How much is finasteride in Canada?
How much is finasteride in Canada? Your guide to the best finasteride prices
Hair loss is almost a thing of the past: 95% of hair loss in men is treatable. And one of the best hair loss treatments is an affordable medication called finasteride.
Finasteride has been shown to slow and even reverse hair loss. It’s available throughout Canada with a prescription. Because hair loss is so pervasive and finasteride is so effective, it’s one of the most commonly used medications in North America.
But what does finasteride cost?
This article will give you everything you need to know about the price of finasteride in Canada and explain how you can buy it online.
What is Finasteride?
First, what actually is Finasteride?
Finasteride 1mg, the generic version of Propecia, is a prescription medication that is used to treat androgenic alopecia. Androgenic alopecia is also called male pattern hair loss, and it’s the most common cause of hair loss in men. Finasteride is approved by Health Canada and has been found to be safe and well-tolerated by most men (note that some men do experience finasteride side effects).
Learn more: Everything you need to know about Finasteride
Finasteride works by blocking testosterone from breaking down into DHT. DHT contributes to hair loss. It miniaturizes hair follicles and damages them to the point where they eventually stop growing hair. By blocking DHT, finasteride reduces the harmful effect that DHT can have on your hair and can even begin to regrow hair.
Research consistently finds that finasteride really works. In one study, it improved hair loss in 90% of men. It even increased hair growth in 65% of men. Studies show that finasteride increases hair counts and also increases hair thickness. Remember, the earlier you start hair loss treatment, the better. It’s easier to keep hair than regrow it.
Note that because it is a prescription medication, you must have a prescription from a doctor to buy finasteride in Canada. If you’re approved by our medical professionals, you can get a finasteride prescription online right here at Essential Clinic by starting your online visit.
Finasteride cost in Canada
So Finasteride works. How much does finasteride cost in Canada?
It depends where you buy finasteride 1mg (generic Propecia) from. Here are the prices at some common places to find finasteride 1mg (generic Propecia) in Canada: the pharmacy, at Costco, and online.
How much does finasteride cost in the pharmacy?
We looked for the price of finasteride at the largest pharmacies in Canada. The average price is about $1.55 per pill. That’s about $47 each month.
How much is finasteride at Costco?
At Costco Wholesale in Canada, finasteride is about $120 for 3 months or $40 per month. Note that you also need to buy a yearly Costco membership to access their pharmacy. When you factor that in, the cost increases to $45 per month.
How much is finasteride online?
You can buy finasteride 1 mg online. Finasteride 1 mg costs $47.66 per month when shipped via Essential Clinic’s partner pharmacy.
But there’s a way to get it even cheaper…
What’s the cheapest way to get finasteride in Canada?
The cheapest way to get finasteride is to buy finasteride 5 mg online and divide it into four.
Finasteride 5 mg is the generic version of Proscar. At that dosage, finasteride is used to treat men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate.
Both Propecia and Proscar have the same active ingredient: finasteride. The difference between them is just the dosage of finasteride they include. Propecia has only 1 mg of finasteride while Proscar has 5 mg. That means you can use a pill cutter to cut Proscar (finasteride 5 mg) in quarters, and you’ll get a 1.25 mg dose of finasteride. This is an ideal dose for treating hair loss.
And it’s up to 80% cheaper: you can buy Finasteride 5mg online for $14.99 per month. When you buy it through Essential Clinic from our partner pharmacy, it even comes with a free pill cutter.
Tip: Don’t worry about using 1.25 mg of finasteride vs. 1 mg for treating hair loss. Both dosage levels are effective and well-tolerated by most men.
How much does Propecia cost per month?
Propecia is the brand name version of finasteride. They’re pharmaceutically equivalent, they have the same effects and have the same safety profile. The only difference is that you pay much more for the brand name version.
Is Propecia expensive?
Yes, Propecia is much more expensive. At Costco, Propecia currently costs $4.01 per pill or $120 per month. That’s about 3 times the price of buying generic Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) online. And it’s about nine times more expensive than buying generic Proscar (finasteride 5 mg).
Because Propecia is equivalent to finasteride 1 mg, most online clinics don’t even sell Propecia. Essential Clinic sells it upon patient request, but we don’t recommend it because it’s more expensive and doesn’t offer any additional value.
How much is topical finasteride?
The above prices are for oral finasteride—the finasteride you take in pill form. But you can also buy topical finasteride, which comes as a gel that you apply directly to your scalp. Some people prefer the gel because there may be a lower chance of experiencing side effects.
Topical finasteride is still relatively new, so you won’t find it in most pharmacies. Only a handful of clinics offer it. Essential Clinic is one of the only places in Canada where you can order it.
When bought through our clinic, topical finasteride + minoxidil liposomal gel costs $96.66 per month.
The best way to buy finasteride in Canada
Finasteride is the first-line hair loss treatment in Canada. It's popular because it works. And, as a bonus, it's affordable.
The best—and the cheapest—way to get finasteride for hair loss in Canada is to buy it in its 5 mg version (generic Proscar) and use a pill cutter to divide it into quarters. This will set you back $14.99 a month—a small price to pay for a thick head of luxurious hair.
Just remember that you need a prescription from a qualified healthcare provider to buy finasteride tablets—whether it’s online or in-person.
Get started with your online visit now.
References
Shapiro, J., & Kaufman, K. D. (2003, June). Use of finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss). In Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings (Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 20-23). Elsevier.
Kaufman, K. D., Olsen, E. A., Whiting, D., Savin, R., DeVillez, R., Bergfeld, W., ... & Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group. (1998). Finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 39(4), 578-589.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.