Finasteride Vs PRF: How They Compare For Hair Loss
Last reviewed on 5 October 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
Key points
They work in completely different ways. Finasteride is a daily tablet that lowers the hormone (DHT) driving male pattern hair loss, so it treats the cause. PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) is a course of injections made from your own blood that stimulates the follicles, but does nothing to the hormone.
So they are not really rivals. Because one tackles the cause and the other supports the follicles, they act at different points and are often used together rather than being a straight either-or choice.
Finasteride has the stronger evidence and is a first-line treatment. It is a well-established, licensed medicine for male pattern loss; PRF has more limited, emerging evidence and is generally used as a supportive add-on.
Finasteride is better at holding on to hair. Because it slows the underlying process, it is particularly good at stopping or slowing further loss; PRF is aimed more at giving thinning areas a density boost.
PRF is the newer, "second-generation" blood treatment. It is prepared without the anticoagulant used for older PRP and forms a fibrin scaffold that releases its growth factors slowly.
Neither adds hair or restores a bald scalp. Both work on hair that is still there, so neither can regrow a genuinely bald area, and for that a hair transplant is the only option that adds hair.
Both are ongoing commitments: finasteride only works while you take it, and PRF needs repeated maintenance sessions. Which suits you, or whether to combine them, is best decided with a clinician.
Finasteride and PRF are two of the common non-surgical options for male pattern hair loss, but they are very different things: one is a tablet that changes your hormones, the other a procedure that injects your own blood into the scalp. Because they work in different ways, comparing them is less about which is "better" and more about understanding what each one does, which is why they are often combined.
This guide compares finasteride and PRF neutrally: what each is, how they differ, how effective they are, what they cost you in commitment and money, who each suits, and how they fit together. It is general information and not a substitute for advice from a doctor.
The short answer
Finasteride and PRF target hair loss at different points, so they are better seen as complementary than as competitors. Finasteride is a drug that lowers DHT, the hormone that causes male pattern loss, so it treats the underlying cause and is a proven, first-line, licensed everyday treatment. PRF is a procedure that concentrates the growth factors from your own blood and injects them to stimulate the follicles you still have, without touching the hormone, and its evidence is more limited. If you had to choose one, finasteride has the stronger evidence and tackles the root of the problem; but many people use PRF alongside it, or turn to PRF when they cannot or would rather not take finasteride. Neither, though, can regrow a scalp that is already bald.
What is finasteride?
Finasteride is a daily tablet that treats male pattern hair loss by lowering DHT, the hormone that shrinks genetically sensitive follicles. It blocks the enzyme 5-alpha reductase, which, as a review of these drugs in dermatology explains, "converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which amplifies androgen effects in certain tissues". By blocking it, finasteride produces "a substantial reduction in serum (around 70%)" DHT, and the review notes that "long-term use of finasteride at a 1-mg dose proved to be safe and effective in treating male-pattern" hair loss. In short, it works on the cause of the loss rather than just the symptoms, which is why it is a first-line treatment, and it is licensed for male pattern hair loss. Our guide on finasteride for hair loss covers it in detail, including the possible side effects.
What is PRF?
PRF, platelet-rich fibrin, is a procedure rather than a drug. A small sample of your blood is spun in a centrifuge, but, unlike older PRP, without an anticoagulant and at a lower speed, so it behaves differently. As a review of the platelet-concentrate generations puts it, "PRF was introduced as a second-generation product that eliminated the need for anticoagulants and provided a three-dimensional fibrin scaffold for sustained growth factor release". In practice that means PRF sets into a soft fibrin mesh that lets the growth factors out gradually, and it captures more of the blood’s white cells and other regenerative components; the injectable liquid form used for hair is often called i-PRF. Those growth factors stimulate the follicle, but PRF does nothing to lower DHT, so it supports the follicles without addressing the hormonal cause. Our guide on PRF for hair loss explains it further.
Which is more effective for hair loss?
For male pattern loss, finasteride has the stronger and more consistent evidence, and it has the advantage of treating the cause. It is a well-established first-line medicine that reliably lowers the DHT driving the loss, and it is especially effective at stopping or slowing further thinning. PRF, by contrast, has a more limited, emerging evidence base: it is a blood-derived treatment in the same family as PRP, which has years of study behind it, and PRF itself is a newer refinement with promising but early data.
The more useful point, though, is that they are not really measuring the same thing. Finasteride is best at protecting the hair you have by slowing the underlying process; PRF is aimed at giving the follicles a stimulating boost, drug-free. That is why, rather than choosing the "winner", many people who want to do more than one thing use PRF as an add-on to finasteride. On its own, finasteride is the better-evidenced choice; PRF alone is a reasonable option mainly for those who cannot or would rather not take the drug.
Finasteride vs PRF: how do they compare?
The two are very different in almost every practical way:
What they are: finasteride is a daily prescription tablet (a drug); PRF is a course of in-clinic injections made from your own blood (a procedure).
How they work: finasteride lowers DHT, the hormonal cause of male pattern loss; PRF delivers growth factors to stimulate the follicles but does not affect DHT.
What they are best at: finasteride is best at stopping or slowing further loss; PRF is aimed at boosting the density of thinning areas.
Evidence: finasteride is first-line and licensed with strong, consistent evidence; PRF has more limited, emerging evidence and is usually a supportive add-on.
Commitment: finasteride is a daily tablet that works only while you take it; PRF is an initial course of injections with maintenance top-ups, so both fade if you stop.
Side effects: finasteride is generally well tolerated but, being a hormonal medicine, can cause side effects in a minority; PRF uses only your own blood, so its safety picture is generally good.
What neither does: neither adds new hair or restores a bald area, so both are for keeping and supporting the hair you still have rather than replacing hair that is gone.
