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A healthcare professional will review your information and get back to you within 24 hours. Get your 2 first months of treatment free on a quarterly plan.

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  • Free, unlimited follow-ups
  • No trips to the pharmacy
  • FDA-approved medication
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IMPORTANT Finasteride must be prescribed by a healthcare provider. A Roman-affiliated U.S.-licensed healthcare professional will evaluate your health information to determine if treatment with Finasteride is appropriate. Finasteride is not for use by women or children, and should not be handled by pregnant women. It decreases blood PSA levels and may increase the risk of high-grade prostate cancer. Learn more about Finasteride including important safety information here.

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HAIR LOSS TREATMENT

What to expect

There will likely be no visible change before 3 months. After 3-4 months of daily use, you may notice that hair loss has slowed, stopped, or that hair has started to regrow.

  • 1-2 months: Save itThere will likely be no visible change in the first two months, though some people may shed more fine hairs than before. This is temporary and normal.
  • 3-6 months: Regrow itAt this point, it may become noticeable that hair loss has slowed, stopped, or in some cases maybe even reversed. Take a photo to track your progress.
  • 7 months and beyond By now, hair loss may have considerably slowed or stopped, and some people may see signs of regrowth (usually at the crown of the head). Consistent daily treatment is required to maintain results and increase the chance of regrowth.

Real members,
real results.

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“I feel more confident as a person after starting my treatment through Roman...”

Member from Illinois
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“I’m feeling very confident in my hair now, which makes me excited not to have to wear hats anymore!”

Member from New York
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“I am definitely more confident. I no longer wear caps or try to brush my hair over several times a day.”

Member from Florida

Photos from Roman members taken after 6 months on finasteride.

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Frequently asked questions

Why do men lose their hair?

Hair loss is due to a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes hair follicles to miniaturize over many years. At first, only thinning of hair is noticed—not clear baldness. Fortunately, we have an understanding of how DHT undermines hair growth and therapies exist to interrupt or slow the process.

Dr. Mike Bohl
MD, MPH & Sr. Medical Writer

Are there medications approved to treat male pattern baldness?

There are two medications FDA-approved to treat male pattern baldness. Finasteride is taken orally and works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Minoxidil is applied topically but the exact mechanism of action is not completely understood. It tends to work best on younger men who have been experiencing progressive hair loss for fewer than five years.

Dr. Mike Bohl
MD, MPH & Sr. Medical Writer

What else can be done to grow hair?

There are other therapies and treatments that may regrow hair. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a treatment using an FDA-approved device that applies low-level laser beams to the scalp. And hair transplantation is a surgical procedure that moves hair from one place on the scalp to another.

Dr. Mike Bohl
MD, MPH & Sr. Medical Writer

Important Safety Information

Finasteride

Finasteride safety information

Finasteride is for use by ADULT MEN ONLY and should NOT be used by women or children.

Do not take finasteride if you:

  • are pregnant or may become pregnant. Finasteride may harm your unborn baby. Females who are pregnant or who may become pregnant should not come in contact with broken or crushed finasteride tablets. If a pregnant woman comes in contact with crushed or broken finasteride tablets, wash the contact area right away with soap and water. If a woman who is pregnant comes into contact with the active ingredient in finasteride (for example from a crushed or broken tablet), a healthcare provider should be consulted. If a woman who is pregnant with a male baby swallows or comes in contact with the medicine in finasteride, the male baby may be born with sex organs that are not normal.
  • are allergic to any of the ingredients in finasteride.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking finasteride?

Before taking finasteride, tell your healthcare provider if you:

  • have any other medical conditions, especially problems with your prostate or liver
  • Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Withholding or providing inaccurate information about your health and medical history in order to obtain treatment may result in harm.

How should I take finasteride?

  • Take finasteride exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
  • You may take finasteride with or without food.
  • If you forget to take finasteride, do not take an extra tablet. Just take the next tablet as usual.You may take finasteride with or without food.
  • Finasteride will not work faster or better if you take it more than once a day.
Side Effects of Finasteride

Finasteride can have the following side effects:

  • Decrease in your blood Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) levels. Finasteride can affect a blood test called PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen), which is used as a screening test for prostate cancer. If you have a PSA test done you should tell your healthcare provider that you are taking finasteride because finasteride decreases PSA levels. Changes in PSA levels will need to be evaluated by your healthcare provider. Any increase in follow-up PSA levels from their lowest point may signal the presence of prostate cancer and should be evaluated, even if the test results are still within the normal range for men not taking finasteride. You should also tell your healthcare provider if you have not been taking finasteride as prescribed because this may affect the PSA test results. For more information, talk to your healthcare provider.
  • There may be an increased risk of a more serious form of prostate cancer. In studies, this was found in men taking finasteride at 5 mg. Which is 5 times the dose used for hair loss.

