involved 1,879 men with mild to moderate hair loss. Men with thinning on the crown were followed for 5 years:
- hair loss stabilised in 90% of treated men judged by photographs, and 93% judged by the investigators;
- in a 5.1 cm² patch of scalp, treated men had 88 more hairs than at the start after 2 years and 38 more after 5; on placebo they had 50 fewer after 2 years and 239 fewer after 5;
- improvement from baseline peaked at about 2 years, but the gap with untreated men kept widening.
In short, its main job is holding on to what you have. It regrows some hair; it won't give you back the hairline you had at 20.
1 mg or 5 mg?
| Tablet | What the Spanish product information says |
|---|---|
| 1 mg | The authorised dose for hair loss. |
| 5 mg | The Proscar dose, for benign prostatic hyperplasia in older men. Not authorised for hair loss, and the Propecia information says a higher dose doesn't work better. We don't recommend it for baldness. |
Some men cut 5 mg tablets into pieces to save money. Please don't: the dose is guesswork, and a broken tablet is exactly what a pregnant woman in your home shouldn't touch. At 5 mg a day, semen volume also fell by about a quarter in studies.
Side effects and the 2025 EMA review
The best known are sexual: lower sex drive, erection problems and ejaculation problems, including less semen. In the trials they affected 3.8% of treated men in the first year against 2.1% on placebo, and became less common later on. In some men they have persisted after stopping.
Others include breast tenderness or enlargement, testicular pain, blood in the semen, allergic reactions and, in reports after launch, infertility or poor semen quality that improved after stopping. Male breast cancer has been reported: tell your doctor about any lump, pain or discharge.
Precautions
- PSA tests: finasteride roughly halves your prostate-specific antigen level. Tell whoever orders a prostate blood test that you take it.
- Women and pregnancy: it can affect the genitals of a male foetus. Whole tablets are coated, but broken ones mustn't be handled by women who are or could be pregnant.
- Trying for a baby: mention it to your doctor; long-term fertility data are limited.
- Lactose: Propecia contains it.
- Other medicines: no clinically important interactions are known.
Other options in Spain
- Minoxidil lotion or foam (2% and 5%): sold without a prescription in Spanish pharmacies and applied to the scalp. It can be combined with finasteride if your doctor agrees.
- Finasteride scalp spray (Alocare): authorised in Spain for men aged 18 to 41, on prescription.
- Hair transplant, once baldness is established; finasteride helps keep the hair you still have.
The hair products we sell are listed under hair loss, but a dermatologist is the best person to help you choose.
Getting a prescription in Spain
If you have a tarjeta sanitaria (health card), your médico de familia, the GP at your centro de salud, can prescribe it or refer you to dermatology. You can also see a private dermatologist directly. Expect questions about how and when the loss started; a blood test may be ordered to rule out other causes. You pay the full price at the farmacia, as finasteride 1 mg isn't publicly funded.
A prescription from another EU country can be dispensed in Spain if it has the required details. UK prescriptions aren't covered by those rules.
Delivery
We sell at a distance only: orders go out by post or courier. Times and terms are on our delivery conditions page.
Questions people ask
Can I buy finasteride over the counter in Spain?
No. All finasteride tablets are prescription-only in Spain, and prescription medicines can't legally be sold online.
How long does finasteride take to work?
Three to six months to see whether the loss is slowing. In the trials, the best results came at around 2 years.
What happens if I stop?
The benefit starts to fade at about 6 months, and by 9 to 12 months you're back to where you started.
Is 5 mg better for hair loss?
No. It's the prostate dose, and the product information says a higher dose gives no extra benefit for hair.
Does finasteride cause erectile dysfunction?
It can lower sex drive or cause erection or ejaculation problems: 3.8% of men in the first year of the trials, against 2.1% on placebo. If it happens to you, talk to your doctor.
Minoxidil or finasteride?
They work differently: minoxidil goes on the scalp and doesn't need a prescription; finasteride blocks the hormone behind pattern baldness. Dermatologists often use both.
Sources: Spanish product information (ficha técnica) for Propecia 1 mg, Proscar 5 mg and Alocare spray (CIMA, AEMPS); PRAC, European Medicines Agency, May 2025 meeting (finasteride and dutasteride); BIFIMED, Spanish Ministry of Health (funding status); Royal Decree 81/2014 (EU prescriptions). General information only: it doesn't replace advice from a doctor. In Spain, prescription-only medicines may not be sold online, and customs can hold a parcel that contains them. We do not check prescriptions: talk to your doctor before you order.
