Finasteride

One of the challenges for people with male-pattern baldness is finding the product or treatment that is right for them. A large part of that will involve considering your lifestyle. For example, cosmetic concealers are not great if your favourite pastime is swimming. The other consideration will simply be ‘what works for me’? There are still a lot of mysteries surrounding baldness and the treatments for it. So sometimes, you cannot always know whether a product or treatment will work for you unless you have tried it.

Currently, there are only two medicines that are FDA-approved treatments for male-pattern baldness. The first is Minoxidil which you can read more about in a separate article on this site. The second is Finasteride, which this article looks at in detail. What is Finasteride? Is it successful? What results can you expect if you undergo a course of treatment?

What is Finasteride?

Firstly, let’s go back and look at some of the factors that cause male-pattern baldness. We talked elsewhere on the site about recent research which has shown a genetic link within families. This genetic make-up means that individuals with male-pattern baldness produced increased levels of a chemical called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT has the effect of weakening the hair follicles, so that when the hair falls out it is too weak to grow back.

Armed with that information, let’s take a closer look at Finasteride. Finasteride is one of a class of drugs called 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Manufactured by Merck, it was originally approved in 1992 as a treatment for prostate enlargement. It was noticed that Finasteride had the side effect of being able to treat male-pattern hair loss and, in 1997, Finasteride was approved as a treatment for hair loss. Merck now markets it under the brand name Propecia.

How does Finasteride work?

Finasteride works by targeting the hormone testosterone and halting its conversion into DHT. Stopping its production means that DHT is unable to affect the hair follicles, which allows them to regain their original strength and keep on growing.

As with Minoxidil, Finasteride does not work for every person. But it is, on the whole, a successful treatment depending on the expectations of the individual. It’s fair to say that much more research is needed, but current estimates state that around 66% of men who take finasteride enjoy some thickening of their hair. Even for the third of men who do not get the results they hoped for, ongoing baldness is usually arrested.

What does the treatment involve?

Finasteride is an oral antiandrogen, which means that you take it in tablet form. Men are required to take one table per day and it usually takes between four and six months for the treatment to be effective. Full hair growth, if it is possible, will occur within one or two years. If you stop taking the tablets each day, then the condition of your hair will continue to deteriorate.

Finasteride is only available through private prescription. As it is not considered an essential treatment, it is not available through the NHS.

What are the possible side effects?

Negative side effects of finasteride are generally rare and finasteride is known to be safe when used for long periods.

The first point to make is that Finasteride stops testosterone being converted in DHT. While this reduces the amount of DHT in the body, it also has the opposite effect of increasing the amount of testosterone. This is an accepted side effect of Finasteride and is not generally a problem. However, over long periods of time, continual high levels of testosterone can have possible negative side effects.

The primary side effect that most men report when taking finasteride is a low sex drive, including erectile dysfunction. This side effect is only experienced by a very small number of people taking the drug – in fact, research showed it was less the 1% of the men surveyed.

Finasteride is not advised or recommended as a treatment for women with alopecia. The FDA have registered Finasteride in Pregnancy Category X, which means that it can be responsible for defects in babies still in the womb. Pregnant women must not touch or take finasteride tablets, especially if they are damaged. Finasteride also has implications for blood donors, and people planning to donate blood are normally advised to stop taking finasteride for at least a month.

The final side effect of Finasteride which may be of concern to some people is its impact on sporting performance. Professional sports organisations have banned finasteride as they believe it can be taken to disguise steroid use. In fact, a number of well-known athletes have been banned for using finasteride, even though they publicly claimed that they were taking it for hair loss. The most famous case probably involves the Brazilian world-cup winning footballer Romário.

What does it cost?

Finasteride can be an expensive treatment and you need to think how committed you are to continuing the treatment. As we mentioned above, it takes up to six months and up to two years for most men to get the results that they hope for. On top of that, you will also need to carry on taking Finasteride to maintain your new head of hair – if you stop the treatment then male-pattern baldness will continue.

Normally, Finasteride (marketed as Propecia), costs around £30-£50 per month.

Where can I find out more?

If you would like to find out more about Finasteride, you can do so by visiting www.finasteride.co.uk

However, as Finasteride is a prescribed drug, the best place to start is by consulting your doctor. More and more, doctors understand the issues surrounding male-pattern baldness and they will be able to recommend a course of treatment.

Alternatively, you can consult a hair loss specialist. Finasteride is often used to arrest male-pattern baldness before other treatments are recommended.