Archive for the ‘Propecia’ Category

What is Drug Induced Hair Loss?

Monday, December 31st, 2007

Many people do not realize that certain prescription medications can cause drug induced hair loss. There are several prescriptions, in categories ranging from cholesterol to acne medications, which cause people to temporarily loss their hair. Also, certain prescriptions can act as a trigger, causing the onset of male pattern baldness. Some prescriptions are known to cause permanent hair loss to occur.

Before you start a new medication, you may want to talk with your doctor about the side effects of the medication. If you are concerned about hair loss, find out if hair loss is a common side effect. You can perform your own research by performing an Internet search or by reading the entire warnings that are included in the drug manufacturer’s instruction booklet.

Before you have your prescription filled, your pharmacist can provide you with the following information on side effects. Also, many pharmacies and bookstores sell a medication guidebook. The guidebook can give you complete information on a prescription drug. There are often drug substitutes that one can take, if their medication does cause hair loss to occur.

Hair loss is a problem that affects a large portion of the population, including both men and women. Hair loss can occur because of a genetic predisposition, stress or it can be drug induced. Once hair loss occurs, it is important that you seek immediate treatment – for example, the earlier you begin to take Propecia, the better your results will be in treating hair loss.  By seeking treatment with products like Propecia, you can prevent further damage to your hair follicles and prevent hair loss from occurring further. By talking with your doctor or pharmacist, you can prevent drug induced hair loss.

The First 5 Alpha-Reductase Inhibitor

Friday, December 28th, 2007

Finasteride, the main ingredient in Propecia, is considered to be an inhibitor of an enzyme known as 5 alpha-reductase, which is responsible for converting testosterone to DHT. DHT is the main cause of male pattern baldness. By inhibiting the production of DHT, further hair loss can be prevented.

Finasteride is the first 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor that is made available for consumption by the general population. Propecia has been approved, by the Food and Drug Administration, for men to use as a treatment for hair loss. Finasteride is effective when it is absorbed through oral administration.

Men, who take once-a-day oral Propecia, most often take a one milligram dose twice a day.  It is up to your physician to recommend what Propecia dose to take. Men, who take five milligrams of Finasteride a day, have noticed that this dosage inhibits prostate enlargement.

Finasteride holds promise in treating other disorders that are DHT-mediated, such as prostate cancer, acne, frontal lobe alopecia, and facial hirsutism. It has not been approved to treat these medical conditions yet, but is still in the final stages of investigation.

There have been no reported overdoses of men that take finasteride on a regular basis. In fact, a does of eighty milligrams a day, taken for three months showed no adverse side effects.

The future use of finasteride looks very promising. In the future, finasteride may be used to treat many medical conditions. For now, men suffering from male pattern baldness can benefit from using Propecia, whose main ingredient is finasteride.

 

A Review of Results with Propecia after Five Years

Thursday, December 27th, 2007

One of the major claims of Propecia is that “Propecia maintains hair in eighty-three percent of men in a two year clinical trial for those who took one milligram daily.”  Has the level of success been maintained for the past three years? What are the consumer five year results of Propecia?

During the course of the study, some of the male participants took Propecia, while other men took a placebo. A placebo is a pill that does not contain any of the active ingredients of the medication being studied.

In five years, the men who took Propecia had an average of three-hundred more hairs that appeared in a one inch diameter area then those who took the placebo. From this stand point, it looks as if Propecia is a long-term successful treatment that combats hair loss.

Propecia, after five years, was still able to hold its number one title. The results were even more exciting for young men who had just started to notice a few hairs in the sink. Men who would have gone bald were able to keep their full head of hair. This is amazing news for anyone who is currently suffering from hair loss.

The results showed that if you wanted to re-grow hair, you could obtain greater results when Propecia was used in combination with another hair loss treatment, such as Rogaine.  Nonetheless, Propecia is a phenomenal hair loss treatment that can easily stand on its own two feet. Discuss your Propecia options with your doctor today.

Future Treatments for Hair Loss

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007

Currently, scientists are working hard towards making hair loss a thing of the past. In fact, scientists are in the research stages of a new gene therapy. This type of therapy would alter an individual’s genetic vulnerability to hair loss. This would mean that people predisposed to male pattern baldness or hair loss could stop the problem before it even occurred.  However, this type of treatment is decades away from being implemented as an approved treatment for hair loss.

It is believed that, in the near future, drug treatments that inhibit the process of balding are much more realistic and promising. One of the drugs of the future was Propecia, which has been approved by the FDA to be taken orally by men. Propecia has not been approved for women or adolescents at this time.

Propecia is considered to be the most effective treatment  available today for stopping the occurrence of further hair loss and re-growing hair. In addition to Propecia, another hair loss treatment of the future, not yet approved by the FDA, is Dutasteride. This is a hair loss treatment that inhibits the production of DHT, one of the main causes of hair loss. Ninety percent of DHT levels have been reduced in just two weeks. This treatment is very similar to already approved Propecia.

Only time will reveal what scientists come up with next. Scientists are working around the clock to stop male pattern baldness.  For now, we have Propecia, which is highly effective for the vast majority of men.  However, the future holds many promising developments that could end male pattern baldness from occurring.

How is Male Pattern Baldness Diagnosed by a Physician?

Monday, December 24th, 2007

Most often, male pattern baldness is diagnosed solely based on the pattern and appearance of the hair. Your physician will evaluate the amount of hair loss you have, as well as look into your family medical history. This is because male pattern baldness is often an inherited trait.

Your physician may ask you questions about the commonness of male pattern baldness in your family. Once your physician has talked with you, a skilled dermatologist may examine, under magnification, your scalp. This will allow the dermatologist to evaluate the amount of reduction that is seen in the hair follicles. It is this assessment that is usually the main deciding factor regarding the right course of treatment to take.

There are medical clinics that advertise an expensive scalp biopsy or a hair analysis to diagnose hair loss. The only time that someone needs to have a scalp biopsy is to assess whether hair loss is poison induced - this is very rare. One should avoid these so-called “medical clinics” and seek the advice of their physician or a dermatologist that is board certified.

Oftentimes, depending on the amount of hair loss, a physician will recommend an oral treatment like Propecia. Propecia is a hair loss treatment that gets down to the root cause of the problem.  By blocking the hormones that cause hair loss, Propecia is highly effective at stopping any further hair loss from occurring. If you are concerned about hair loss, it is crucial that you talk with your physician. Only a physician can prescribe Propecia. The sooner you start your Propecia treatment, the better you – and your hair -will feel.