The most common side effects of finasteride include:

  • decrease in sex drive
  • trouble getting or keeping an erection
  • a decrease in the amount of semen

The following have been reported in general use with finasteride:

  • Breast tenderness and enlargement. Tell your healthcare provider about any changes in your breasts such as lumps, pain or nipple discharge
  • Depression
  • Decrease in sex drive that continued after stopping the medication;
  • Allergic reactions including rash, itching, hives and swelling of the lips, tongue, throat, and face;
  • Problems with ejaculation that continued after stopping medication;
  • Testicular pain;
  • Difficulty in achieving an erection that continued after stopping the medication;
  • Male infertility and/or poor quality of semen.
  • In rare cases, male breast cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of finasteride. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Keep finasteride and all medicines out of the reach of children. Do not give finasteride to other people, even if they have the same symptoms you have. It may harm them.

Finasteride Oral vs Finasteride Topical

Oral finasteride 1 mg is one of two FDA-approved treatments for male pattern hair loss, the other one being topical minoxidil 2% or 5%. Since oral finasteride has been shown to cause sexual side effects in a small number of men (3.8% of men who took finasteride vs 2.1% of men who took placebo in phase III clinical trials for finasteride), researchers have been interested in whether topical finasteride applied to the scalp may be effective in treating male pattern hair loss with a lower potential for side effects.

A 2018 systematic review of the results of seven different studies concluded that topical finasteride is effective for the treatment of male pattern hair loss but also lowers plasma (blood) DHT levels which can lead to undesired side effects like low libido. Still, it appears that the incidence of side effects was lower with topical finasteride than oral finasteride. Also, some researchers found that plasma DHT levels were only minimally decreased with topical finasteride.

At this time, topical finasteride is not FDA-approved for the treatment of male pattern hair loss and must be specially compounded by a compounding pharmacy and requires a doctor’s prescription. For this reason, compounded topical finasteride is not available through Roman.

Can You Get Finasteride without a Prescription?

In the United States, finasteride, whether oral or topical, is not available without a prescription from a healthcare practitioner. Oral finasteride in the 1 mg and 5 mg doses are FDA-approved medications to treat male pattern hair loss and the symptoms of BPH, respectively. Topical finasteride is not FDA-approved and can be made by compounding pharmacies but still requires a prescription. There may be sellers who advertise finasteride online without a prescription, but these are not recommended as they may not be regulated for purity of ingredients, efficacy, or safety.

Important Safety Information

Minoxidil

What is minoxidil?

Minoxidil is one of two FDA-approved treatments for male pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia). It was originally designed as an oral pill to treat hypertension. It was quickly abandoned as a primary treatment for hypertension because patients didn’t tolerate the oral (pill) form very well. It is still available in oral form, but it is rarely used. One of the side effects of oral minoxidil was unwanted hair growth. This prompted a study of minoxidil in topical form, which turned out to still have the positive effect of stopping hair loss and in some cases, even regrowing hair that was lost. The topical form is better tolerated and does not have the same effects as when it was taken by mouth.

How is minoxidil different from Rogaine®?

Rogaine® was the original brand name version of topical minoxidil that was FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss. After several years of Rogaine® being on the market, the FDA approved generic formulations of minoxidil. Rogaine® and generic minoxidil are both available in 2% and 5% strengths as a solution and as a foam. Minoxidil 5% has been found to be more effective in men, while the 2% and 5% are equally effective in women. Both strengths are FDA-approved for use in men and the 2% strength is also FDA-approved for use in women.

Side effects of topical minoxidil

The most common side effects of topical minoxidil are irritation and itching of the scalp where the medication is applied. Unintended hair growth can occur if minoxidil comes in contact with areas other than your scalp. Other potential side effects of topical minoxidil that are more rare include:

  • Acne at the application site
  • Burning of scalp
  • Increased hair loss
  • Inflammation or soreness at root of hair
  • Reddened skin
  • Facial swelling or swelling of the face, hands, feet, or lower legs
  • Blurred vision or other changes in vision
  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Fast or irregular heartbeat
  • Headache
  • Lightheadedness
  • Numbness or tingling of hands, feet, or face
  • Weight gain

You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these side effects.

What drugs interact with minoxidil?

When minoxidil is used topically, only about 2% of it is absorbed, which is why it has such a good side effect profile. Topical minoxidil does not interfere with any known drugs that are taken orally under normal circumstances. You should not use topical minoxidil over damaged skin because this will increase the amount that is absorbed systemically. Consult a dermatologist before using topical minoxidil if you are using other topical medications on your scalp.

Minoxidil dosing information

Minoxidil comes in two strengths, 2% and 5%. 5% minoxidil has been shown to be more effective than 2% in men but not in women. Both strengths are approved for hair loss in men, but only the 2% strength is approved in women.

For minoxidil solution: The dose should not exceed 2 mL per day.

For minoxidil foam: The dose should not exceed one capful per day.