Finasteride is the generic name for the brand name medication Propecia and is used to treat male pattern hair loss.

Finasteride reduces the level of the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in your body. DHT causes hair follicles to shrink, resulting in the hair loss seen in male pattern baldness.

Lowering DHT levels increases hair growth and decreased hair loss of the hair on your head.

Finasteride comes as a tablet to be taken orally. The dosage for these tables is 1mg. These tablets need to be taken daily and continuously.

Studies suggest that Finasteride can help regrow hair, although results will be different in each person, and even different depending on the area of your head that is losing hair.

That said,  it’s better to think of Finasteride as a way to help keep the hair that you have, rather than regrowing lost hair.

Another hair loss treatment is Minoxidil, which is a topical solution or foam applied to the scalp. Minoxidil is available over the counter in Canada, in concentrations of 5% or lower.

There is some controversy around finasteride and prostate cancer that you should be aware of. Long-term follow-up results from a phase III trial called the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) showed that regular use of finasteride (Proscar®) for up to 7 years decreased the risk of low-grade prostate cancer in men age 55, although high-grade cancers were more common in the finasteride group compared to placebo. This was confirmed in a follow up 2018 study, although there was no significant between-group difference in the rates of overall survival or survival after the diagnosis of prostate cancer in the finasteride group.‍

Health Canada has concluded that there may be a link between finasteride and the risk of suicidal ideation. If you feel suicidal while on finasteride, please stop the medication and go to the emergency department.

Finasteride has been shown to have sexual and mood-related side effects in a minority of patients taking the medications. Most of these side effects, if they occur, do not persist if the medication is stopped. Some individuals have reported ongoing sexual and mood changes after ceasing the medication.

Further, individuals interested in fertility should be aware of data regarding finasteride and fertility that suggest it should be avoided in men interested in conceiving.

You can buy finasteride with a prescription at the pharmacy, or through an online healthcare provider such as Felix. If you buy through an online healthcare provider, make sure they are reputable and compliant with Canadian regulations. In Canada, prescriptions can only be written by licensed healthcare practitioners and they can only be filled by registered pharmacists. Since finasteride is a prescription-only drug, you can’t find it on the shelf at a drug store or any other over-the-counter retailer. The same is true for Propecia, the brand-name version of finasteride. However, these are very widely used drugs by people experiencing male pattern baldness, so the chances are good that your local pharmacy keeps them in stock. The simplest way to buy finasteride is to order it online, which you can do through Felix. By ordering online you can skip waiting around at the pharmacy until they get to your prescription, and you can also avoid the experience of finding that you’ve run out. You can have finasteride delivered to your home discretely on a schedule that works for you, so you never run out. If you’re already using finasteride, you can also have your prescription transferred over to Felix for free so you can start buying it online instead and leave those last-minute pharmacy runs in the past. 

Yes, you need a prescription for finasteride in Canada. Also known by its brand name, Propecia, this is a widely used drug for the treatment of androgenic alopecia. Many people use it safely and enjoy the results, but as is the case with all medications, there is a small chance of side effects. To ensure that you’re informed about the side effects and that finasteride is the best choice for you, a healthcare practitioner needs to write you a prescription based on your unique situation. You can talk to your family doctor, a relevant specialist such as a dermatologist, or an online healthcare provider like Felix to get your prescription. Unlike other options, Felix lets you skip the doctor’s office and have an online visit instead from the comfort of your home. With your prescription from Felix, you can then order finasteride through the website and have it delivered to your home at an interval that works for you. If you already have a prescription, you can have it transferred to Felix for free to enjoy all the perks of ordering your medication online.

To get a finasteride prescription you have to speak to a licensed healthcare practitioner who can assess your situation and write a prescription for you. Typically, finasteride can be prescribed at the first signs of hair loss. Your doctor can write a prescription, or you can use an online healthcare service like Felix to skip to the doctor's office and get your prescription without leaving home. Finasteride is widely used by many people experiencing hair loss, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting a prescription, except in a few very rare cases where a medical issue can make taking finasteride unadvisable. Whether you’re just starting to notice some hair loss or you’ve been losing hair for a while, you can let your healthcare practitioner know that you’re interested in trying finasteride. Once you’ve got your prescription, you can use Felix to order finasteride directly to your home so you can skip the trip to your local pharmacy. Already have a prescription from your doctor? Transfer it to Felix for free and start ordering online. You can cross getting your finasteride prescription refilled off your to-do list for good, with regular deliveries at an interval that works for you.