Is Propecia or Rogaine More Effective For Treating Hair Loss?

People experiencing hair loss typically have many questions about what causes hair loss and how well the available treatments options work. The effectiveness of Propecia vs Rogaine – two medications that treat hair loss – is a topic that comes up commonly. Dr.Washenik answers many of these common hair loss questions in the Bosley Physician Q&A video series.

Ken Washenik, M.D., Ph.D., is the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Bosley, the world’s most experienced hair restoration expert. Dr. Washenik is also the former CEO of the Aderans Research Institute, a biotechnology firm involved in researching tissue engineered hair follicle neogenesis and cellular-based hair restoration.

In this video Dr. Washenik explains the effectiveness and differences between two FDA-approved hair loss treatments, Propecia® and Rogaine®.

“Currently, in the United States, we’re lucky to have two medications approved for treating hair loss – Propecia® and Rogaine®. Propecia® is the trade name for Finasteride, and Rogaine® is the trade name for the drug Minoxidil. They both work very nicely. They both are approved for use for male pattern hair loss in men, and only Rogaine® or Minoxidil is approved for female pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia in women.

When asked to compare Propecia vs Rogaine in men, I would say, from my clinical experience – first of all I would love for you to use both, I’m a big proponent of combination therapy. Those drugs work differently, and because they have different mechanisms of action I like to combine the two. If you had to pick one, my own experience has been that I think Propecia® is a more effective monotherapy if your goal is re-growing hair, then Minoxidil or Rogaine® is. But they’re both effective, and they’re both effective at slowing down or inhibiting the process of hair loss.

When I look at Rogaine® and Propecia® and try to compare effectiveness, my first response is that if you can, like in men, I like to combine both. And I think, as a monotherapy, I would rate Propecia® somewhat higher than Rogaine®. Now that could be the mechanism of action for the people, it could also be compliance – your ability to stay with the therapy as you’re supposed to use it. Since Propecia® is just taking a pill each day, and Rogaine® is currently approved to be used as twice a day application to your scalp – some people find that more challenging to do and they may not be able to stay as stringent in their regimen.

Now with women, definitely Rogaine® is the most potent treatment we have currently. Now in the world for treating female hair loss – in the U.S. it’s the only medication that’s approved for treating female pattern hair loss.  And it works very well at slowing down, inhibiting the hair loss process, and even reversing it and gaining some hair back in certain patients who use it.”

– Dr. Ken Washenik

Schedule a free, private, no-obligation consultation with Bosley to learn more about Propecia®, Rogaine® and the only permanent solution to hair loss, hair transplant surgery.