Trump’s hair-loss drug is missing from his health report: Why is it concerning?

Finasteride, a widely prescribed treatment used by millions of men to combat male-pattern baldness, was repeatedly identified as part of United States President Donald Trump’s medical regimen during his first presidency.

Yet the drug has disappeared from publicly released medical records since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, reported the Washington Post.

The omission was once again evident in the president’s latest health report, released by the White House last week following a recent medical examination at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

While the document listed several medications and offered an assessment of Trump’s overall condition, it made no mention of finasteride, also sold under the brand name Propecia.

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The questions come at a time when Trump’s health has become an increasingly discussed topic as he approaches his 80th birthday and continues serving as the oldest person ever elected president of the United States.

When the medication was first openly acknowledged

The drug first entered the spotlight after medical experts examined health information released during Trump’s initial presidential campaign in 2016. At the time, a medical summary issued by his physician, Harold Bornstein, did not list finasteride among the medications the Republican candidate was taking.

However, the report included one detail that drew the attention of some doctors: Trump’s prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, levels were unusually low.

PSA is commonly used as a marker during screening for prostate abnormalities, including cancer. Medical professionals noted that finasteride is known to reduce PSA levels in patients who take it regularly.

The unexpectedly low readings prompted questions from medical experts, and the issue was later clarified when Bornstein disclosed that Trump had been taking finasteride as a treatment for hair loss.

That explanation aligned with established medical understanding of the drug’s effects.

Finasteride is commonly prescribed to slow or prevent male-pattern baldness. Physicians generally consider it well tolerated, and it has been used for decades by men seeking to preserve hair growth.

The medication also has applications in prostate-related treatment and prevention strategies. After Trump entered the White House in 2017, subsequent physicians continued to acknowledge his use of the medication.

In January 2018, then-White House physician Ronny Jackson provided one of the most direct public confirmations of Trump’s treatment. “He takes Propecia, 1 milligram daily, for prevention of male-pattern hair loss,” Jackson said during a White House press briefing.

He added later that Trump’s use of finasteride was “probably why his PSA is as low as it is, because it’s very low.”

The medication remained part of Trump’s publicly disclosed treatment plan for years. Sean Conley, who later became Trump’s physician, also reported in June 2020 that the president was still taking finasteride.

The situation today is markedly different. Since Trump returned to office, none of the medical updates released by his campaign or the White House have referenced finasteride.

Latest health report revives questions

The latest health report detailed medications being taken to manage cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. According to the document, Trump continues to use rosuvastatin and ezetimibe for cholesterol management while also taking aspirin.

Sean P Barbabella, Trump’s current physician, offered a positive evaluation of the president’s condition, writing that Trump “remains in excellent health.”

Yet observers quickly noticed that finasteride was absent. When asked about the omission, White House officials did not directly address whether Trump continues to take the medication.

“The current report reflects all medications deemed clinically relevant to disclose at this time,” the White House said.

The statement also noted that Trump’s latest medical report included information relevant to his ability to serve as president. “No additional undisclosed conditions or procedures materially affecting his health status were omitted from this report.”

How transparent should a president's health be

American presidents are not legally obligated to release detailed medical records, medication lists or diagnostic information. Nevertheless, modern administrations have generally chosen to provide periodic updates, often following annual examinations conducted at Walter Reed.

The practice has traditionally been presented as a way to reassure the public that a president remains capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of office.

Trump himself recently defended the idea of releasing medical information. “I think I have an obligation to do it,” Trump told the New York Post in an interview posted Wednesday. “I just came out with very, very good results.”

At the same time, physicians acknowledge that determining what should be disclosed is not always straightforward. Many experts argue that medical issues capable of affecting a president’s decision-making, physical functioning or ability to perform official duties warrant disclosure.

Cosmetic treatments, however, often occupy a less clear category because they may have little bearing on governance while still involving private medical decisions.

The debate surrounding finasteride reflects that distinction. Unlike medications used to treat serious illnesses, the drug has primarily been associated with Trump’s efforts to maintain his hair.