Which is right for you?
If your aim is to tackle male pattern loss at its source with the best-evidenced non-surgical option, finasteride is the logical starting point, because it treats the cause and is particularly good at holding on to your hair. PRF is a reasonable choice if you cannot or would prefer not to take finasteride, or if you want to add a follicle-stimulating boost on top of it, and it appeals to people who like that it uses only their own blood. For many, the sensible answer is not one or the other but a plan that may include both. Neither, though, suits someone whose loss is advanced or whose follicles are already gone, because both only work on hair that is still there.
Because finasteride is a prescription medicine and PRF is a clinical procedure with more limited evidence, it is worth discussing either with a clinician, who can weigh up your pattern of loss, your preferences about medication, and whether combining treatments makes sense for you.
Can they be combined with other treatments?
Yes, and this is where finasteride and PRF make the most sense together rather than as alternatives. Because finasteride treats the cause and PRF supports the follicles, using both means tackling the loss from two directions at once, and PRF is very commonly used as an add-on for people already taking finasteride. Finasteride is also frequently paired with minoxidil, a topical growth stimulant, which we compare in our guide on finasteride versus minoxidil; and PRF sits alongside the other injectable options covered in our guides on PRP versus PRF and finasteride versus PRP.
Neither can restore hair that is already gone. Where loss is more advanced, a hair transplant is a separate option that redistributes your own permanent hair, and both finasteride and PRF are often used around a transplant to protect and support the result; our guide on hair transplant versus PRP looks at how a blood-derived treatment fits around surgery. The key point is that finasteride and PRF are usually part of a wider plan, not a single cure.
The bottom line
Finasteride and PRF are very different tools that work at different points in male pattern hair loss. Finasteride is a daily tablet that lowers DHT and treats the cause, with strong, first-line, licensed evidence and a particular strength in stopping further loss. PRF is a course of injections made from your own blood, the newer second-generation version of PRP, that stimulates the follicles but does not touch the hormone, with more limited, emerging evidence, and it is generally used as a supportive add-on. Neither adds hair or restores a bald area, and both fade if you stop.
If you had to choose one, finasteride has the stronger evidence and tackles the root of the problem, while PRF is best seen as a complement or as an option for those who cannot take the drug. A clinician can help you decide which, or whether a combination, suits your hair loss, and how it might fit alongside other treatments or a hair transplant.
Frequently asked questions
Is finasteride or PRF better for hair loss?
For male pattern loss, finasteride has the stronger evidence and is a first-line treatment, because it lowers the DHT that causes the loss and is especially good at stopping further thinning. PRF has more limited, emerging evidence and works differently, stimulating the follicles without affecting the hormone, so it is usually a supportive add-on rather than a first choice. They are not really rivals, though: many people use PRF alongside finasteride, and PRF alone mainly suits those who cannot or would rather not take the drug.
What is the difference between finasteride and PRF?
Finasteride is a daily tablet, a drug that lowers DHT, the hormone behind male pattern hair loss, so it treats the underlying cause. PRF is a procedure in which a sample of your own blood is spun into a fibrin gel and the concentrate injected into the scalp to stimulate the follicles with growth factors, without changing your hormones. So finasteride works on the cause from the inside, while PRF supports the follicles from the outside; one is an everyday medicine, the other a course of clinic injections using your own blood.
Can you use finasteride and PRF together?
Yes, and they are often combined. Because finasteride treats the hormonal cause and PRF stimulates the follicles, using both tackles the loss from two angles, and PRF is commonly added on for people already taking finasteride. Combining treatments is a decision to make with a clinician, who can advise whether it is worthwhile for your pattern of loss, but there is no reason in principle that the two cannot be used alongside each other.
Do finasteride or PRF regrow hair on a bald scalp?
No. Both work on follicles that are still present: finasteride by slowing the process that shrinks them, PRF by stimulating them. Neither can grow hair where the follicles have already been lost, so neither will restore a genuinely bald or fully receded area. For that, a hair transplant is the only option that adds hair to bare scalp. Finasteride and PRF are best used earlier, to keep and support the hair you still have, rather than as a cure for baldness.
Get back to Great Hair
in 3 Easy Steps:
01
Arrange Free Consultation
Speak to one of our specialist consultants for expert advice on our range of different hair loss treatments
02
Book Your Procedure
Place a deposit to reserve a time slot at one of the My Hair UK clinics across the UK
03
Attend Your Surgery
Arrive on the day and our specialist surgical team will look after your every need
What People Say About Us
Read our independent My Hair UK Reviews on Reviews.io
The Surgical Team
The surgical team is what makes the difference on the day. The clinics’ five surgeons are all GMC-registered, with a minimum of 1,000 FUE hair transplant procedures each to their name. Between them the team handles complex cases, including Afro-textured and women’s hair transplants, hairline design and lowering, and revision work.
Manchester clinic
• Dr Khawaja Masood Munir: GMC 6122581.
8+ years’ experience, 1,400+ hair transplant surgeries.
• Dr Haider Gillani: GMC 8030796.
1,000+ procedures, with specific expertise in complex cases requiring detailed anatomical understanding.
London (Harrow) clinic
• Dr Mahdi Alosert: GMC 6168297.
20+ years’ clinical experience. Specialist in Afro-Caribbean hair and hairline lowering.
• Dr Shuaib Mir: GMC 7567898.
1,200+ hair transplant cases. BAAPS plastic surgery and RCS anatomy training.
• Dr Zakar Rafiq: GMC 6164032.
MBBS and BSc (Hons) from Imperial College London. Associate Member of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS).
You can meet the surgeon who will perform your procedure at your free consultation.