Q I’m 25 years of age. Over the past 12 months I have started to lose my hair and feel that I will be bald like my father. I was wondering if I can do anything about hair restoration. What would you advise?
A Male pattern hair loss (balding), also called androgenic alopecia, appears as a receding hairline with or without hair loss on the top of the head. It is an inherited condition. Men who develop balding are genetically more sensitive to the effects of the hormone dihydrotestorone (DHT). It is thought that DHT shortens the amount of time the hair spends in the growth phase. It also causes the hairs to become smaller and finer (miniaturisation).
It was said that baldness was inherited from the mother’s side of the family, but it is now believed that it can come from either side of the family. About 50 per cent of men by the age of 50 will have some degree of male pattern hair loss.
There are a number of treatments available for male pattern hair loss with varying success rates. Probably the most common is Minoxidil. Minoxidil is a Rogaine TM. This was originally a treatment for high blood pressure but it was noted that unwanted hair growth was one of the side effects. It’s since been made into a topical solution for treatment of hair loss. The way it works is that it dilates small blood vessels, though the exact way it restores hair growth is uncertain. It is unfortunately something that needs to be done on an ongoing basis because if you stop the treatment you usually return to your pre-treatment hair thickness within about four months.
It has a varying success rate, and generally the hair growth is finer and thinner than that of your normal hair.
There is a tablet called Finasteride (PropeciaTM), which blocks the enzyme, which converts testosterone to DHT. As a result, it decreases DHT’s effects on the hair. It is taken once a day. It is difficult to predict who will respond well and how much hair regrowth there will be.
There have been some large clinical trials; these were limited to mild to moderate hair loss. It is not known exactly how long you have to be on the treatment, but it is probably indefinitely. It does, however, have side effects, like all medications, and a more in-depth discussion with your doctor or dermatologist would be advisable if you are considering Finasteride.
Hair replacement surgery has also improved greatly over the past number of years, with the techniques becoming much more complex and, as a result, the cosmetic appearance has become much more subtle. Hair transplantation relies on the fact that there are areas of the scalp where the hair doesn’t tend to be lost, commonly on the sides and back of the head. Small pieces of hair and the hair roots from these areas are transplanted to the bald or thinning areas. This is usually a time consuming and laborious process and the number of hairs or transplantations can vary to involve thousands of grafts. It is not without its risks and is an expensive procedure. I would advise you to get as much advice from your own doctor, dermatologist, etc, about who to attend, what type of treatment to have before embarking on any program.
wikipedia.com - In a 5-year study of men with mild to moderate hair loss, 48% of those treated with Propecia (finasteride 1 mg) experienced some regrowth of hair, and a further 42% had no further loss. Average hair count in the treatment group remained above baseline, and showed an increasing difference from hair count in the placebo group, for all five years of the study. Propecia is effective only for as long as it is taken; the hair gained or maintained is lost within 6–12 months of ceasing therapy. In clinical studies, Propecia, like minoxidil, was shown to work on both the crown area and the hairline, but is most successful in the crown area.
Some users, in an effort to save money, buy Proscar instead of Propecia, and split the Proscar pills to approximate the Propecia dosage. Doing so is considered unadvisable if women of pregnancy age are in the household; this is because finasteride, even in small concentrations, can cause birth defects in a developing male fetus. The birth defects involve the development of male genitalia (no such effects have been noted in developing female fetuses). On most product inserts, it will be mentioned that the dust or crumbs from broken Proscar tablets should be kept away from pregnant women.
Propecia has been shown to be ineffective for treating hair loss in women. However, Propecia's supporters respond that the study was on post-menopausal women whose hair loss was more likely related to the loss of estrogen versus a sensitivity to DHT. Doctors may prescribe it for women, but not without sufficient birth control measures in place or assurance that the woman cannot become pregnant.
Side effects
Recognized side effects of finasteride include impotence (1.1% to 18.5%), abnormal ejaculation (7.2%), decreased ejaculatory volume (0.9% to 2.8%), abnormal sexual function (2.5%), gynecomastia (2.2%), erectile dysfunction (1.3%), ejaculation disorder (1.2%) and testicular pain. Resolution occurred in men who discontinued therapy with finasteride due to these side effects and in most of those who continued therapy.
In December 2008, the Swedish Medical Products agency concluded a safety investigation of Propecia and advise that use of Propecia may result in irreversible sexual side effects. The Agency's updated safety information lists difficulty in obtaining an erection that persists indefinitely even after the discontinuation of Propecia as a possible side effect of the drug.
Finasteride is not indicated for use by women. Finasteride is in the FDA pregnancy category X. This means that it is known to cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Women who are or who may become pregnant must not handle crushed or broken finasteride tablets, because the medication could be absorbed through the skin. Finasteride is known to cause birth defects in a developing male baby. Exposure to whole tablets should be avoided whenever possible, however exposure to whole tablets is not expected to be harmful as long as the tablets are not swallowed. It is not known whether finasteride passes into breast milk, and thus should not be taken by breastfeeding women. Finasteride may pass into the semen of men, but Merck states that a pregnant woman's contact with the semen of a man taking finasteride is not an issue for concern.
Finasteride is known to affect blood donations, and potential donors are typically restricted for at least a month after their most recent dose.
Finasteride has been linked with depression. The drug also caused reductions in allopregnanolone, a potent, endogenous positive modulator of the GABA-A receptor, in very large doses in rodent studies.
Many sports organizations have banned finasteride because it can be used to mask steroid abuse. Since 2005, finasteride has been on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of banned substances. However, it was removed from the list in 2009. Notable athletes who used finasteride for hair loss and were banned from international competition include skeleton racer Zach Lund, bobsledder Sebastien Gattuso, footballer Romário and ice hockey goaltender José Théodore.
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By Sushi Addict "gujji" (Moscow) -
I bought this product abt 1 month ago after some of my friends told me that my bald spot is getting serious.And started to use it immediately.
I can see small like-baby hair growing on my bald spot right after the 1 st week.I was so thrilled,so i decided to fully shave my head so that the growth of the new hair will be the same as the remaining hair.
Now after abt 2 weeks,the hair is growing back as planned together with the new hair on the bald spot.i totally recommend this product.However do not skip your exercise@sports activity because this things works on lowering your testosterone or something.But so far it has been fine with me.
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