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COPYRIGHT 2003 Australian Consumers' Association
There's no shortage of snake-oil merchants out there ready to take advantage of worried balding men--just type 'hair loss treatment' into any internet search engine and see the hair-raising results for yourself.
If you're concerned about hair loss the first thing to do is see your doctor, who will be able to rule out the less common and potentially more serious causes of baldness--see More bald facts on page 10.
CURSE OF THE Y CHROMOSOME
If you're male and 'losing it', there's a high probability you've got male pattern baldness. About 50% of men by the age of 50 will show significant male pattern baldness, which rises to over 80% by the age of 70.
Known also as androgenetic alopecia or genetic hair loss, it causes the gradual miniaturisation of hair at the crown and frontal hairline. Eventually, the miniature hairs fall out and don't regrow.
These unfortunate events happen because most men (and some women) genetically inherit, from either side of the family, a sensitivity to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This in particular affects hair follicles located at the crown and hairline and causes them to get progressively more and more 'lazy' until they eventually shut down altogether.
OPTIONS, PLEASE!
Propecia (with the active ingredient finasteride) and Rogaine (active ingredient minoxidil) are the only two drugs at present to be extensively proven to halt, and sometimes reverse, male pattern baldness.
The results you can expect vary from individual to individual, and also depend on the degree of hair loss you have when you start treatment. If you're sporting a Kojak or Yul Brynner look on top, forget it--you won't get any benefit from these drugs. We're sorry, but if that's you, a hairpiece or transplant is your only option--see Covering up on page 10.
If your hair loss isn't too severe, you may find that either drug treatment may work for you--but keep your expectations realistic.
Each drug has its particular pros and cons. Which you choose depends on your personal preferences--some people might prefer the relative simplicity of taking a pill once a day, while others might prefer to avoid pills and apply a lotion. As these treatments work in different ways, if either treatment doesn't work for you, you could try the other.
PROPECIA
Finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia, was originally developed to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), and is an inhibitor of the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness. It's an oral medication available only on prescription from a doctor.
Propecia has been shown to be clinically effective in many studies for treating male pattern hair loss. It'll prevent further hair loss in around 80% of men, and after two years of treatment, about two-thirds may have improved scalp coverage.
Propecia isn't a cure for a male pattern baldness, so you have to keep taking it in order to maintain hair regrowth. If you stop taking it, you can expect to lose any hair you've regrown within 12 months.
Known side...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
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