Is Finasteride the Hair Loss Treatment You've Been Looking For?

Men’s Hair Loss – is Finasteride the treatment you’ve been looking for? For many men, hair loss can be devastating. While thinning hair may be often written off as something to be expected when one gets older, the fact is that along with the usual causes such as aging or even family genetics, there are times when hair loss or male pattern baldness is the result of an underlying medical condition. Fortunately, there are possible treatments for both natural hair loss and hair loss due to medical conditions. If you feel like your hair is thinning your doctor will want to do several tests to help determine the cause of your hair loss. Blood tests, scalp biopsy, and even something called a ‘pull test’, in which your doctor tugs at several hairs at once to see how many come loose, can all help determine why you may be losing your hair. When your doctor determines the cause of your hair loss, such as a disease or other condition, the first thing that your doctor will want to do is treat you for that condition. If your hair loss is due to a medication you are on, your doctor may want to change your medication. Treatment for hair loss can take many forms, including surgery to promote hair growth, hair transplant surgery and oral medications. One of the most common and effective medications is called Propecia (Finasteride). This prescription drug for hair loss is a daily pill. For many men it will slow down the hair loss and possibly even result in new hair growth, and the results continue for as long as you continue to take the medication. Finasteride suppresses the creation of DHT, a hormone derived from testosterone, which ultimately leads to an increase in hair growth and the slowing down of hair loss on the head. Hair growth on other parts of the body is not affected. A Finasteride study on 1,500 individuals, conducted by the FDA, showed that almost 83% of the individuals who took Finasteride and continued treatment for two years saw an increase in hair growth, a complete stop of hair loss, or both.