Propecia
PROPECIA is the first and only FDA-approved pill proven
to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of
the head) and anterior mid-scalp area in men.
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Propecia
Long Term Test
PROPECIA
is the first and only FDA-approved pill proven to treat male
pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of the head)
and anterior mid-scalp area in men.
The numbers.
The fact is, for most
men, PROPECIA works. The results of 2 years of testing speak
for themselves.*
- 5 out of 6 men kept
the amount of hair they had (vs. 28% with a sugar pill).
- 2 out of 3 men grew
back some of their lost hair (vs. 7% with a sugar pill).
Most men reported an increase
in the amount of hair, a decrease in hair loss, and
improvement in appearance. And the vast majority of men on
PROPECIA were rated by doctors as improved (80% vs. 47% with a
sugar pill).
*Based on vertex studies at 2
years of men 18 to 41 with mild to moderate hair loss. There
is not evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at
the temples.
Hair loss in men.
The most common form of balding is male
pattern hair loss, representing close to 95% of all hair loss
cases. Mild to moderate male pattern hair loss affects about
half of men by age 50. This type of hair loss results in
receding hairline and/or balding at the crown. It is due to
heredity, from either the mother’s or father’s side of the
family, and is dependent on hormones.
DHT and hair loss.
DHT is one of many male hormones in the
body. DHT is developmentally important early in a man’s
life; however, it appears to be a cause of hair loss as men
get older. DHT shrinks the hair follicle until it no longer
produces visible hair.
Currently available for treatment of AE and AGA are
the topical Minoxidil and its analogs, such as Aminexil, and the oral
finasteride (Ref. #2). Minoxidil, an antihypertensive drug,
incidentally prevents hair loss, and to an extent, promotes regrowth,
but only in the vertex scalp; the activity is tentatively explained,
among others, by activation of the prostaglandin endoperoxide
synthase-1, increase of the local blood flow, suppression of bacterial
infection and/or by a modification of the AH metabolism in the dermal
papilla. (Refs. 3,4,5).
Finasteride taken orally and daily suppresses
conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), thus
lowering AH activity in the scalp.
The studies indicate about half of
the men achieve slight to moderate improvement in the anterior mid
scalp and in approximately one-half, the effluvium is arrested. Side
effects include decreased libido and erectile function, which
disappear after drug withdrawal. (Ref. #6)
No studies are yet
available to prove whether such a long-term systemic manipulation of
hormonal balance is harmless.
Doctors believe that excess DHT is an
apparent cause of hair loss.
The causes of hair loss are not well
defined; however, researchers have found that men with male
pattern hair loss have increased levels of DHT in the balding
area of their scalps. Human hair normally follows a cycle of
growth, falling out, and new growth. But increased levels of
DHT are believed to contribute to the shortening of the growth
phase, and a shortening of the time it takes for the hair to
fall out. This results in a thinning of the hair on the scalp.
PROPECIA blocks the formation of DHT.
Science has found a way to affect DHT
with a prescription taken once a day in tablet form: PROPECIA.
Finasteride (the active ingredient in PROPECIA) blocks the
formation of DHT and, in this way, appears to interrupt a key
factor in the development of inherited male pattern hair loss
in men. PROPECIA has been proven to effectively lower DHT in
the scalp.
The most common
side effects.
Clinical tests showed PROPECIA was very well
tolerated. Only a very small number of men had some sexual
side effects, with each occurring in less than 2% of
men. They included less desire for sex, difficulty in
achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen.
When the men who had these side effects stopped taking
PROPECIA because of them, the side effects went away.
Important safety
information you should know.
PROPECIA is for men only. Women who are or may
potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA because of the
risk that the active ingredient may cause abnormalities of a
male baby's sex organs. Likewise, they should avoid handling
the tablets when they're crushed or broken. PROPECIA tablets
are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient
during normal handling.
When you should see
results.
Take PROPECIA daily and
you could see results in as little as 3 months. If you stop
taking it, however, your results will gradually go away over
12 months. And if it hasn't worked in 12 months, it is
unlikely to be of benefit.
Propecia for hair loss |
