If you are like me, then you probably will not settle with living your life without a full head of hair. Have you ever heard of the propecia hair loss treatment? I’m sure you’ve heard about all the success people are having using it, but is the health and safety concerns surrounding the treatment worth the risk of taking it?

We all may not want to admit it, but a man’s confidence, pride, and overall happiness is directly affected by Propecia and balding. Some men feel awkward or embarrassed to seek help and try different hairloss treatments. But when you think about it what’s more embarrassing: being bald for the rest of your life or using hair products to prevent being bald all-together?

The Propecia hair loss treatment is getting much of the attention in the alopecia industry. This is mainly because it has the highest success rate out of all treatments available today. Thanks to this new medication, many men have been able to avoid being bald for the rest of their life and continue to live happy and confident lives.

But if you have already heard of the Propecia hair loss treatment, you probably heard about the potential side effects that come with taking it on a daily basis. To be more specific, I am talking about the adverse sexual side effects that come with taking it.

During clinical studies, about 1 out of every 50 people that took the Propecia hair loss treatment ended up developing some sort of adverse sexual side effect ranging from impotence to erectile dysfunction to decreased libido. This is primarily due to the fact that the Propecia hair loss treatment directly alters your hormonal levels.

Now granted that a large majority of the people that take the Propecia hair loss medication avoid developing these side effects, it’s still something to take into consideration when debating about trying it. Especially if you are young, you may not want to jeopardize your sex drive and ability to have a family just so you can have a full head of hair.

Thankfully, there are other options for men that feel this way. Besides getting a transplant or using cosmetic-based products to hide the fact that you are balding, there’s only one other FDA-approved treatment for alopecia worth trying.

Author: Matthew McAuthor
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Four years ago I would go out to a night club and wear one of my favorite shirts and nicely pressed slacks and I would be told that I looked forty years old. It was very hard to take as I had just turned 36. I would go on to hear this kind of talk a lot around this time.

I moved to a new area and when I would go out, I would always get funny looks and reactions. I’ve always been an independent person so I didn’t mind going out to a local establishment alone but I was always friendly and had some kind of magnetism that seemed to always attract people.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m just an average looking guy. I am tall and have always stayed in good shape and have always had a friendly and good sense of humor. Because I’m a bigger guy, people seem to make friends with me as I may make them feel comfortable. This is how it had always been since I was twenty years old. However, it wasn’t happening anymore. Inside I was still the same sarcastic, humorous and friendly person but on the outside I must have appeared to look like a loner or a physco-serial killer.

I have never went out of my way to make new friends. However, occasionally when you would just come across people I was getting negative reactions. I knew that there was nothing at all different about me except for one thing. I was still big and had a good body, I was still tan, I still had nice, clean white teeth. I still wore brand new expensive shirts. The only thing that had changed was my hair. It was thinning and looked miniaturized and it was very apparent.

I knew that this was my only draw back but I really didn’t know what to do about it. I always made a good living and the thought of hair transplants was totally out of the question. I thought about just shaving it as it seemed “that look” was becoming more common. But I could just never come to do it as I always had this thought in my mind that there was a solution.

I bought a bottle of Propecia and for some reason I kept it in my medicine cabinet for about 6 months. I think that I was scared to take it. Everything that I had read seemed to imply that there were too many side effects. At the time, I hadn’t begun to do any real research.

So I just hung in there and decided to start scouring the internet and do as much research as possible. I went to the discussion forums and I started to listen to a radio talk show about hair loss. The more that I researched, I started to realize that I must take the Propecia right away or my hair is going to start looking worse.

Even though I was still a little nervous I finally made a decision and I just went for it. I went to a Dermatologist and requested a prescription and he agreed that my hair was miniaturized and he felt that I would be a perfect candidate for Propecia. I had read in these forums that others were experimenting with this “big three” regimen and when I decided to get the prescription for the propecia, I would also start on the other two products as well. My plan was to give myself one full year of taking the three products and I would pray that the routine would work. After ninety days I was starting to see progress. As each month went by I would tell myself that I’m at 15% and now I’m at 20% and so on. Now that I look back, I see that I was being way too conservative. When I thought that I was at 50% of the way there and on the road to recovery, I was probably really only at 20%. I still had another 80% of improvement to go. As some people would say, I hadn’t even “scratched the surface”

After almost three years of this regimen I must say that I am very happy and that my results are definitely better then expected. I was a guy who had obvious hair loss to anybody that knew me or not. Now I’m a guy that still has a little frontal recession and still a little thinning in the crown and for the most part has a significant amount of hair.

