Introduction: Finasteride, more commonly known by its brand name as Propecia, is one of the premier drugs that is registered and used to treat male pattern baldness (alopecia). Hair loss is a state when hair follicles stop producing hair growth. Finasteride treats male pattern hair loss as it stops the hormone production in the scalp that leads to reduced hair growth.
Origin and How It Works: Finasteride was approved by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997, as a treatment to stop baldness. The primary contributing factor in male pattern baldness is DHT - 5α-Dihydrotestosterone. Research has brought open the role of DHT in male and female pattern baldness and the preventive measures were targeted to prevent this hormone from acting on receptors present in human scalp.
Finasteride works by inhibiting the formation of DHT in the system. Within days of administration, the overall DHT levels are reduced and the adverse effects of DHT on the follicles stop. 1 mg of Finasteride (Propecia) acts as a DHT inhibitor since results show that it blocks approximately 55% of DHT action. As a result, the hair loss process is reversed. Sustained treatment of 1 mg daily is required, in order to maintain reduced DHT levels and hence keep one’s hair; discontinuation of treatment will result in loss of all hair gained or kept via treatment within 6-12 months.
Statistics: According to statistics available as a result of research carried out on Finasteride users, approximately 85% of users report new hair growth on the bald patches, and 36% report that their hair has become thicker. As such, the signs are not only encouraging, but highly conclusive.
Statistics: International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery - Hair Transplant Challenge Survey conducted a few surveys that reflect the increased concerns regarding baldness.
Survey 1 - baldness is genetic
Note: This survey shows prevalence of baldness in men where a certain number of family members also suffered from alopecia, and was carried out on a random sample of 1522 people.
Survey 2 - Desire for hair the highest priority
When respondents were asked if they would rather have more hair, more money or more friends, the majority (59.8%) indicated they would rather have more hair.
Note: This result was derived from a survey of a random sample of 1422 people.
