Pharmacy Blog

Common male pattern baldness (MPB), technically known as androgenetic alopecia, is the cause of over 95% of hair loss in men, according to the American Hair Loss Association. If these statistics aren’t enough to paint a not-so-rosy future for men’s hair, here’s another one. Two-thirds of United States men will encounter a certain extent of appreciable hair loss by the time they reach thirty-five years of age.

Whether founded or not, many men who are inflicted with male pattern baldness are immensely unhappy with this situation, and highly interested in doing something to change it.

Fortunately, thanks to tremendous advancement in the medicinal treatment of men’s hair loss, hair loss is more treatable than ever, including both surgical and non-surgical options.

Surgical hair restoration – For the right candidate, surgical hair restoration can significantly restore the look of hair. In hair restoration surgery, a hair transplant is conducted by harvesting DHT resistant hair located at the back of your scalp. That hair is then transplanted into the balding areas. However, not everyone is an ideal candidate for the surgery.

Non-surgical hair loss treatment – Currently, there are two Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved products (finasteride and minoxidil) to treat men’s hair loss that has been clinically proven in varying degrees.

• Propecia, Proscar (Finasteride) – Propecia and Proscar are the brand names for the generic drug called finasteride. Finasteride was originally created to treat an enlarged prostate gland. The FDA approved finasteride (1 mg dose) for the treatment of male pattern baldness in December 1997. Fomasteride works by targeting the enzyme responsible for converting testosterone into DHT, or a more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone. DHT is responsible for shrinking the hair follicle, which leads to baldness over time.

When a 1mg dose of Propecia is taken daily, it can effectively reduce the scalp’s DHT levels by as much as 60 percent.  After taking the recommended dosage of the drug, 86 percent of men in a clinical trial had a proven stoppage in the progression of their hair loss. Further, 65 percent of the clinical trial participants saw a significant hair growth increase. For this reason, the American Hair Loss Association advises finasteride as a first defense in treating male pattern baldness.

• Rogaine (Minoxidil) – Rogaine is a brand name for the generic drug Minoxidil; and minoxidal was the first FDA-approved medication for the treatment of male pattern baldness. While minoxidil was originally used to treat high blood pressure, researchers found a interesting side of the drug: hair growth. While minoxidil has been clinical proven to slow hair loss progression and regrow some hair — and is an effective treatment for some users, its positive results are often temporary and not seen by everyone. For this reason, the American Hair Loss Association recommends this drug for those who may have not responded positively to finasteride.

• Hair replacement – For those who do not wish to have surgery, non-surgical hair replacement can be a wonderful choice to regain the appearance of a full head of hair. While there are some remarkably natural looking hair replacement pieces available today, cautioned should be exercised in purchasing one from a reputable buyer. Hair replacement options include toupees, hairpieces, strand-by-strand insertion systems, hair weaves, and custom hair systems.

Whether you choose surgical hair restoration or a non-surgical treatment, such as a prescription medication for hair loss, diligently research your effective options and be informed before making any decision.

Pharmacy Headquarters Blog (PharmacyHeadquarters.com) Editorial Staff  Copyright 2012 – All rights reserved