SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series: Hair Loss
Stop My Hair Loss, Please!
Hair
Loss: Prescription Drug Treatments
While
topical solutions such as Rogaine® brand monoxidil have
been used to treat hair loss, Propecia® brand
Finasteride by Merck & Company, Inc. is the only FDA
approved pill approved for the prevention of hair loss and
possible hair re-growth. Like Rogaine®, Propecia® was
discovered when its generic equivalent being used for another
purpose was found to have beneficial side effects. Finasteride
is the generic name for the drug, which was already in existence
for quite some time and had been produced under the name
Proscar® by Merck & Company and used for treatment
of enlarged prostates, a syndrome medically called benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH is caused by an overproduction
of DHT, which causes the prostate to grow. Many BHP patients
were also suffering with MPB, and when patients began taking
Proscar®, they noticed the re-growth of hair also. This
sparked new testing and the birth of Propecia® as a hair
restoration drug. The approval of Propecia® by the FDA
was easy to achieve, since it was merely marketing already
approved Finasteride as a hair restoration drug, with a much
smaller dosage than that required for BPH.
Propecia® is
being prescribed by doctors to some patients as an oral treatment
to internally block the production of DHT. Propecia is an
androgen hormone inhibitor only approved for men, and has
been clinically proven to grow hair on a significant percentage
of men who suffer with Male Pattern Baldness (MPB) or more
properly androgenetic alopecia. Unfortunately, the drug has
not been approved for use by women at this time. This is
especially true for women who are pregnant or can become
pregnant, because the process of inhibiting testosterone
from being converted to DHT can affect secondary sex characteristics
of unborn fetuses.
Propecia® works
by reversing the shrinkage of hair follicles that are in
the telogen phase, or last phase of the normal
hair cycle. Propecia® works best in combination with
topical treatments of Monoxidil such as Rogaine®. Participants
in studies have seen hair grow in as little as six months,
whereas those who have seen no results in a year’s time
are reported not likely to see any results from the drug.
One round of testing of over 2,000 men with androgenetic
alopecia over a four-year period showed half with reported
new hair growth.
Side
effects of Propecia® in a few persons studied
include diminished sex drive, difficulty in achieving an
erection, and a decreased sperm production. Side effects
were found in less than three percent of participants in
clinical studies. Fortunately when the drug’s use was discontinued,
the side effects went away and normal functions resumed.
Of course there are some who say that the growth of new
hair is worth the cost of a drop in libido. Only you can
decide whether this side effect is worth the personal cost
to you. Finasteride is metabolized primarily by the liver,
and therefore anyone suffering with liver disease may not
be able to take the drug, and should consult a physician.
Additionally, as with Monoxidil, it can mask PSA levels,
thus caution should be used if used by patients with elevated
PSA levels, as it may be difficult to read levels properly
when diagnosing potential prostate cancer. Of course proper
consultation with your physician will help determine if
taking Finasteride treatments such as Propecia® is
right for you.
An
interesting phenomena concerning Propecia® is the dramatic
rise in price it caused for Finasteride when it entered the
market as a hair restoration drug. Propecia® is simply
a 1mg version of Finasteride, a drug that was already being
marketed as Proscar® for BPH by the same company that
markets Propecia®, Merck & Company, Inc. Therefore
there should not be an increase of any kind in the cost of
production of Finasteride, since it was simply being marketed
under a new name at a much smaller dosage. Merck & Company
therefore was prepared to introduce Propecia at the price
of $1.25 per pill or $37.50 for a 30-day supply in 1998.
However, after reconsiderations it was decided that Propecia
would be introduced at $50 for a one-month supply. This is
compared to a 30-day supply of Proscar® which is 5mg
Finasteride being marketed at $55-60.00 for a 30-day supply.
The price was adjusted to be in the range of Rogaine® Extra
Strength. The price of Propecia® today is in
the range of $130 for a 30-day supply, while Proscar® prices
have risen at a much slower pace, and is now less expensive
than the same Finasteride drug that is 1/5th the dosage.
Doctors of course are discouraged by pharmaceutical companies
to prescribe Proscar for cosmetic treatment of androgenetic
alopecia. Of course there are always going to be those who
find ways to circumvent this. Therefore, many have been driven
to find ways to purchase Proscar® and divide the pill
into fourths or fifths instead of paying the exorbitant prices
for the very same Finasteride.
Click
here to learn why your hair is falling out
and how you can regrow it naturally. It's the # 1 program
and an alternative to the typical Monoxidil based products
that have proven to be just a little more than hype over
the past several decades.
> Home > Hair
Loss Main Page
- Hair
Loss Prevention and Treatments
- Cause
of Hair Loss: Male Pattern Baldness
- Vitamins
for Hair Loss: Vitamins A, B, C, E
- Vitamins
for Hair Loss: Zinc, Protein and Fatty Acids
- Vitamins
for Hair Loss: Fiber, Zinc and Iron
- Stop
Hair Loss: Juicing plus substances to avoid
- Natural
Hair Loss Remedy: Saw Palmetto, Nettles, Rosemary, Sage
- Natural
Hair Loss Remedy: Aloe Vera, Henna, Saffron, Polysorbate-80
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