I went out to a local establishment recently and a 27 year old guy talked to me for about an hour and he told me that he was 27 and that I’m “what 32,33?” I said try 39. He said “really, wow you actually look about 32 and you seem like a 32 year old” Of course the first thing that comes to your mind is that he was just trying to be nice and just complementing me. But I really believe that he was sincere as I have been getting a lot of this kind of treatment for the past year.
I can go out now and I have that magnetism again where people want to know me or talk to me instead of looking at me like I’m some crazy man. I still wear the nice shirts, I still work out and my body still looks as good as it did when I was 36, my teeth are still nice and white and I still look tan. The only thing that is different is my hair. It doesn’t look thin and miniaturized anymore. It looks like a normal full head of hair.

I truly believe that the way your hair looks tells a lot about a person’s age. The hair is the frame for your face and I must say I know that my hair looks 10 times better today then it did back when I was 36. You would think that since I have androgenic alopecia that my hair would look thinner and worse each year.

Actually the reverse has happened for me and time is actually on my side instead of against me because I have reversed the progression of my hair loss. Instead of having a higher level of DHT in my scalp miniaturizing my existing hair follicles, I take finasteride, better known as Propecia. Finasteride has been proven to block Type II 5 alpha reductace, the enzhyme that converts testosterone to DHT.

Although Propecia is the main player of The Big Three, there are still two other products that I feel must be taken. The three products taken together seem to work in a synergistic manner. Propecia does its thing, minoxidil has its role and nizoral also plays a key part. However, one plus one plus one equals four as far as the overall effect of the treatments. Nizoral makes Minoxidil more effective and Mixoxidil works better when taking propecia.

www.ReGrowNow.com is a web site that has been set up to educate the hair loss sufferer with real facts, articles and information. It is a website that has no products to sell. They will though send you free information and even Cd’s with audio files and hair loss information.

I have been taking the Big Three now for almost three years and I must say the regimen has really changed my life.

Author: Mark Brassia
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger

Prevention of hair loss through the use of Propecia is possible with a dosage as small as 1mg. This dosage is just the right amount for most men to get the most benefit from the drug. This causes the hair loss to stop and possibly reverse during the period in which the drug is being taken. The effects of the active ingredient are known to last as long as the drug is being taken. Hair that is maintained will begin to be lost within a 6-12 month period of time after ceasing treatments with Propecia.

Re-growth of hair is possible in a percentage of men. This is also caused by the increase in the hormone testosterone in the men. The process will re-grow hair in many men who have suffered hair loss in many areas of the head. The hair will be thick and natural looking as well as provide the thickening of thinned hair in male pattern baldness. When Propecia is taken for long periods of time, re-growth of hair could be as significant enough to regain an almost perfectly normal look absent of hair loss for a small percentage of men.

The use of Propecia for the treatment of prostate cancer is also possible in higher doses. This can help reduce swelling in the prostate which can provide the necessary healing ability for the body to undergo treatment. It can also reduce the rate of prostate cancer by 30 percent with normal usage by those who are at risk of prostate cancer. There are several men who can benefit from the use of Propecia as a method of prostate cancer prevention.

Negative side effects of the drug include impotence, abnormal ejaculation, abnormal sexual function, lower ejaculatory volume, erectile dysfunction and much more. The risks involved with Propecia in terms of side effects are usually below 2 percent of the population of men who use it. For impotence, this can be as high as 18 percent as a common side effect for the men who user Propecia for hair loss. One of the most feared side effects of the drug are irreversible sexual dysfunction which could occur indefinitely after the halt of the use of Propecia. Use of the drug is strictly dependant on the men who wish to have the possibility to prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.

Author: Nelly Conway
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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There are only two hair loss treatments that have been clinically proven to stop hair loss and promote re-growth. These are Minoxidil and Propecia.

Propecia is only available to men over the age of 18. The active ingredient in Propecia, Finasteride, was first approved for use in 1992 to treat prostate enlargement. Users noticed an increase in hair growth after taking the drug. There have since been two clinical studies by Merck Pharmaceuticals on the effects of Propecia , a 2 year study and a 5 year study.

In the 2 year study, of the 535 men taking Propecia, 99% had visible results: 66% had visible re-growth and 33% had no further hair loss. In the 5 year study, of the 279 men taking Propecia, 90% had visible results: 48% has visible re-growth and 42% suffered no further hair loss. Propecia works by reducing DHT levels in the scalp and thereby appears to inhibit the shrinking action of hair follicles. Once the shrinking action is controlled, the hair starts to re-grow.

