Robert Finney, MD FAAD

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Robert Finney, MD FAAD Cosmetic & Medical Dermatologist + Hair Restoration Expert in NYC
Founder of Soho Skin and Hair Restoration

09/18/2026

Aging is inevitable (and a privilege!). Looking like it happened overnight doesn’t have to be.

I’m turning 42 this week, and my approach is simple: start early with a dermatologist that you trust. Make a plan and reassess your needs at regular intervals.

The goal? Look younger, age slower and look like the best version of yourself.

09/15/2026

Your hair is shedding like CRAZY right now? There’s a good chance summer is to blame. 🍂

Human hair actually has a seasonal rhythm. As we enter summer, more follicles get the signal to enter their resting phase. But just like you with your morning alarm, they hit snooze a few times before finally packing up.

2–3 months later? Mass exodus. 👋 And that means shedding tends to hit a fever pitch from August through October.

The good news: seasonal shedding is normal, temporary, and those hairs should grow back.

But here’s the catch: this has been happening your entire life.

If you’re suddenly noticing it much more than you used to, you may have already lost some underlying density—often from genetic hair loss—making a normal seasonal shed much more obvious.

If that sounds like you, or your shedding isn’t letting up, see your board-certified dermatologist. Earlier diagnosis = more hair to protect.

09/11/2026

Is creatine making you bald? 💪➡️👨‍🦲

This question must be circulating the Reddit boards because I’ve been getting it A LOT lately.

First things first: creatine isn’t going to cause genetic hair loss because, well… genetics.

Genetics essentially flips the switch in those who are susceptible, making their hair follicles sensitive to DHT—even at completely normal DHT levels.

So where does the creatine concern come from?
A small study published in 2009 found an increase in DHT after creatine supplementation. And since DHT drives follicle miniaturization in genetic hair loss, the concern became: could creatine accelerate hair loss in someone who is already susceptible?

The problem?

The study included only 20 guys and lasted just three weeks.

Even more importantly, the creatine group started with substantially lower DHT levels. Their DHT then “rose,” but remained within normal physiologic levels.

That makes it pretty tough to take a short-term change and conclude that creatine is meaningfully increasing the DHT exposure that drives genetic hair loss.

Fast-forward to 2025, and we finally got a much better randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Men took a standard 5 grams of creatine daily for 12 weeks.
The result?

No significant increase in DHT. No significant difference in testosterone. And no significant difference in hair density, thickness, or other measured hair outcomes versus placebo.

So, could creatine be accelerating your genetic hair loss?
Based on the best evidence we have right now: probably not.

If you have genetic hair loss, you need an effective plan to protect your follicles from DHT. Otherwise, you’re cooked. 🫠

Have hair loss? Set up your appointment today.

09/02/2026

“Doc, will finasteride kill my gains?” 💪

A question I hear from my gym-going hair loss patients ALL the time.

The short answer: the evidence says no.

Finasteride inhibits 5-alpha-reductase, decreasing the conversion of testosterone to DHT. While DHT drops, testosterone stays the same or may actually increase slightly.

And here’s the important part: skeletal muscle has very little 5-alpha-reductase activity. Testosterone can act directly on androgen receptors in muscle without needing to be converted to DHT.

More importantly, we have randomized human data to back that physiology up. Even when DHT production was profoundly suppressed, researchers found no meaningful difference in gains in lean muscle mass or strength. Studies combining testosterone with finasteride have similarly shown preserved gains in muscle and strength.

DHT matters a lot in certain tissues — including the prostate, skin and hair follicle. Skeletal muscle? Not so much.

Bottom line: finasteride lowers DHT. It doesn’t lower your gains. 🙌

And yes, judging by those 3 lb dumbbells, I recognize that I may not be the ideal spokesperson for gains. 😂

MuscleGrowth Dermatologist AndrogeneticAlopecia

Even the best sunscreen routine isn’t completely sunburn-proof. ☀️🔥Take it from your pasty Irish dermatologist who may o...
08/27/2026

Even the best sunscreen routine isn’t completely sunburn-proof. ☀️🔥

Take it from your pasty Irish dermatologist who may or may not—but definitely has—dealt with his fair share of sunburns 😬

Prevention is still your best defense. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and reapply every 2 hours. Add sun-protective clothing whenever you can. And for those who burn easily, consider a Polypodium leucotomos supplement as an internal assist to help boost your skin’s defenses against UV damage—not as a replacement for sunscreen.

But if the sun still catches up with you… what actually helps?

My friend and beauty guru Samantha Holender put together a great guide for Marie Claire on exactly what to do when you get burned, and was kind enough to tap myself and all ⭐️ colleague Marisa Garshick MD FAAD for our dermatologist-approved tips to help your skin recover.

Check out the full article for everything you need to know!

Dermatologist Dermatology SkincareTips SkinHealth UVProtection SummerSkincare

07/15/2026

Big thanks to New York Living and Felicia Miller-Stehr for having me on to talk all things sunscreen with the amazing Marysol Castro 🇵🇷. ☀️

One of the biggest updates I highlighted was Bemotrizinol (BEMT, also known as Parsol® Shield)—the first new sunscreen filter approved by the FDA in over 25 years.

Why should you care?

✅ It provides excellent broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
✅ It helps formulators create sunscreens that are lighter, more elegant, and easier to wear every day—which means you’re more likely to actually use them.

The funny part? Europe has been using this filter for over 25 years. Hopefully this is just the beginning, and we’ll finally see more outstanding UV filters make their way to the U.S.

I’m looking at you, Ecamsule. 👀

05/31/2026

Predatory hair loss marketing follows the same formula every time:

✅ Start with a tiny grain of truth
✅ Turn it into a problem everyone supposedly has
✅ Sell the solution

Last week it was a shower filter.

This week it’s a silk hat.

Hair loss is already stressful enough. Patients don’t need to be told that their shower water, baseball cap, pillowcase, or whatever the latest viral product is, is secretly destroying their hair.

What disappoints me most is that this kind of marketing further erodes trust in medical professionals.

Patients deserve evidence-based recommendations—not fear-based sales tactics.

If you’re concerned about hair loss, don’t get your medical advice from an advertisement.

See a board-certified dermatologist who can help you separate marketing from medicine and focus on treatments that actually work.

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333 Hudson Street Suite 701
New York, NY
10013

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Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 10am - 6:30pm
Thursday 10am - 6:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

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