In recent years, telehealth companies like Hims and Keeps have transformed access to hair loss treatments by providing online consultations and direct-to-door deliveries.
Their widespread marketing efforts, especially on social media, have captured the attention of a younger demographic seeking quick fixes for thinning hair.
However, for some users, the convenience and affordability come with significant drawbacks.
Former US army sergeant Mark Millich.
Former US Army Sgt. Mark Millich, 26, received a bottle of finasteride pills just days after filling out a brief questionnaire on Hims.com, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Soon after, he began experiencing anxiety, dizziness and slurred speech — and then things got even worse.
His sex drive dropped significantly, and his genitals shrank and changed shape. His doctor attributed these issues to the medication.
Finasteride, sold under the brand name Propecia, has been commonly prescribed for male-pattern baldness since 1997.
While it is effective for promoting hair regrowth, it is also associated with side effects, including sexual dysfunction and depression.
Millich began experiencing severe side effects after receiving finasteride pills from telehealth company Hims.
The FDA has revised the drug’s label over time to include warnings about these risks, including the potential for suicidal thoughts.
Unlike traditional pharmaceutical companies, telehealth service providers are not required to disclose side effects and other risks in their advertisements, though they assert that such information is available on their websites.
“This is not something young men should take,” one medical expert said.
Dr. Justin Houman, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, has noticed an increase in young men seeking treatment for sexual dysfunction caused by finasteride.
“This is not a medication young men should be taking,” he told the Journal.
Meanwhile, a Hims spokeswoman told the outlet that their customers “undergo a comprehensive intake process, which is reviewed by a licensed provider who makes a clinical decision regarding the patient’s eligibility for medication” and that they provide “all essential details and safety information.”
However, neither Millich nor Sawyer Hart — one of the 17 men the WSJ spoke to who experienced severe side effects after obtaining the drug through a telehealth service — feel they were properly informed about the risks.
While telehealth companies have arguably made prescription drugs more accessible, medical experts have raised concerns about their potentially inadequate patient evaluations, suggesting that these services may prioritize prescription volume over the health and safety of their customers.
Dr. Jonathan Daly, an internal medicine physician who worked for Hims for two years, told the Journal that he “felt like, as a platform, it was more about prescribing and getting as many patients as possible to use medications from us.”
