Finasteride Hair Loss Cream 50g
Finasteride Cream: prescription finasteride in a 50g cream for the scalp. Choose 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1% or 0.2%, with optional minoxidil or tretinoin in the same jar.
Finasteride
Finasteride
Prices are shown below. You can choose a strength once you have completed the medical questionnaire.
Add Minoxidil? (optional)
Add Tretinoin? (optional)
£0.00
✓ Prescription Included
✓ Delivery Included
Description
Finasteride Hair Loss Cream (50g)
Prescription finasteride in a 50g cream, compounded fresh in the UK for scalp use. A cream stays where you put it, absorbs cleanly and will not run down your forehead and neck the way a solution can. It is made in a cream base rather than the alcohol and propylene glycol vehicle that leaves many people with a stinging, flaking scalp.
This is a scalp treatment. Do not apply it to the beard: finasteride works by lowering DHT, and facial hair growth is DHT driven, so a DHT blocker on the beard area works against beard density.
How Finasteride Cream works
Testosterone is converted into DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which exists in two forms. Finasteride inhibits type II. DHT binds to receptors in scalp follicles and causes them to shrink, so each growth cycle produces a finer hair than the last. Blocking the conversion in the scalp lowers the DHT those follicles are exposed to.
Applied to the skin rather than swallowed, finasteride produces a much smaller reduction in blood DHT than the tablet does, which is why some men who stopped oral finasteride because of side effects can tolerate a topical. Systemic absorption is lower, not zero.
In the UK, compounded topical finasteride is dispensed as an unlicensed Special. It is prescribed off-label by a UK prescriber after an online medical questionnaire and compounded by a GPhC registered partner pharmacy.
Available strengths
0.025%: the lightest strength, usually chosen where there is a history of side effects on oral finasteride
0.05%: a common starting strength
0.1%: the most widely prescribed topical strength
0.2%: the highest we compound, for anyone who has plateaued at a lower strength
Your prescriber decides the strength that is appropriate for you, and may approve something other than the one you select.
How to apply
Wash and dry your scalp, or apply to a dry scalp between washes
Apply a pea-sized amount to the thinning areas once daily, ideally in the evening
Part the hair and work it into the scalp with clean fingertips, not into the hair itself
Wash your hands straight after
Leave it on. Allow 15 to 20 minutes to absorb before styling or sleeping
A 50g jar is about a month of once daily use. Consistency matters more than technique, so missed days slow progress.
What to expect
2 to 3 months: reduced shedding is usually the first sign
3 to 6 months: visible change, if it is going to happen, is judged here with your prescriber
12 months: full effect at consistent daily use
On stopping: scalp DHT returns to its previous level, and hair that treatment was holding is lost over the following months
Side effects
Exact frequencies are not established for compounded topical finasteride, and the rates quoted for the 1mg oral tablet do not carry across, so the list below is ordered by likelihood rather than precise figures.
More likely (local, at the application site)
Mild redness, itching or dryness where the cream is applied, most common in the first two weeks
Flaking as the scalp adapts
Less likely
Reduced libido
Erectile dysfunction
Changes to ejaculation volume
Effects on skin the cream transfers to by contact, which is why you wash your hands after applying
Unlikely (mostly associated with the oral tablet)
Breast tenderness or enlargement
Mood changes (incidence unclear, still reported)
Persistent sexual effects after stopping treatment
Reduced semen quality, worth raising with your prescriber if you are trying to conceive
Testicular discomfort
Changes in liver function
When to seek urgent medical advice
Signs of allergic reaction: facial or lip swelling, difficulty breathing, rash
Significant mood change or thoughts of self-harm
Unusual breast lumps or nipple discharge
If you notice any side effect, contact your prescriber before stopping, so the decision can be reviewed properly.
Who should not use Finasteride Cream
Anyone who is pregnant, may become pregnant, or is breastfeeding. Finasteride can affect a male foetus
Known allergy to finasteride
Under 18
Do not apply to broken or inflamed skin. Wait for it to heal first
Finasteride is licensed for men. It is prescribed to women off-label, at the prescriber's discretion, and only where there is no possibility of pregnancy.
Warnings and precautions
Not for the beard: facial hair growth depends on DHT, so applying a DHT blocker to the beard area works against it.
Contact transfer: cream sits on the skin while it absorbs. Wash your hands after applying, and keep the treated scalp away from a pregnant partner's skin until it has absorbed.
One DHT blocker at a time: do not run this alongside oral finasteride, oral dutasteride or topical dutasteride without prescriber guidance. Same target, more exposure, no meaningful added benefit.
A previous reaction to finasteride: if you stopped oral or topical finasteride because of persistent sexual, mood or physical effects, put that on the questionnaire so your prescriber can review it carefully.
Fertility planning: if you and your partner are actively trying to conceive, discuss it with your prescriber before starting.
Cream or solution?
Cream (50g jar): for anyone who dislikes a wet scalp or a sticky finish, and for treating a defined area such as a receding hairline, a crown patch or a part line. Moisturising rather than drying. About a month per jar.
