Q: I am 26 years old and in the beginning of losing my hair and not ready for hair transplant surgery. It seems to have stopped now but 4 months ago I shed a lot of hair and can visually see that my hair on the scalp is thinning out.

I have looked into and read up on taking Propecia or more exactly Finpecia (I’m a student so cost is a factor), but can I trust this generic drug? Have looked at the company (Cipla) website but I’m still a bit scared of taking something I don’t really know what it is. What is your opinion on choosing Finpecia over Propecia?

A: Finpecia is manufactured in India by a slightly different method than the way Propecia is produced in the U.S.

Since finasteride 5mg is now available in a generic from in the U.S., I suggest that you use finasteride 5mg and quarter the 5mg tablet with a pill cutter and take 1/4 tablet a day. The parts do not need to be the same size.

In the U.S., generic finasteride and Propecia (1mg) and Proscar (5mg) are all made the same way.

Cipla is a large company, but not under U.S. FDA supervision.