Finasteride Hair Loss Medication

Let's get this straight from the onset. Finasteride is effective for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia! Studies have confirmed finasteride to be safe and generally well-tolerated.

However, it wouldn't work for those who only start to seek treatment after what they have left is a bald pate.

What is finasteride, and how does it work?

Finasteride (a well-known brand is Propecia) is classified as a "hormone modififer". It is a synthetic 4-azasteroid compound that is a specific inhibitor of type II 5?-reductase. Type II 5?-reductase is an intracellular enzyme that converts testosterone (T) into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the key culprit of your hair loss problem. The more DHT that is present in your body, the more your hair follicles become thinner and finer until the hair is permanently lost. In layman's terms, inhibiting type II 5?-reductase blocks the peripheral conversion of T to DHT. When that is achieved, the hair loss process slows down and scalp coverage increases.

How effective is finasteride and what happens if treatment is discontinued?

Studies revealed that in men who continued using it for 2 years and above their scalp coverage continued to increase as the responding hairs grew longer and darker. Those who continued using it for more than 4 years showed continued improvement.

If treatment with finasteride is discontinued, the beneficial effect is gradually lost with a year. That is to be expected because the underlying genetic predisposition to androgenetic alopecia remains.

What finasteride hair loss dosage is deemed most effective?

Sudies have shown that the 1mg daily is the optimal dose, and that the 1mg and 5mg doses are superior to lower doses such as 0.2mg. However, do note that the 5mg dose is not more effective that the 1mg concentration.

In what instances are finasteride effective?

Treatment will be effective if there is sufficient hair to salvage, with at least miniaturized hair to convert to terminal hair. The best candidates for treatment are men with definite hair thinning and many miniaturized hairs. All areas of scalp - frontal (anterior/mid-scalp) and vertex - are capable of responding to finasteride provided that miniaturized hairs are present at the start of treatment.

In what instances are finasteride not effective?

Finasteride is ineffective in hair loss of postmenopausal women. It will also not be effective in cases where there is insufficient hair to salvage. Those who are completely bald (have a totally smooth pate) may not respond, and those with minimal thinning may not perceive the increased growth.

What are the side-effects of finasteride?

Finasteride is generally well tolerate, and side-effects occur in less than 2% of patients. The reported side-effects are (a) decreased libido, (b) erectile dysfunction, and (3) decrease in ejaculate volume.

Studies showed that in those cases where patients ignored the side-effects and continued using it, the side-effects subsided for 58% of the cases. Another finding is that side-effects are reversible upon stopping treatment.

Can women use finasteride?

As mentioned earlier, finasteride is ineffective for postmenopausal women. In addition to that, women who are, or potentially may be, pregnant should stay clear of finasteride. They should also avoid handling crushed or broken tablets of finasteride. This caution should be taken seriously because there is a risk that exposure to finasteride during pregnancy may cause hypospadias in the developing male fetus. Hypospadias is an abnormality in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside, rather than at the end, of the penis.
However, findings thus far showed that exposure to semen of men who are on finasteride does not pose the hypospadias risk mentioned earlier.

Next: Get to know about excessive hair loss in women