Propecia Hair Loss Treatment: Review
Losing your hair is not fun, especially when you begin to lose your hair at a very young age. For some young men hair loss and thinning hair can begin as early as the late teens and progress to near baldness by the mid to late twenties. While this is a cause for alarm, there are ways to prevent, slow down, and even regrow hair, and one of the truly effective ways is through the prescription drug Propecia.
While some young men may be hesitant in trying a prescription to regrow hair, Propecia is the most effective tool. Other pills, creams, and oils may cost less and may be more readily available, but most of those hair loss scams are not effective and in some cases can be downright dangerous if not monitored correctly by a doctor. Propecia is approved and tested in hair loss studies and has minimal side effects which can be monitored by a dermatologist. The pills themselves are easy to swallow and cost less than a dollar a day, which is worth a full head of hair every day of the year.
One drawback of Propecia is the fact that once you start the treatment you have to stay on the drug or any hair loss that was stopped or hair that grew back will recede. The hope is, however, that eventually a permanent cure for hair loss will be found and will be available to the public at larger. Until then, however, Propecia should be looked at as a very productive solution.
The only other effective product that will assist in keeping a full head of hair is Rogaine. While the Rogaine dropper and spray can be messy, the Rogaine foam formula is relatively easy to use and to clean. While no hair loss prevention method is completely full proof, the use of Propecia and Rogaine foam will stop the hair loss and even restart the hair growth process in many men, especially if the hair loss is diagnosed early and the hair loss treatment begins as soon as possible.
Propecia Side Effects
Propecia has side effects but they are very limited and often harmless. Propecia has been used by over one million men since its FDA approval 1998. The FDA approval means that Propecia was carefully clinically tested and the test results were well documented.
Propecia (Finasteride) is beside Rogaine (Minoxidil) the only FDA approved drug against hair loss. It works by blocking a major part of the DHT hormone production. DHT is one of the reasons why men loose hair because it makes your hair follicles to shrink and therefore produce thinner hair or no hair at all anymore. Propecia reduces DHT levels so that the hair folicles can recover and produce more hair again.
Propecia side effects happen in less then 2% of men and go away when you stop using the drug. Although very uncommon they can be disturbing because they are of sexual nature. The side effects can be less desire and problems achieving an erection. There might also be a decrease in semen production. The side effects go away when you stop taking Propecia. These side effects also decreased to 0.3% of men or less by the fifth year of treatment.
Propecia can also affect a blood test called PSA (prostate-specific antigen) for the screening of prostate cancer. If you have a such a test done then inform your doctor that you are taking Propecia.
Other side effects are allergic reactions like itching, rash, hives, swelling of the lips and face, breast tenderness and enlargement and testicular pain. If you notice some of these side effects then consult with your doctor.
There are no long term side effects of Propecia known other than the ones mentioned above. The Propecia alternative Rogaine with the active component Minoxidil also blocks DHT but since it is applied to the head and not taken orally like Propecia the only side effects are a possible itching of the scalp.
Propecia works best for the vertex (top of the head) area. As for the vertex area clinical studies have shown that 2 out of 3 men could stop hair loss and regrow hair. Propecia is also effective for the anterior mid-scalp (middle front of the head) area. It is not very effective in other areas of the head. It is not for women.
Propecia is no over-night hair loss remedy. You must take the drug at least 3-6 months before you can see results. It’s recommended that you take Propecia at least for one year to see if it works for you or not. Since you can stop the uncommon and mostly harmless side effects of Propecia buy simply stopping to take the drug, you should give it a try.
Author: Jake D. Darren
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin expert
Propecia
One a day will keep the depression away.
To many men (and women) today, the bathroom mirror is the mortal enemy. Every day, you stumble into the bathroom, yank the toothbrush out of its holder, and very reluctantly venture an eye into the mirror above the sink.
What you see devitalizes you. It devastates you. What once sprung so vivaciously from your head has now been replaced by a smooth, shiny surface. In just a couple of years, it seems, your looks have aged by ten years.
Its a process that consumes you day by day, week by week. And theres nothing you can do to stop it.
Yes, you are going bald.
However, as helpless as it may feel, not everybody is taking this seemingly inevitable fate sitting down.
Many Americans every day are opening up the medicine cabinet behind that mirror to pull out the tabulated form of salvation. Its not the first product to treat hair loss and it certainly wont be the last, but Propecia is certainly winning the race when it comes to foiling vanitys worst nightmare.
At first, it looks a lot like your standard pain reliever or aspirin pill. The pain that Propecia will ease you from, however, is of a much different variety. As you probably know already, Propecia is the first pill that has been proven to fight the process of hair loss and in many cases, actually re-grow some hair.
Propecia is a tablet that is taken daily, with a months supply generally running between $50 and $55.
And the fact that Propecia actually works, theyre saying, is much more than just hair-say.
The facts are out. Granted, this study was done over the course of two years of Propecia use, but 83 percent of balding men between the ages of 18 and 41 maintained their hair count during the experiment, while 66 percent of the group actually grew back a considerable amount of hair.
The difference between Propecia and other products, like Rogaine, for instance, is that Propecia grows back thicker, natural hair as opposed to the limp peach fuzz. We wont even mention that fishy smell that Rogaine users often complain of.
And heres a bit of good news for that receding hairline. While Propecia has been widely believed to work the crown and vertex exclusively, studies out of the University of Pennsylvania are now confirming that the drug will also stimulate frontal hair growth. While re-growth along the temples has yet to be proven, steady growth in the middle of the front has been proven through extensive experimenting.
Most hair doctors will tell you that Propecia takes a good three to four months before kicking in, so if youre waiting for immediate results, you may as well grab a Snickers Bar. But if you dont see any positive results after a year of taking Propecia, chances are that youre not only wasting you time, youre wasting your money as well.
Now comes the bad news.
For you ladies who are seeing dread atop the head, Propecia is not for you. It is a drug designed exclusively for men.
Also, Propecia, like many other prescription medications, is not free of unfortunate side effects. Under extensive experimenting, a small number of subjects (2 percent, to be exact) were effected with such conditions as diminished sex drive, inadequate erections, and a decrease in semen.
Author: Allen Martin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
