Hair Loss Diagnosis

Propecia (generic finasteride) happens to be at the moment the only FDA approved pill for hair loss. Not only it is the only medically proven way to restore the lost hair in male patients suffering from male pattern baldness but it is also the most powerful treatment currently available. The main obstacle is that it requires a doctor’s prescription and since this drug has been approved for treating hair loss only in some countries there are hair loss sufferers who may find it next to impossible to get their hands on this pill. Firstly, their dermatologist will most likely have never heard of Propecia and secondly he/she will not be able to prescribe it to them even if they were willing to do so as it can only be prescribed by urologists as long as it has not been approved for hair loss. This is a vicious circle as urologist can only prescribe Proscar (containing 5 mg of finasteride versus Propecia’s 1mg) and he can do it only for patients having urological problems.

Hence, the only remaining option to patients in some countries is to buy generic Propecia (finasteride) online in one of many existing internet pharmacies. This obviously carries the risk of receiving fake medications or delivery being held back at the customs. However, the price is usually so low when compared to the cost of original Propecia formulation in the regular pharmacy and given the fact that there is no other option remaining to get the pill that it can be worth trying. You just need to make sure that the delivery will not be clearly marked as generic Propecia or finasteride and you are best advised to try a small quantity first that nicely fits into the envelope. Always choose a pharmacy that provides an online consultation in order to get a prescription. This can help you get it from the customs should it get stuck there. However, be prepared to pay the import tax or the value added tax should that happen. In the most instances and in the most countries your delivery will slip through the customs and land safely in your mail box.

Restoring the hair lost due to hereditary factors is the dream of many men and women suffering from hair loss. Until not too long ago, the only effective and authentic-looking options for reversing hair loss were non-surgical cover-ups. It was only with the arrival of follicular unit transplantation and the discovery of the true cause of baldness - the harmful effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on our hair follicles - that the hair-loss sufferer’s chances of reversing their condition naturally have greatly improved.

The three best weapons in the fight against hair loss available today are the two FDA-approved medicinal drugs – finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine/Regaine) and hair surgery, the follicular unit transplantation and, especially, the follicular unit extraction technique. However, no ultimate cure exists yet as each of the three aforementioned hair restoration methods has its limitations. Minoxidil and finasteride work well only in the vertex area of the scalp, and finasteride cannot be used by women. Hair transplantation is suitable only for people who have sufficient hair density in the donor area, and many women, who typically suffer from diffuse thinning, do not make good candidates for hair transplant surgery.

Therefore, scientists around the world are relentlessly searching for new approaches to treating baldness. There are presently several promising drugs and new techniques under development listed below but progress seems to have slowed down recently due to the global financial crisis, as some R&D projects are finding it increasingly difficult to raise financing to further their research.

The most progress has been achieved on dutasteride. Dutasteride is an antiandrogen drug, in its chemical structure and mode of action it is similar to finasteride. It is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (prostate enlargement) and since it is a dual 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, it should be a more potent DHT blocker than finasteride. Therefore, it is believed to be more effective in treating hair loss, especially in the frontal area of the scalp. Dutasteride completed Phase III clinical testing this year and the study results are expected to be published soon.

NEOSH101 was originally developed by the US medical research company Neosil and was until recently undergoing phase IIb clinical testing. At the end of 2008, Neosil was acquired by Peplin, Inc., a development stage specialty pharmaceuticals firm and since then no information on the further progress of the clinical trials has been released. In previous clinical trials, NEOSH101 was shown to be a more powerful and faster-acting, hair growth stimulant than minoxidil and it only needs applying once daily. Though significantly improving the current hair-loss treatment options, NEOSH101 is not going to become the ultimate cure for baldness. The clinical trials seem to be advancing slower than most hair-loss sufferers would like and, hence, do not hold your breath waiting for it to hit the market anytime soon.

Another promising development area is the telomerase research. Telomerase is an enzyme that is able to put natural caps on telomeres and thus protect them from shortening. Telomerase thereby maintains the genomic integrity. Shortened telomeres are associated with causing premature aging processes. However, the uncontrolled activation of telomerase can trigger cancer. Cancer research is the main focus of the telomerase studies but scientists are also looking for other applications, such as anti-aging drugs and drugs against baldness and grey hair. Telomerase research could really change the world of medicine but its commercial application might be a good 15 years away.

Hair multiplication, often called hair cloning or hair regeneration, is the next hopeful treatment option being explored. This technique involves extracting hair follicles from the back of the patient’s scalp, culturing and multiplying them and injecting the newly-grown hair cells into the bald scalp. The UK healthcare firm Intercytex appears to be the frontrunner in hair multiplication research. Intercytex has already completed phase II clinical study of ICX-TRC (a suspension of a patient’s own dermal papilla cells). The main benefit of hair multiplication would be solving the shortage of donor hair, which is the main limiting factor in hair transplantation. However, Intercytex is currently facing financial difficulties and after failing to find an investor, it will have to continue operating on its own. Aderans, the main competitor of Intercytex, has also recently launched a Phase II clinical study on cell-based hair regeneration for men and women.

