Wed 24 Feb 2010
Medical Treatments for Thinning Hair and Other Options
Category: Hair Loss Blog , Hair Restoration Physicians , Low Level Laser , Propecia (Finasteride) , Rogaine (Minoxidil)This informative article was written by Dr. Michael Meshkin of Newport Beach, CA who is one of our recommended hair restoration physicians.
Finasteride (Propecia), an oral medication available by prescription only, has been introduced to the market in the past decade. Finasteride is approved only for use by men. Through scientific studies, it has been shown to regrow hair in some men and stop hair loss in an even higher percentage. Finasteride works by decreasing the formation of DHT, a hormone responsible in large for male pattern hair loss, while not reducing testosterone, the overall male hormone responsible for masculinity. Therefore, any side effects that may involve male sexual function are mild and occur in less than 2% of all patients.
Finasteride has been available for over 10 years and has been shown to be somewhat safe and effective. Finasteride (Propecia) works best for early and moderate hair loss, but it may also help patients with more advanced hair loss to preserve their remaining hair, and its use is suggested by hair restoration surgeons as an effective medication to slow down or reverse male pattern hair loss in many men. It is often used as a complimentary treatment for hair transplant patients.
Topical minoxidil (Rogaine) has been around for over 15 years and is helpful in slowing down hair loss, but less effective in helping new hair to grow. A higher concentration (5% solution) of minoxidil is now available for men and has been shown to be more effective than the 2% solution. 5% minoxidil solution is generally not recommended for use by women because it may stimulate the growth of facial hair, and also because at least one study suggests that it is not more effective than the 2% in females.
The notion that injuring the scalp can potentially increase the effectiveness of proven topical hair loss treatments has caught the attention of our
Scalp Med

