Discuss – Alopecia areata – this is the third most common hair loss condition to affect women. It is characterized by patchy areas of hair loss on the head or it can be more widespread over the body.

Millions of men and women suffer from hair loss. Hair loss is more common to men than to women, however. Not only does it make men look older beyond their actual age, it also negatively impacts their self esteem and social confidence. Fortunately, there are many options for male hair loss treatment.

Most of hair loss treatments are cosmetic in natural. Those treatments make the patients look better as if they have healthy hairs. Cosmetic treatments include hairpieces, weaves and surgical methods for permanent effects. Today’s hairpieces either made by real hair or synthetic hair look so real, that no one can tell. Many people don’t realize how advanced some of these pieces have become. Many hairpieces have new netting that allows the hair to flow naturally and look like your original hair. There are also plenty of new adhesives so you don’t have to worry about your hair ever being removed even in a tornado. Other cosmetic options are cosmetically based lotions, shampoos and herbal supplements.

Discuss – Excessive salt intake can encourage hair loss because of its tendency to accumulate in tissue.

Medical scientists have been researching and testing solutions that help to slow down hair loss or actually to regrow hairs. Rogaine and Propecia are commonly used medicines for male hair loss treatment. Both of them are approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Rogaine is available over the counter. It has been proven effective by the Federal Drug Administration for slowing down hair loss and regrowing back your hair. Minoxodil is the active ingredient in Rogaine. Rogaine is a topical solution that is applied twice daily to the scalp. Romaine is effective for both slowing hair loss but regrowing hair. Regrowing will normally takes a few months and results are more often seen on the crown of the scalp. Rogaine is for genetic hair loss only, not effective for hair loss due to another disease or ailment. You must also be over the age of 18 in order to use this product. Rogaine actually works on women as well.

Discuss – The myth � People who do not suffer from hair loss have no shedding of hair at all.

Propecia, which requires a prescription from a doctor, is another drug effective for male hair loss treatment. It helps treat hair loss by lowering chemicals levels in the body that decrease the growth of hair. Unlike Rogaine, Propecia is not a drug specifically designed for male hair loss treatment. It is actually a drug to shrink the prostate, but was shown effective in controlling the hormones that cause hair loss. Surprisingly, this drug has been proven to work better then Minoxodil in regrowing hair back. It also grows hair back on the front of the scalp as well.

While both drugs won’t help hair loss patients grow back a full head of hair, they do slow down the hair loss and can fill up some of the more pronounced areas.

Natalie Aranda writes on health, beauty and hairstyles. Medical scientists have been researching and testing solutions that help to slow down hair loss or actually to regrow hairs. Rogaine and Propecia are commonly used medicines for male hair loss treatment. Both of them are approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Discuss – Female pattern baldness – believe it or not, most women affected by hair loss lose it for the same reasons as men. They suffer from androgenetic alopecia which is a reaction to male hormones in the body, specifically the conversion of testosterone into the hair-unfriendly DHT.

The drug propecia is a prescription hair loss medication designed mainly for men with mild to moderate hair loss. The effects of hair loss and propecia were studied in several clinical trials, and propecia was found to be better than a placebo.

The men in the studies, aged between 18 and 41, took propecia daily for a year. Some men took a placebo. Of the men who took the propecia, 86% either did not suffer further hair loss, or actually increased the amount of hair in the affected areas. Only 14% of men had continued hair loss.

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The drug propecia has been found to be ineffective for women. This, combined with the potential danger of abnormalities to a male fetus, means that propecia is not prescribed for female pattern hair loss. Propecia has not been studied in older men, or men with complete baldness, and it has not been proved to work with a receding hairline. Propecia is not suitable for children, no doubt due to its negative effect on developing male genitals.

Generally, propecia is a very safe drug for hair loss. Most men taking it did not have any side effects, though some reported:

* erection difficulties

* reduced amount of semen

* less sexual desire

These were not permanent changes, and when those affected stopped taking propecia, their symptoms disappeared. Some men who reported these side effects were also able to continue taking propecia without the side effects continuing. The report I saw did not say whether the side effects just stopped, or if other treatment was undertaken to counteract them.

Discuss – Drugs or Supplements: The most common drug treatment that causes hair loss is Chemotherapy. This kind of medication attacks the hair cells of the matrix causing 90% hair loss from the scalp.

The drug propecia has only been studied on men for up to two years, and these men had no problems taking it for this period. However, based on research over a period of 32 years on men who are deficient on the enzyme that propecia suppresses, 5-alpha reductase, the mechanism by which propecia works seems to be quite safe for long term use.

Disadvantages of Taking Propecia

Propecia is not a cure for hair loss. Propecia works by interrupting the conversion process of testosterone to its metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT for short). It does this by effecting the enzyme catalyst, 5-alpha reductase, that is involved in the conversion process. In male pattern hair loss, there is an excess of DHT in the part of the scalp where hair loss occurs. So, by reducing the amounts of DHT in the scalp, propecia effectively works to prevent new hair loss, and allows hair to regrow. However, to continue the benefits of propecia, you’ll need to take it for the rest of your life. Once you stop taking propecia, the DHT levels will rise again in the scalp, and hair loss will return to pre-propecia levels.

Discuss – Alopecia areata – this is the third most common hair loss condition to affect women. It is characterized by patchy areas of hair loss on the head or it can be more widespread over the body.

The Drug Propecia and Pregnancy

Women should be very careful not to handle propecia if they are pregnant, as it can affect the development of the sex organs in a male fetus. So, it would be wise not to touch any open packets, or broken tablets. If you must, use a glove. Unbroken tablets are safety coated, so the active ingredient of propecia, which is the potential problem, is not present on the outside of the tablet.

For men taking propecia, if your wife is pregnant, there is no risk to her unless she is exposed to the active ingredient from a broken tablet. She, or the baby, won’t be harmed when her partner is taking it.

However, given that in some men propecia affects the amount of semen produced, if you are trying to conceive this may pose a problem. This side effect does not affect all, or most, men. But check with your doctor if you think this may be a concern.

References:

1. medsafe.govt.nz/consumers/cmi/p/propecia.htm

2. dermnetnz.org/treatments/finasteride.html

Rebecca Prescott reviews non-prescription hair growth products here. More hair loss articles are available here: http://www.vitaminstohealth.com/it-premature-hair-loss.html