Propecia — The Happy Medium for Effectiveness and Minimal Side Effects?

Is Propecia a “happy medium” between the effectiveness of finasteride and the minimisation of side effects? I heard they tested up to 20mg of finasteride during clinical studies. Assuming the side effects were much greater, did those help reduce hair loss more?

Higher doses of finasteride does not seem to treat hair loss any better than the recommended 1mg. This study was done by Merck already after working with real experts in the field who had nothing to prove other than find the safest and most effective dose. The connection between dose, effectiveness, and side effects are not one-to-one.

Side effect possibilities do go up with higher doses and studies on humans have shown that. Stick to what is known and safe. The reports suggesting ideal impact on hair loss at the 1mg level are based upon observations on hair loss, not logic on what a higher or a lower dose should do. People who have the sexual side effect seem to get it on very low doses as well as those who get breast lumps. That suggests to me that we really do not understand the process clearly enough.