Finasteride, simply, how does it work?

Looking for a genuine answer since I’m just on the fence about taking and so just won’t to fully understand it before I put it in my body. Want to make sure that the alterations it will make to my bodies chemistry won’t be harmful and if it potentially is I’d like to know also obviously so yah basically my main questions are in the title. Also if anyone could speak on the people who claim it can fry your endocrine system and also diminish the neurosteroids in your brain causing brain damage.

If anyone could offer any kind of responses that would be amazing, thank you so much I’m advance.

Men with genetic hair loss are impacted by DHT which triggers ‘apoptosis’ which is essentially killing selective hairs in a pattern of hair loss that you inherited according to an internal clock in each hair follicle stem cell. Since it is the DHT that triggers the hair loss, drugs like finasteride blocks the site where the DHT attacks the hair follicle stem cells. This block is not 100%, but rather about 70% for finasteride. In the original Merck study, the side effects were low (sexual side effects under 3%, even less when compared to the placebo) and it is clear from their 5 year study that those taking finasteride maintained a much higher hair count than those who did not take it (see here: https://baldingblog.com/finasteride-will-i-keep-more-hair-staying-on-it/ ).

DHT is a powerful male hormone and impacts every organ system in the human body but the recommended dose of 1mg was so low, that Merck believed that it was safe even for other organ systems. Since the drug came out (about 20 years ago), millions of men have taken it (the original study was much smaller) so it is not surprising to see reports of other side effects that were not seen 20 years ago.