Propecia: The Wonder Drug?
Everyone knows that a lot of men lose their hair. It’s an unfortunate part of many males’ lives, and the reality is that there isn’t much that can be done to prevent it. Short of the usual prevention methods (wide toothed comb, proper shampoo/conditioner, etc.) it’s pretty much a waiting game.
Rogaine had long been considered the hair-loss treatment of choice. Minoxidil became a common name in households that could afford the treatment, and its relatively high success rate meant that it gained almost instant notoriety as an effective treatment for hair loss. Men from all over the world flocked to Rogaine for an answer to their hair loss woes.
For the manufacturers of Rogaine, this was great news. Increased sales (and increased revenues as a result) were part of the drugs initial wave of success.
There’s a New Player in Town
But this article is about Propecia, right? Well, yes, and I’m just getting to that. Propecia has been around a long time. Its active ingredient, Finasteride, is actually widely known for its ability to block the secretion of DHT- Dihydrotestosterone. This was long sought after as a treatment for prostate cancer, but of course, applications for hair loss treatment were also apparent.
DHT, you see, is one of the primary causes of hair loss in males. Removing DHT from the mix means that there is a much lower possibility of hair being lost, as there is no DHT it actively promote it. As you can imagine, the popularity of Propecia has skyrocketed, combating and even rivaling Rogaine as the hair loss treatment of choice. What’s remarkable is that, while both are quite effective, Propecia is actually more effective than Rogaine by a small margin.
This has caused many people to hail Propecia as the hair loss wonder drug- with success rates as high as 80% (in some cases), many men are finding renewed self-esteem and self-confidence thanks to the results offered to them by Propecia. Finasteride is also well received as it has relatively few side effects when considering the type of medication that it is.
Propecia and Rogaine – The Hair Loss Cocktail
Not surprisingly, many men take both Rogaine and Propecia simply because they feel that they are increasing their chances of success by taking both. While the results somewhat support this assumption, the reality is also that individuals that take both medications are placing themselves at risk for side effects from each medication. Both have side effects, some of which are more common than others, and both medications are quite effective.
The general consensus is that the “hair loss cocktail” is not the right away to approach the medications, and that both medications should be taken individually and as directed. Most individuals won’t see any results for four months (or more), and being susceptible to all sorts of side effects is not very appealing- at least, we sure don’t think so.