Hims and other telehealth firms make finasteride easy to get and don’t have to disclose side effects in ads
Mark Millich said he suffered serious side effects after taking finasteride pills from Hims. Photo: Greg Kahn for WSJ
March 13, 2025 5:30 am ET
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Telehealth companies are aggressively marketing hair-loss medications to young men. Some of the patients said they had serious side effects and didn’t realize they were possible.
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Finasteride, the generic name for Propecia, is widely prescribed but has been linked to serious side effects in some men, including persistent sexual problems and suicidal thoughts.
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Telehealth companies say they disclose side effects and other risks on their websites. They say clinical studies show finasteride is effective and side effects are rare.
Mark Millich, 26 years old and insecure about his thinning hair, was curious about the ads he saw promising to reverse his hair loss. He completed a 14-question intake on Hims.com and received a bottle of finasteride pills days later. He never spoke to a doctor. ……………………………….
As I have discussed yesterday, that my experience with finasteride is not the same as reported here; however, the report discussed telemedicine without a doctors involved and the use of a product that contained finasteride and other medications. I will not comment on the product as I have no first hand knowledge of its use; however, I caution anyone who wants to treat their hair loss with medications, to do it under the supervision of a good expert doctor in the hair field so that they can avoid complications. Even drugs like topical Rogaine, at higher than recommended doses, can put someone into heart failure.