As with all medications, there are some side effects. A small number of men experienced minor sexual side effects: less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection and a decrease in the amount of semen. These are uncommon, occurring in less than 2% of men. All side effects went away either a short time after commencing treatment or when treatment was stopped. For those considering taking Propecia, it is recommended to get guidance from a medical professional.

Although the cause for baldness in men is nearly always DHT, it can affect men differently. Medical experts with experience of treating male pattern baldness have found that combining Propecia with Minoxidil enhances the treatment, producing faster results. There are also hair growth boosters that can supplement these medications by creating a treatment programme tailored for the individual.

Author: Sophie Crane
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Although thousands upon thousands of people afflicted with alopecia have put their trust in hundreds of different products and spent millions of dollars, most of this time, effort and money has been spent in vain. Sadly, very few of these people have ever had any hair grow back on their heads. Even sadder is the fact that there is no shortage of people and companies out there that will market so called miracle cures for baldness, preying upon people who are desperate to get their hair back.

If there is one product out there that people afflicted with balding conditions seem to be embracing it would have to be Propecia, or finasteride as the scientists who developed it in Merck laboratories call it. It is an FDA approved pill that men can take daily by mouth. In fact it is the first and only FDA approved pill approved for the treatment of baldness, and it has shown positive results for balding conditions on the vertex and anterior sections of the head, otherwise know as the top and middle front areas of the head. There is no solid evidence that it works for men with receding hairlines at the temples.

An independent panel performed a five year study on men aged 18 to 41 who took Propecia and the results were quite impressive. They studied photographic evidence and determined that most of the men who participated in the study began to see positive results 3 to 12 months after starting Propecia. These results ranged from a lot of hair growing back to a small amount of hair returning to their head. Subjects that did not see positive results after 12 months did not see positive results at all by the end of the study. However, this was an uncommon result as 9 out of 10 men involved in this study saw some degree of hair re-growth.

Although Propecia has received rave reviews, there are some downsides. One of the biggest ones is the fact that it can only be used by men. Although baldness strikes mostly adult males there are thousands of women and even children around the world who suffer from various hair loss conditions. They cannot take Propecia. Another downside is that some men experience certain sexual side effects. The most common of these side effects are a decrease in the desire to have sex, problems with erections and a decrease in semen amounts. These side affects occurred with less than 2% of the men studied and they disappeared once the men stopped taking the pills. This brings us to another downside, which is the fact that any positive results achieved with hair re-growth will be lost if you stop taking the pills. That means that if you want to keep the hair that grows back on your head you have to take the pills for the rest of your life. Most men would agree that it is a small price to pay to get their hair back.

Propecia is available by prescription only. If you decide that you want to start taking it you can visit your doctor and they will set you up. A lot of online pharmacies now offer U.S. licensed physicians that can give you an evaluation and write you a prescription over the phone or over the internet. Although there are some shady online pharmacy web sites there are many more that are reputable U.S. licensed pharmacies that sell FDA approved drugs. You just need to do a little research to find the good ones.

While there are many products and services out there that are claiming to be the latest cure for baldness it is important to keep in mind that most of them do not work. However, Propecia is not one of them. It is the only FDA approved pill for the treatment of hair loss. This is because an independent five year study has proven that 9 out 10 men show some re-growth of hair 3 to 12 months after starting Propecia. Some showed a little bit of success in re-growing their hair and some showed a lot of success. A very small percentage experienced sexual side effects. When you think about it, taking a pill every day is a small price to pay for getting hair to grow back on your head.

Author: Michael Connelly
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Propecia works by inhibiting the production of DHT (dihydrotestorone) throughout the entire body. It works by preventing free testosterone from converting to DHT. DHT is responsible for destroying the scalp by shrinking the hair follicle and prevents hair growth. This drug is taken orally and once treatment began, you will see noticeable difference within 5 to 6 months. Clinical testing proven that this drug is particularly effective thinning hair treatment at the crown area and hairline.

Propecia however is very effective in curing male pattern baldness and totally useless if used by female. This drug has also been implicated in causing severe birth defects in male fetuses and not prescribed to women.

The use of propecia in thinning hair treatment means that the drugs has to be taken everyday and you will only see appreciable difference within 5 to 6 months of using the drug. However, once you stop taking the drugs, you will start losing hairs again. What this means is that you are becoming drug dependent. This is not the only negative side effect you will get from using propecia.

Side Effects Of Propecia

These are known side effects of using Propecia. Bear in mid that these side effects are only observed on 2% of Propecia users.

