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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

As an investigator and contributing author of studies on finasteride and male pattern hair loss,¹ I am writing in response to the commentary by Frankel² published in the March 1999 issue of the ARCHIVES. In his commentary, Frankel raises concerns about the dosage, long-term adverse effects, and costs of Propecia (finasteride, 1 mg). It is appropriate to raise and publish opinions about controversial issues. Commentaries, however, are not held to the same rigorous scrutiny and high scientific standards as peer-reviewed articles.

Frankel asserts that the 1-mg dose is unnecessarily high and, therefore, unnecessarily expensive, arguing instead that the data would support a lower 0.2-mg dose. His conclusion about the appropriate dosage, based on data from a 6-week trial examining the effects of finasteride on serum and scalp dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is erroneous. A separate 6-month clinical dose-ranging study was specifically performed to assess the effects of finasteride on hair growth using . . . [Full Text of this Article]