How to Make Topical Finasteride at Home

Topical finasteride has been eyed by medical researchers and hair loss patients for a while now. It’s no surprise since the solution shows promising results with minimal risks of side effects.

Due to its limited availability, people often ask if there are other ways to obtain it without a prescription. We’ll go further into this as we discuss how to make topical finasteride at home and its involved risks.

What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Finasteride at Home?

Finasteride is a known and clinically effective hair treatment for men suffering from male pattern baldness. While its topical counterpart is yet to be approved by the FDA, the results seem promising enough.

Topical finasteride is a bit pricier and more challenging to produce than its placebo version. However, it’s possible to create a homemade mixture in the comforts of your home.

You can make your own hydroalcoholic topical finasteride solution using the following components:

99%+ ethanol alcohol
Propylene glycol
Distilled or purified water
Small vials, bottles, or containers
Medicine dropper
Measuring cape
Mini digital weighing scale
5 mg finasteride tablets
Pill crusher
Tweezers

If you want to make topical finasteride combined with a minoxidil solution, you only need the following tools and ingredients:

One bottle of 60 mL 5% minoxidil solution
60 1 mg finasteride tablets
Medicine dropper
Pill crusher
Tweezers

How Can I Make My Own Topical Finasteride at Home?

There are two common ways to create homemade topical finasteride. You can either follow a hydroalcoholic formulation or use a minoxidil solution.

Before proceeding with any of these methods, be sure that there’s no pregnant female within the area where you’re working. Exposure to crushed finasteride tablets can be harmful to a fetus, so it’s best to do it isolated.

Here’s how to make topical finasteride at home (hydroalcoholic solution):

Transfer your solvents (ethanol alcohol, propylene glycol, and distilled or purified water) into smaller containers. Ensure that it follows a ratio of 30:50:20 (18 mL of ethanol alcohol, 30 mL of propylene glycol, and 12 mL of water).
Use a measuring cup and a mini digital weighing scale to get the exact volume per solvent.
Mix the three solvents in an empty container that can accommodate at least 60 mL or more. That should give enough supply for daily use in one month.
Grab your pill crusher and place a 5 mg finasteride tablet inside. Keep grinding until the tablet turns into powder.
Use a pair of tweezers to remove the fillers and film coating. These materials won’t dissolve in the solution if you leave them there.
You’ll need at least 15 mg of finasteride tablets per 60 mL hydroalcoholic solution. Repeat step 5 thrice if three tablets won’t fit in your pill crusher all at once.
Pour the powdered finasteride into the hydroalcoholic solution.
Shake the bottle thoroughly until all the components are well-incorporated.
Use a medicine dropper to measure the amount you’ll apply to your scalp.

Another method of making homemade topical finasteride is by using a minoxidil solution. To do this:

Prepare a bottle of your preferred brand of 60 mL 5% minoxidil solution. This is where you’ll be placing your crushed finasteride tablets.
Get 60 1 mg finasteride tablets and grind them in your pill crusher. Since you can’t fit all 60 tablets in the pill crusher, try to divide it into sections.
Remove the fillers and film coating using a pair of tweezers.
Pour the powdered finasteride tablets into the 60 mL 5% minoxidil solution.
Shake the bottle for at least ten minutes to ensure the tablets dissolve in the solution.
Use a medicine dropper to measure the amount you need to apply to your scalp.

Can You Dissolve Finasteride in Water?

Finasteride tablets are soluble in water, so long as you crush them into powder before dissolving. This method is necessary for creating homemade topical finasteride, especially if you’re following a hydroalcoholic formulation.

Can You Crush Finasteride?

If you’re making your own topical finasteride solution, then yes, you can crush them. However, if the tablets are only for oral intake, you should swallow the tablets whole and never break or crush them.

Your only purpose for crushing finasteride pills is if you’re going to dissolve them into a solution for topical use. It’s also best to keep children and pregnant women away from powdered finasteride.

Should You Make Your Own Topical Finasteride Instead of Buying?

Despite the scientific benefits of topical finasteride for people suffering from hair loss, further research and clinical trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and risks. That’s why FDA hasn’t officially approved it for general use.

While it’s definitely possible to make your own solution, it’s a different story whether or not you should. For starters, even if popular topical finasteride brands are generally safe to use, nothing’s conclusive yet of its effects in the long run.

With that said, it won’t be any better if someone with little to no medical expertise makes it at home. Additionally, finasteride use pairs best with a thorough consultation.

You’re better off discussing your condition and medical history with a trusted doctor before taking any treatment. After all, it’s difficult to determine the dosage your condition needs without a proper prescription.

What Are the Different Topical Finasteride Brands Available?

Once you get a proper prescription from your doctor or dermatologist, you can discuss which topical finasteride brands to use. It’s worth noting that these medications aren’t easy to get since they’re unavailable over the counter.

Luckily, you’ll receive help from your attending doctor on where you can get them. They’ll also give you the proper dosage depending on the brand and severity of your hair loss.

Here are some of the best and most well-known topical finasteride solutions available in today’s market:

Hair Science Formula 82F
Strut
HairStim
Happy Head
Hims
Almirall Caretopic and Finjuve
XYON Health

Wrapping Up

We’ve yet to achieve conclusive findings about topical finasteride’s overall efficacy and risks. While it may seem negative that it’s yet to be FDA-approved, it actually benefits us since it’s undergoing thorough research.

We can confirm that it’s possible to make your own solution, but it’s best to leave the dosage and side effects analysis to the experts. Otherwise, you might encounter irreversible damages that could’ve been prevented with proper guidance.