- Decrease sexual drive

- Decrease in volume ejaculate

- Impotence

- Breast Tenderness / Enlargement

- Blackheads

- Increased face skin oil

- Acne problems

In most cases stopping the medication will resolve the issues.

When you are contemplating using drugs as you thinning hair treatment, do some research or better, go see your doctor and ask for their advice. Even though only 2% of propecia users are affected, do you want to take chances?

Author: Nash Johnson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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First of all, the name of the actual ingredient in Propecia that should get all the credit for fighting the battle at the front lines of the war on receding hairlines is called finasteride. Some chemists working for the drug company Pfizer invented it in a laboratory and it does some pretty amazing things. It is a 4-azasteroid compound that is a specific inhibitor of the Type II 5 alpha-reductase. In plain English, it basically prevents androgen testosterone from being converted into 5-dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This preventative process stops your hair follicles from dying, which allows more hair to grow on your head.

The enemy, known as DHT is an enzyme that is found primarily in the prostate, seminal vesicles, epididymides, hair follicles and liver. These particular parts of the body account for approximately 67 percent of the DHT that circulates in the bodies of men. The war on baldness is going on at an intracellular level and finasteride is your army that is fighting gallantly for you against an evil enzyme.

Here are some particulars of the actual ingredient finasteride. It is a white crystalline powder with a melting point of 250 degrees Celsius. If you put finasteride in lower alcohol solvents it will freely dissolve, but it is almost insoluble when placed in water. Most Propecia pills available contain 5 mg of finasteride. They are film-coated tablets that also contain the inactive ingredients hydrous lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose LF, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, talc, docusate sodium, FD&C Blue 2 aluminum lake and yellow iron oxide. These inactive ingredients are mostly just the bonding and filling agents that it takes to make a little pill of Propecia that men can take every day.

There are some warnings when it comes to who can and cannot take Propecia. Women should not take it, nor should anyone who has liver problems. This is due to the fact that this drug works on the enzyme DHT which is primarily produced in the liver.

In most studies that have been performed on men between the ages of 18-54 who used Propecia on a daily basis for several months 65 percent showed an increase in hair growth over areas of the front and top of the scalp. Once the active ingredient finasteride interacts with the hair follicles in bald areas of the scalp, the follicles seem to come back to life. Hair begins to grow again, and so does your self esteem. So it would seem that Propecia is the best product available for men to use in the treatment of male pattern baldness, otherwise known as alopecia. The side effects are minimal and the process is as easy as taking a pill. The results have been very positive in the hair growth department.

In the war against a receding hairline it is good to know that a little white crystalline powder know as finasteride is fighting the battle for you at the intracellular level against a very destructive force known as 5-dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. In plain English, if you cannot afford a hair transplant and you want to know what the next best choice would be to have a better head of hair, Propecia seems to be the answer.

Author: Michael Connelly
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera News

Less than 2% of men who take Propecia experience such sexual consequences and they soon disperse once a person stops using the medication. Most men would happily sacrifice their locks if it meant they could keep their sexual dignity, but most don’t realise that they’ve got more chance of ending up with a swollen pancreas on paracetamol or bleeding intestines from ibuprofen than any of the side effects of Propecia.

Propecia is a tablet that prevents hair loss in men by inhibiting the formation of DHT (dihydrotestosterone). DHT is essential during the development of the male foetus and throughout puberty for the maturing of male characteristics, but as an adult, the only thing DHT is believed to contribute to is prostate enlargement and acne.

Propecia was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 and after more than ten years of being medically approved as a treatment for hair loss, there have been no reports of serious long term side effects as a result of using the 1mg, one-a-day treatment. A five-year controlled clinical study provided not only long-term scientific data of Propecia’s effectiveness in treating male pattern baldness, but also confirmed the excellent safety profile of Propecia.

Some men would agree that the benefits likely to be gained far outweigh the 2% chance of experiencing the side effects of Propecia. Another reason to give it a try at least is because Propecia doesn’t stay in the system for long — a week once ceasing use in fact — and if you do experience any negative outcomes, they stop once Propecia is out of the body. Still, some can have their cake and eat it too. The majority of those who do experience side effects will see a gradual cessation within a couple of months of continued use.

There may be nothing more natural than going bald but it doesn’t mean men have to like it. Those who are concerned should speak to a hair loss specialist about what method of retention would be best for them — because everyone’s different.

Author: Kate Moody
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Digital Camera Times

Propecia is composed of 1 milligram Finasteride. This drug inhibits type II 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme that changes testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inside the human body.

