Men Tips

posted by kteinc on Jun 19

So you tried everything for your hair loss and nothing seems to work. What are your options? One option is to go to a physician and ask for a prescription drug, but it is better to be educated before asking. We will explore the options, prices and side effects.

While topical solutions such as Rogaine branded monoxidil has been used to treat hair loss, Propecia branded Finasteride by Merck & Company, Inc. is the only FDA approved pill for the prevention of hair loss and possible hair re-growth. Like Rogaine, Propecia was discovered when its generic equivalent being used for another purpose was found to have beneficial side effects.

Finasteride is the generic name for the drug, which was already in existence for quite some time and had been produced under the name Proscar by Merck & Company and used for treatment of enlarged prostates, a syndrome medically called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is caused by an overproduction of DHT, which causes the prostate to grow.

Many BHP patients were also suffering with MPB, and when patients began taking Proscar, they noticed the re-growth of hair also. This sparked new testing and the birth of Propecia as a hair restoration drug. The approval of Propecia by the FDA was easy to achieve, since it was merely marketing already approved Finasteride as a hair restoration drug, with a much smaller dosage than that required for BPH.

Propecia is being prescribed by doctors to some patients as an oral treatment to internally block the production of DHT. Propecia is an androgen hormone inhibitor only approved for men, and has been clinically proven to grow hair on a significant percentage of men who suffer with Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) or more properly androgenetic alopecia. Unfortunately, the drug has not been approved for use by women at this time. This is especially true for women who are pregnant or can become pregnant, because the process of inhibiting testosterone from being converted to DHT can affect secondary sex characteristics of unborn fetuses.

Propecia works by reversing the shrinkage of hair follicles that are in the telogen phase, or last phase of the normal hair cycle. Propecia works best in combination with topical treatments of Monoxidil such as Rogaine. Participants in studies have seen hair grow in as little as six months, whereas those who have seen no results in a year’s time are reported not likely to see any results from the drug. One round of testing of over 2,000 men with androgenetic alopecia over a four-year period showed half with reported new hair growth.

Side effects of Propecia in a few persons studied include diminished sex drive, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decreased sperm production. Side effects were found in less than three percent of participants in clinical studies. Fortunately when the drug’s use was discontinued, the side effects went away and normal functions resumed.

The price of Propecia is in the range of $130 for a 30-day supply.

This is just a few tips to stop hair loss and help to re-grow your hair. You can learn how to use less than $15 of grocery store items to stop hair loss and re-grow hair at Hair Loss Prevention and Re-growth. Information found at http://hairloss.kteweb.com