Propecia Dosage and Biotin

Hello Dr. Rassman,

I would like to know if there is any harm in taking one half of a milligram of Proscar a day instead of just a quarter milligram, reason being would it speed up the process? And, if I do start to take one half of a milligram until my hair loss is completely reversed, can I then step back down to taking just one quarter milligram of Proscar without any negative side effects? I want to be sure I don’t become dependant on taking one half of a milligram daily as this will cost much more in the long run.

Also, my dad suggested using a non-prescription drug, Biotin. Do you think I should take Biotin? Will it help, make no difference or be bad?

And I have started using hair gel again (daily), a small amount, will this be bad for the hair loss reversal?

And, is there a specific type of shampoo/conditioner I should use that will help my hair?

Thanks for your time

There is no major harm in increasing the dose of finasteride, except we see a higher incidence of decreased libido with higher doses. The higher dose does not, to my knowledge, have more value than the 1mg dose of finasteride for the treatment of hair loss. If you are cutting Proscar 5mgs into 0.5mg, then that is 10 pieces of a pill, something that is hard to do and regulate (produce a powder I suspect). A dose of 0.5mg of finasteride is reported to be 80% as effective as the 1mg dose. Now with all that said, either cut a Proscar 5mg into quarters (1.25mg) or take the full dose of Propecia (1mg).

Biotin will not hurt you provided that you take recommended doses, but it will be no substitute for the finasteride. I recommend no particular shampoo, conditioner or hair gel.