The National Institutes of Health reports that androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness affects an estimated 35 million American men. Usually, males first notice hair loss in the form of a receding hairline or hair thinning on the temples. Although this isn't necessarily a sign of male pattern hair loss, it can be. Consult your doctor or dermatologist about the cause of your hair loss before treating it.
Topical Minoxidil
Minoxidil is an FDA-approved topical solution for treatment of male and female pattern baldness at the vertex. Although just studied at the vertex in most clinical trials, renown hair restoration physician Robert Bernstein says minoxidil can work in the frontal areas if there is still hair in the area. Minoxidil should be applied to thinning areas up to two times a day, preferably in the morning and night.
A one-year clinical trial of 5 percent minoxidil led by Dr. Jerry Shapiro was published in the August 2003 Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery. The study found that after a year, men who used minoxidil lost more than 50 percent less hair when washing, from an average of 69.7 hairs to 33.8 hairs. Dermatologists evaluating the men reported that 97.1 percent of men either regrew hair or maintained their initial hair density over the thinning area of the scalp that was examined.
Propecia / Finasteride
Propecia, a 1mg tablet of finasteride, is another FDA-approved remedy for hair loss that can be effective on the frontal lobe. Propecia, unlike minoxidil, is only for men. Dr. Robert Bernstein says that Propecia, like Minoxidil, can treat male pattern hair loss on the hairline area. Omnimedicalsearch highlights a five-year clinical trial that was funded by Merck, the makers of the currently patented Propecia. Two of every three men regrew hair over the five-year study. Perhaps most significantly, 90 percent of men either regrew or maintained their beginning hair counts. All men who received the placebo pill continued to lose hair throughout the study.
Nizoral / Revita Shampoo
Nizoral or Revita shampoo contains the ingredient ketoconazole, which is proven to prevent hair loss and regrow hair--although ketoconazole is not FDA-approved specifically for regrowth. Although most shampoos specially formulated for hair loss have shown little promise, Nizoral and Revita are exceptions. A Belgian peer-reviewed university study led by Dr. Piérard-Franchimon published in the Journal of Dermatology found ketoconazole shampoo to have nearly identical effects of 2 percent minoxidil. It was concluded that ketoconazole shampoo may aid in the treatment of androgenic alopecia or male pattern hair loss.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Androgenic Alopecia
- Bernsteinmedical: Can Propecia or Rogaine Improve Receding Hairline or Front of Scalp
- Omnimedicalsearch: Finasteride (Propecia) for Hair Loss
- Springerlink: Safety of Topical Minoxidil Solution: A One-Year, Prospective, Observational Study
- PubMed; Dermatology; Ketoconazole Shampoo: Effect of Long-Term Use in Androgenic Alopecia; 1998
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