Hair Loss Drugs In Purley

Both of the drugs that are currently medically approved treatments for hair loss were discovered by accident rather than design.

Minoxidil was first discovered in the 1970’s and taken as a tablet for high blood pressure. It was subsequently noted that some men and women who were taking this drug found that their hair was growing more quickly than previously and some patients even saw some re-growth in thinning areas of their scalp, as a side effect of treatment.

Finasteride has been used since the 1990’s as a treatment for prostate problems in men. Again, as a side effect, new hair growth was noted by some men taking the drug.

The companies that marketed these products then proceeded to set up the clinical trials necessary to be granted a medical licence for the treatment of hair loss by proving that the drugs were safe and effective.

Currently, many other drugs to treat hair loss are in development. For further information on the development of these a useful site to visit is the Regrowth website.

If you are considering using drugs to treat hair loss, the following information will give you a basic understanding of what's involved. It can't answer all your questions, since a lot depends on the individual. Please ask a qualified practitioner about anything you don't understand.

Both Minoxidil and Finasteride have been tested extensively and both have been used in high doses for the treatment of other conditions so a lot of safety data has been collected.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil has been used to treat hair loss since the early 1990's. Reported side effects include scalp irritation in around 6% of users, headaches, and rash. More serious but rarer risks include dizziness and lowered blood pressure.

Finasteride

Finasteride has been used in 5mg doses since the early 1980's for the treatment of prostate problems in men. Its brand name in this country is Proscar®. Its side effects are thus well known, and although only 1mg is recommended to treat hair loss (branded as Propecia®), unwanted effects can still include less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen produced. This happens in less than 2% of patients taking the drug. These side effects went away when patients stopped taking the drug. They also disappeared eventually in most men who continued taking the treatment.

In general use, the following problems have also been reported in connection with taking Finasteride: allergic reactions including rash, itching, hives and swelling of the lips and face; problems with ejaculation; breast tenderness and swelling; and testicular pain.

Finasteride can affect a blood test called PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) which is done for the screening of prostate cancer. Patients should tell their doctor if they are having this test done whilst taking the drug.

Medical evidence

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is available in a range of strengths from 2% to 5% solutions, which can be bought without a prescription from a chemist, to a 12.5% cream that is only available from a doctor on a private prescription.

Used directly on the scalp, twice a day, 2% strength Minoxidil has been shown to stimulate moderate to dense hair regrowth in 26% of male subjects who were 18-49 years old. There was a slightly higher success rate in female patients.

The response rate to the 5% strength solution is higher in both men and women, although only the 2% strength solution is currently approved for use in women.

It may take anywhere from several months to one year to see an effect, and both the 2% and 5% solutions are most effective in persons with the recent beginning of hair loss owing to androgenetic alopecia, (the medical term for male pattern baldness) and relatively small areas of hair loss.

Thus early use of Minoxidil is recommended to help prevent the spread of small areas of baldness.

It has also been found that Minoxidil is generally more effective in improving central areas of the scalp than in areas at the front of the head.

Minoxidil is sometimes combined with other products by experienced hair loss practitioners to treat this condition.

For more information on Minoxidil, we recommend that you visit the Regaine website.

Finasteride

Finasteride, which is for men only, is taken in tablet form. The manufacturer claims the following results based on a 2 year study of men who took one tablet per day:

• 5 out of 6 men kept the amount of hair they had: i.e. they did not experience any hair loss at all over two years;
• 2 of 3 men re-grew some hair;
• 80% were rated as having some improvement in their hair by doctors.

However, there appeared to be no evidence that the drug works for receding hairlines at the temples.

Again, this treatment may take several months, or even up to a year, before you see any effect.

With both Minoxidil and Finasteride, if no effect is observed after one year, it is unlikely that they will ever work. Also, to maintain any benefit obtained, you must continue to use the product.

For more information on finasteride we recommend that you visit the Propecia website.

Minoxidil is available from chemists in the UK without a prescription as the brand name Regaine®.

The 2% solution is £24.95/month and 5% Regaine® Extra Strength is £29.95.

Finasteride is available as the brand name Propecia® with prices from around £35 for a month's supply of 1mg tablets.

Finasteride is a prescription only medicine, and we would recommend that you do not purchase this product over the internet without first seeking the advice of a qualified Doctor.

Beware

Getting a prescription drug by filling out a questionnaire on the Internet without seeing a doctor poses serious health risks.

A questionnaire does not provide sufficient information for a health-care professional to determine if that drug is appropriate for you or safe to use. It may be that if another treatment is more appropriate, or if you have an underlying medical conditions where using that drug may be harmful, it will not be discovered when you use the Internet.

Male hair at front of head before (left) treatment and after (right) Laser Therapy combined with Minoxodil and Scalp Scripts haircare products.

Images above courtesy of White Cliffs Group.

All before and after photographs are actual patients, your results may differ.