Male Pattern Baldness Treatments

In the past few years, medicine has made tremendous strides in the treatment of men's hair loss. With the advent of 5-alpha-reductace inhibitors such as Propecia and the evolution of surgical hair restoration, living with noticeable hair loss is no longer inevitable. For the first time in the history it is now possible to stop or slow the progression of hair loss and to replace lost hair through surgery with completely natural results.

However, with that said, the vast majority of hair loss treatments being marketed today are still nothing but "snake oils."

You may have seen the ads in the back of men's magazines, you've heard the commercials on the radio, and you've seen the infomercials promoting miracle treatments for hair loss. The bottom line is that most advertised "treatments" do not work for the prevention and treatment of hair loss. If a hair loss treatment is not approved by the FDA or recommended by the American Hair Loss Association, chances are you are wasting your time and money.

Remember that successful treatment of hair loss is greatly dependent on early intervention. It is critical to begin treatment with an effective product as soon as you notice the onset of hair loss.

The following two treatments have been clinically proven to successfully treat hair loss in men to varying degrees.

Finasteride (Proscar, Propecia)

Finasteride is the generic name for the brand name drugs Proscar and Propecia. Finasteride was originally developed by the pharmaceutical company Merck as a drug (Proscar) to treat enlarged prostate glands.

During the trials on men with prostate problems, researchers noted an intriguing side effect: hair growth. Since finasteride had already been approved by the FDA to treat enlarged prostates in men, Merck decided to pursue the possibility of developing finasteride as the first pill to treat male pattern baldness. Minoxidil, a topical liquid solution, was already on the market (see below).

In December 1997, the FDA approved a 1mg dose of finasteride for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) in men. Propecia is the first drug in history to effectively treat male pattern baldness in the majority of men who use it.

How Finasteride Works

Finasteride's hair-raising success is due to its ability to specifically inhibit 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into a more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Propecia's 1 mg dose of finasteride can effectively lower DHT levels in the scalp by as much as 60% when taken daily. It is DHT that shrinks or miniaturizes the hair follicle, which eventually leads to baldness. This 60% reduction in DHT has proven to stop the progression of hair loss in 86% of men taking the drug during clinical trials. 65% of trial participants had what was considered a substantial increase of hair growth.

At this point, the only truly effective medically proven way to arrest the hair loss process is to lower DHT levels. The American Hair Loss Association recommends finasteride as the first line of attack for all men interested in treating their male pattern baldness.