It must be especially noted that Propecia can only be used by men, and not by children or women. The Finasteride content of the Propecia tablet can be absorbed in the body through the skin. Furthermore, it has teratogenic effects on the fetus hence it must also be strongly kept away from pregnant women. Because of these unwanted effects, the tablets of Propecia are coated to prevent skin contact with Finasteride content during normal usage, for as long as the tablets are neither crushed nor broken. If in case a woman comes in contact with the active ingredient of the Propecia tablet, you must immediately wash the region with water and soap.

If you decide to take Propecia, you must first tell your physician about any allergic reaction to the drug or to a drug that has the same Finasteride content. Your doctor must also know whether you have liver conditions, bladder disorder, prostate cancer, or urination problems.

Propecia must be taken exactly as the physician has prescribed. Lowering or increasing the dose of the medicine, without consulting a doctor, should definitely be avoided. The prescription label may include directions, which you must strictly follow. Propecia can be taken on an empty or full stomach, and a full glass of water is essential.

If a dose is missed, take it as soon as you remember. But if your next medicine dose is already near, just skip the missed dose and take the next one. Never double your dose to make up for the missed one. Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. However, an overdose of Propecia is not expected to produce life-threatening symptoms.

The medication may cause nausea, swelling on extremities, testicular pain, impotence, abnormal ejaculation, dizziness, body weakness, skin rash, among others. Emergency medical assistance should be reached when an allergic reaction occurs, as indicated by symptoms like difficulty of breathing, hives, and swelling of the face, tongue, lips, or throat. Call the doctor right away if tenderness, nipple discharge, lumps, or any changes on the breast are noticed as these signs may indicate breast cancer.

For best results, Propecia should be taken regularly. It may take three months or perhaps even more before wanted effects can be observed. However, if the drug seemed to not work after twelve months of using it, a doctor must be consulted and further treatment may be recommended.

The medication must be stored at room temperature. It must be kept away from heat, light, and moisture. The medicine bottle must be kept tightly closed if idle or not in use.

Author: Wong Darren
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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However, be aware of the following precautions before you order prescription Propecia:

1. Propecia is for men only, and 1 tablet has to be taken orally each day. Be prepared to take it for many years as the hair you gain through the use of this drug can be lost once the medication is discontinued. Hence, calculate the expense and determine whether you are prepared for this financial outlay.

2. Although over 80% of the men in clinical trials experienced positive results in keeping their hair and seeing new growth, a small number, around 3%, experienced some form of sexual dysfunction. These side effects disappeared shortly after the drug was discontinued.

3. Prescription Propecia is specifically to help hair growth in the mid-scalp and crown area. There is no evidence to prove it is effective with a receding hairline or for hair loss on the temples.

4. The long term effects of taking prescription Propecia are unknown. If a man starts taking this drug in his twenties and has to continue to avoid hair loss, by the time he is in his fifties he will have been on the drug for 30 years. As Propecia has only been on the market since 1998 it is not possible to determine what effects this could have in the long term.

5. A personal consultation with your medical practitioner is recommended before taking any drug. Ordering from an online pharmacy may or may not be safe. A questionnaire has to be filled out before the online pharmacy can fill the order. Be sure you research the web site and look for symbols or links indicating the pharmacy is licensed and registered with a government agency.

6. Check that the web site you wish to order from has medical professionals acting as consultants and be prepared to ask questions directly to these professionals and evaluate the response, both for speed and professionalism.

7. Remember that individuals react differently to drugs and medications. Prescription Propecia may work well for some men and not for others. Be prepared to wait patiently for at least 2-3 months before drawing a conclusion at to whether Propecia is working for you or not. If you do not see a difference in your hair density after this time then consider stopping the medication.

While FDA approval certainly gives Prescription Propecia legitimacy, some search for alternatives in view of the unknown long term side effects and cost of continued usage.

NewHair Biofactors is one such alternative. It is a natural herbal solutions, non-prescription, and much cheaper than prescription Propecia.

Although not FDA approved, it has been on the market since 1993 and it it has helped thousands of men and women stop hair loss and increase the density of their hair growth, while maintaining a healthy scalp.

Clinical studies reported in the Medical Post of 1993 reported an 85.7% success rate in the 148 participants in the study. Check the resource box for details.

Prescription Propecia may just be the answer you are looking for to combat hair loss. On the other hand, if the precautions listed above make you cautious, it is encouraging to note there is an alternative which also has a high success rate.

Author: Mike Jones
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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