Solution (TrichoSol base, 100ml): faster to cover a whole scalp, and the cheaper option over time at roughly three months per bottle. See Topical Finasteride in TrichoSol.
Combining Finasteride Cream with other treatments
This is a compounded jar, so other actives go into the same 50g cream when you configure it, rather than being bought as a second product.
Add minoxidil (5%, 10% or 15%, prescriber approved) for growth stimulation on top of the DHT block. One addresses the cause, the other stimulates the follicle, and that pairing is the standard approach.
Add tretinoin (0.01%) if you know you are a slow minoxidil responder. Tretinoin raises sulphotransferase activity in the scalp, which can improve the response to minoxidil.
Want a stronger DHT block? Finasteride inhibits type II 5-alpha reductase. Dutasteride inhibits type I and type II. Dutasteride Hair Loss Cream is the escalation, and you switch to it rather than adding it.
Want a wider active palette? Our Custom Topical Solution compounds finasteride with minoxidil, tretinoin and further actives in one 100ml bottle.
Prefer the tablet? See Finasteride 1mg tablets for the daily oral option.
Prescription included
Complete the short online health questionnaire at checkout. A UK prescriber reviews your answers, and most approvals are the same day. Your cream is compounded fresh in the UK by a GPhC registered partner pharmacy, and delivery is included.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apply this treatment?+
Apply it directly to the scalp in the areas being treated rather than coating the hair, then wash your hands and let the scalp dry fully. Your dispensing label sets how much to use and how often, and it takes priority over any general guidance. Our full guide covers application, storage and what to expect.
What is Finasteride Cream?+
A prescription cream containing finasteride, compounded to order in the UK in a 50g jar. Finasteride inhibits type II 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT, and DHT is what drives follicle miniaturisation in male pattern hair loss. Applying it to the scalp produces a much smaller reduction in blood DHT than the tablet does.
Can I use finasteride cream on my beard?+
No. Beard growth is driven by DHT, and finasteride blocks DHT, so applying it to the beard area works against facial hair density rather than for it. For beard growth, minoxidil is the active with the mechanism that fits, and our Minoxidil Hair & Beard Cream is the product for that.
How is the cream different from topical finasteride solution?+
Same active, different vehicle. The cream stays where you put it, absorbs as a moisturising film and suits treating a defined area such as a hairline or crown. The TrichoSol solution spreads faster across a whole scalp and is the cheaper option over time, at roughly three months per 100ml bottle against about a month per 50g jar.
What strengths does Finasteride Cream come in?+
It is compounded at 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1% or 0.2%. Most people are prescribed 0.05% or 0.1%. Your prescriber reviews the strength you select and may approve a different one.
How do I apply Finasteride Cream?+
Apply a pea-sized amount to the thinning areas of the scalp once daily, ideally in the evening. Part the hair and work it into the scalp rather than the hair. Wash your hands straight after, and allow 15 to 20 minutes to absorb before styling or sleeping.
Does topical finasteride have fewer side effects than the tablet?+
Topical delivery produces lower systemic absorption than the 1mg tablet, which is the reason some men who stopped oral finasteride can tolerate a topical. Lower is not zero: sexual and mood effects are still reported on topicals and should be raised with your prescriber.
Can I add minoxidil to the same jar?+
Yes. Minoxidil at 5%, 10% or 15% can be compounded into the same 50g cream when you configure it, subject to prescriber approval, so you are not applying two products. Tretinoin 0.01% can be added as well if you are a slow minoxidil responder.
Can I use finasteride cream with dutasteride?+
No. Our compounded formulas allow one DHT blocker at a time. Finasteride inhibits type II 5-alpha reductase and dutasteride inhibits type I and type II, so running both together adds exposure without a meaningful additional mechanism. If finasteride plateaus, switch to dutasteride rather than adding it.
Can women use Finasteride Cream?+
Finasteride is licensed for men and is prescribed to women off-label, at the prescriber's discretion, and only where there is no possibility of pregnancy. It is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding because finasteride can affect a male foetus.
How long before I see anything?+
Reduced shedding is usually the first sign, at around 2 to 3 months. Visible change is judged at 3 to 6 months, and the full effect at about 12 months of consistent daily use. Hair grows in cycles, so progress is assessed over months rather than weeks.
How much does finasteride cream cost in the UK?+
From £50 for a 50g jar, which is about a month of once daily use. The price moves with the strength you choose and whether you add minoxidil or tretinoin to the same jar. UK prescriber review and UK delivery are included.
Can I return this item?+
Prescription and custom-compounded medicines cannot be returned once dispensed under UK pharmacy regulations. Non-prescription items may be returned within 14 days if unused and in their original packaging. See our returns policy at hairrepairclinic.co.uk/returns-policy for full details.
Disclaimer: this page is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Prescription treatments are not appropriate for everyone. Prescription only treatment is supplied only where a UK registered prescriber judges it clinically appropriate after reviewing your online medical questionnaire.
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