Hair Growth With Propecia

Propecia is an effective treatment that can significantly help slow or reverse hair loss. According to Hairtransplantnetwork, 80 percent of men have reversed their hair loss to some degree by taking Propecia daily. Consult with your physician to determine that your thinning hair is due to male-pattern baldness before using Propecia.

History

Propecia contains 1 mg of the drug finasteride, which has been traditionally used in 5-mg doses in the form of Proscar to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. HairSite reports that patients using Proscar noticed decreased hair loss. The pharmaceutical company Merck took notice of this, began testing a 1 mg version of finasteride and observed similar positive effects on hair loss without the side effect that Proscar sometimes gave. In November 1997, Merck presented its study to the FDA, was awarded a patent and Propecia was born. The Merck five-year study was published in the October 1998 "Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology."

Function

According to Propecia.com, Propecia works by lowering the levels of dihydrotestosterone--or DHT--in the body. DHT is thought to be the main contributor to hair loss in men. In theory, with lower levels of DHT there will be lower levels of hair loss. Propecia inhibits the 5-alpha-reductase, which converts testosterone to DHT. DHT cannot then attach to hair follicles and progressively shrink them. An environment with lower DHT levels can allow for existing hair to be preserved or thicken and may allow for new hair to grow.

Scientific Support

Propecia is recommended by the FDA for the treatment of male-pattern baldness. Merck's homepage for its Propecia website highlights the five-year study of Propecia as a treatment for androgenic alopecia or male-pattern baldness. Merck reports that two out of three men regrew hair in the study and that nine out of 10 had "visible results" in before and after pictures in which they either regrew hair or maintained their initial hair count.

Warning

Propecia is only for the treatment of male-pattern baldness. Woman are strongly advised against taking Propecia. Merck also suggests that women do not even handle Propecia tablets. The FDA considers Propecia to be well tolerated by men. In Merck's study only 2 percent of men experienced sexual side effects from lower levels of DHT--the male sex hormone. By the end of the study, only .3 percent were still experiencing sexual side effects. A listing of other less frequent side effects is on Merck's homepage for Propecia.

Expert Insight

Propecia has only been proven and approved by the FDA for male hair loss on the crown or vertex of the scalp. Clinical trials only observed thinning areas at the top of the scalp. Still, renowned hair restoration surgeon, Robert Bernstein suggests that users ignore the package insert and that Propecia can preserve hair and regrow hair at the hair line so long as there is still hair in the frontal area. He further recommends the use of Propecia for 12 months before considering a hair-restoration procedure.