The Hair Loss Treatment Propecia

According to OmniMedicalSearch.com, Propecia is the only "anti-baldness" pill approved by the FDA specifically for androgenic alopecia, or male hair thinning. It is manufactured by Merck and available by prescription only. In order to treat androgenic alopecia, it is very important to speak with your doctor to determine that you are experiencing hair thinning due to male pattern baldness and not some other cause.

History

Propecia is a tablet that contains 1 mg of finasteride. Finasteride has a unique history. The drug Proscar contained 5 mg of finasteride and was originally used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH, in men. According to HairSite.com, it was discovered that males using Proscar to treat BPH experiences less hair loss and even some hair regrowth. The pharmaceutical company Merck took note and began their own testing using 1 mg of finasteride to avoid Proscar's potential side effects. Men suffering from male pattern baldness responded very positively. In November of 1997, Merck presented their favorable study to the FDA. The FDA awarded Merck a patent, and Propecia was born.

Function

Propecia functions by reducing the amount of DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, present in the body. HairSite.com notes that it is generally accepted that DHT is the main culprit of male pattern baldness. Specifically, Propecia inhibits the 5-alpha-reductase that converts testosterone to DHT. Since the 5-alpha-reductase cannot convert testosterone to DHT, the active levels of DHT in the body fall. Lower levels of DHT mean lower levels of hair loss. Lower levels of DHT allow for existing hairs to thicken and new hair to grow.

Effectiveness

Propecia, along with minoxidil, are the only FDA approved hair loss treatments that have been proven to be safe and effective at slowing male progressive hair loss and contributing to regrowth. The aforementioned Merck study, published in 1998 in the "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology," was conducted over 5 years and remains the longest peer-reviewed clinical trial of the drug. In the study, 2 out of every 3 men who used Propecia over the 5-year study regrew hair; 3 out of every 4 men were rated by dermatologists to have improved their hair density. Perhaps most significantly, 90 percent of men either increased their hair count or maintained their hair count.

Warning

Propecia is only intended to treat male pattern baldness and should not be used by women. Propecia's website even suggested that women not even handle the tablets.

Propecia is generally well tolerated by men. Propecia's website state that clinical studies showed that side effects were uncommon and did not affect most men. Since DHT is the male sex hormone, sexual side effects are possible. The 5-year Merck study noted that 2 percent of men experienced sexual side effects, but that percentage fell to 0.3 by the culmination of the clinical trial. You are encouraged to report any side effects to your doctor.

Expert Insight

The clinical trials of Propecia surveyed just the top of the head, or crown area. Propecia's package insert indicates that the FDA approves Propecia for hair loss prevention and regrowth only on the crown, or vertex area, of the scalp. Despite this fact, renown hair restoration surgeon Robert Bernstein suggests to ignore the package insert, and states that Propecia can also work "...in the front of the scalp as long as there is some hair in the area." Bernstein suggests to stay on Propecia for a year before considering a hair transplant.