Several physicians have also pointed out that stopping finasteride can result in substantial hair shedding over time, though no public information has been provided regarding whether Trump has discontinued treatment.

Trump’s health under the scanner during second presidency

Since April 2025, the president has made four visits to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Those visits coincided with growing public attention focused on visible bruising on his hands and swelling in his lower legs and ankles.

Trump’s latest medical report acknowledged the bruising and attributed it to aspirin use associated with cardiovascular prevention.

However, some critics have argued that the administration has not provided complete details regarding dosage levels and other aspects of treatment. Additional questions emerged after Trump disclosed that one of his medical evaluations included an MRI scan.

The president did not specify which area of his body was examined.  According to reports, Trump told reporters that the MRI did not involve his brain.

The president has also repeatedly highlighted his performance on cognitive testing. Throughout his political career, Trump has frequently pointed to results from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment as evidence of his mental sharpness.

He has repeatedly said that he performed exceptionally well on the test and has often cited those results when responding to concerns about age and cognition. Medical specialists, however, note that the examination is designed primarily to identify potential cognitive impairment rather than measure intellectual superiority.

Questions regarding Trump’s health have intensified because of his age. He turns 80 on June 14 and is already the oldest person ever elected president. Observers have also pointed to instances in which Trump appeared tired during public events or displayed moments of confusion and memory lapses.

The White House has rejected concerns about Trump’s health and has consistently focused on the positive findings from official medical assessments.

Polling and comparisons with Biden

An Ipsos survey released last month found that 59 percent of respondents did not believe Trump possesses the mental acuity required to serve effectively as president. Approximately 55 percent expressed concerns regarding his physical condition.

The issue has become particularly significant because Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, are the two oldest men ever to hold the office.

Biden was 82 when he left the White House, while Trump is approaching 80.

Throughout the 2024 election cycle, Trump repeatedly questioned Biden’s fitness for office and argued that the Democrat should have undergone additional cognitive assessments. Questions surrounding Biden’s health escalated after his widely criticised debate performance against Trump in June 2024.

In a newly released memoir, former first lady Jill Biden wrote that she believed her husband should have undergone cognitive testing following the debate. Officials in Biden’s administration had maintained at the time that such testing was unnecessary.

The issue gained more attention after journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson published their 2025 book "Original Sin," which alleged that the Biden White House worked to conceal evidence of the former president’s physical decline.

Presidential secrecy has a long history

American presidents and their administrations have frequently withheld significant medical information from the public.

One of the most notable examples involved US President Grover Cleveland. In 1893, Cleveland publicly claimed he was taking a brief fishing trip while secretly undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his jaw.

US President Woodrow Wilson’s severe stroke in 1919 was similarly concealed for an extended period, leaving many Americans unaware of the extent of his disability.

US President Franklin D Roosevelt’s reliance on a wheelchair was rarely shown in photographs and was seldom discussed publicly during his presidency.

US President John F Kennedy’s extensive use of pain medication has also become a frequently cited example of incomplete presidential health disclosure.

More recently, Trump himself faced criticism during his first term over questions regarding transparency surrounding his Covid-19 infection in 2020.

Critics argued that the administration did not fully reveal the seriousness of the illness while he was undergoing treatment.

Trump has also faced questions about medical disclosures dating back to his first presidential campaign. One of his former physicians later stated that a health report released under the doctor’s name had actually been dictated by Trump himself.

Trump’s enduring fascination with hair

The attention paid to finasteride is amplified by Trump’s decades-long association with his distinctive hairstyle. Few physical characteristics have become as closely linked to a modern political figure as Trump’s hair.

Over the years, he has publicly complimented other men’s hair, defended his own appearance and repeatedly pushed back against suggestions that his hairstyle is artificial.

During a campaign event in South Carolina in August 2015, Trump attempted to settle the issue in an unusually direct fashion. “I don’t wear a toupee. It’s my hair. I swear,” Trump said while inviting a woman from the audience onto the stage.

He then asked her to conduct what he described as an inspection by tugging on his hair.

Afterward, Trump joked with the crowd. “We don’t want to mess it up too much because I do use hair spray,” Trump said.

With inputs from agencies