I Missed a Finasteride Dose Last Night, What Do I Do?'

Name: Henry

Question: I missed my dose of finasteride last night, what do I do? I take one 1mg tablet every day but I fell asleep early last night and forgot to take it before I went to bed do do I take two today or do I just accept that I missed a day? Will missing a dose have any effect on my hair? Please help!

Answer: Hi, Henry. As you know, finasteride 1mg is meant to be taken once per day. When you miss a dose, you should just continue to take your tablet as normal - again, only one per day - the next day.

Missing just one dose is unlikely to have any meaningful effect on your hair growth, however, if you start to miss doses regularly, your progress is likely to slow down and it may cause your hair loss to resume.

Do not double-up and take two the next day to make up for the one you missed. You must not do this, as is clearly stated on the patient information leaflet which should accompany your medication.

We understand you are not a Belgravia patient so if you are missing the patient information leaflet from your hair loss treatment - this is generally contained inside the packaging - please explain this to your treatment provider, or the pharmacist from which you purchased the medication.

They may give you a copy or direct you to a relevant online copy, but either way it is vital that you have this information.

We would always be suspicious when a person is not provided with the relevant information, including the leaflet that details everything you need to know about finasteride for Male Pattern Hair Loss before starting treatment.

If you bought the tablets online or from any potentially unauthorised vendor, and have no-one to contact about this, we would recommend both purchasing your treatment elsewhere in the future, and checking in with your doctor, just to be on the safe side.

There are currently many issues with stolen or fake medication being sold, which may mean that what you believe to be 'finasteride tablets' may not be what they were sold as, or may be out of date, or even just unsuitable for you based on your medical profile.

It's certainly worth having a consultation with a specialist at a dedicated hair loss clinic just to ensure you are on the optimum treatment course for your condition, level and pattern of shedding, as well as your medical and lifestyle needs.

They may also be able to help with tips for working your treatment into your daily routine to minimise the risk of you forgetting doses, as well as to help you get the most out of your treatment course.