Generating new hair follicles in hair-free skin wounds is a totally new approach to regrowing lost hair. It was discovered accidentally when wounded skin in mice started producing new hair. This technology is presently being developed by the US medical device company, Follica, which has licensed this technology from the University of Pennsylvania. Though this method may sound weird, it is said to only use common instruments and drugs that have already been medically approved and thus it might not take too long for it to become available to the public.

This list of the undergoing projects in the area of hair-loss research includes the most promising lines of development but it is not exhaustive. However, none of the new therapies, with the exception of dutasteride’s application for treating hair loss in men, is expected to hit the market before 2013 and the immediate future of hair restoration lies in improving the surgical techniques, increasing the yields of the follicular unit extraction method and making it more affordable to a larger portion of the population.

At the moment, there are only two medicinal treatments that have been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the US for treating hair loss - topical minoxidil (trade name Rogaine) and oral finasteride (Propecia). Topical minoxidil is suitable for both sexes, whereas finasteride can only be prescribed to male patients. Minoxidil is a vasodilator, originally used to treat high blood pressure, which was later found to stimulate hair growth when applied topically to the scalp. Finasteride is an antiandrogen that was first used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as prostate enlargement. It acts by inhibiting conversion of the male hormone testosterone to the follicle-harming dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The discovery of finasteride’s positive effects on hair growth led to finding the true cause of hereditary baldness, which is the harmful attacks of DHT on our hair follicles. Since making this discovery, a quest for other alternative DHT blockers has begun, especially amongst antiandrogen drugs and herbs that have, in the past, been used to treat urinary problems.

Dutasteride (trade name Avodart) is an antiandrogen medication similar to finasteride in its chemical structure and mode of action and has been studied extensively for treating hair loss. It has recently completed phase III clinical testing for efficacy and safety in the treatment of male pattern baldness and the study results are pending. Like finasteride it is also used for treating BPH. Dutasteride is believed by many to be a more potent hair loss drug than finasteride but also with more severe side effects.

Flutamide (brand name Eulexin) is a very strong antiandrogen used to treat prostate cancer. It works by binding to the androgen receptors where it competes with DHT. Oral use of flutamide can cause serious side effects but it is believed that topical applications might have less adverse side effects and could be, in the future, used to treat hereditary hair loss. More research is needed to verify such claims.

Spironolactone (trade name Aldactone) is another antiandrogen that works by binding to androgen receptors, competing with DHT. It is used in women to treat acne, hair loss and excess body hair and although there are some generic topical applications for the treatment of male pattern baldness which contain spironolactone, it has never been approved to treat hair loss in men and should be avoided. For women, spironolactone can be considered as a reasonable alternative to the men’s best hair-loss pill, finasteride, which cannot be used in women.

As has been mentioned earlier, following the discovery of harmful DHT attacks on hair follicles being the true cause of hereditary baldness, herbalists started looking for possible natural alternatives to finasteride among plants that have been traditionally used to treat urinary problems and, more specifically, enlarged prostates.

Saw palmetto has been used for several decades to treat prostate enlargement and it is one of the few plants used in natural remedies that have been subjected to some sort of scientific research in regards to their potential for treating BPH. Its supporters believe that it works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into prostate and follicle-harming DHT but no study has yet confirmed this assumption. No clinical research has ever been conducted on saw palmetto’s effects on hair loss. Despite that, saw palmetto is widely used by thousands of hair loss sufferers around the world as a safe natural alternative to finasteride.

Extract from the bark of the evergreen tree pygeum africanum is another popular herbal ingredient found in natural hair-loss treatments and many herbalists believe it is more potent in treating hair loss than saw palmetto. Its rise to fame also comes from the general assumption that this plant, thought to be beneficial for treating prostate enlargement, must be also effective in treating hair loss. Pygeum africanum has been less well studied than saw palmetto and it has never been used in any clinical hair-loss study.

The third most popular herbal ingredient used in natural hair-loss cures is nettle root extract. This herbal drug is derived from the root of the stinging nettle, a popular healing plant found in temperate and subtropical zones of the northern hemisphere. Its use in natural hair-loss remedies also stems from the fact that it is supposed to help shrink enlarged prostates and is thus thought to inhibit the conversion of testosterone to DHT. Like the two aforementioned herbal extracts, nettle has never been subjected to any clinical hair-loss study.

This list of hair-loss drugs and herbal extracts that are believed to mimic the actions of finasteride/Propecia, the only approved pill for hair loss, is not exhaustive. There are many other ingredients, mostly of natural origin, that claim the ability to block DHT and thus reverse hair loss. However, no clinical proof exists that any herb contained in the natural remedies promotes new hair growth. Whether you decide to try a commercial herbal remedy or just one or two herbs on their own, keep in mind that, besides there being no guarantee of their effectiveness, no daily dosage has been established and side effects might occur, despite the general belief that herbal hair-loss remedies are safe and free of them. Furthermore, it is not advised to try any of the aforementioned medicinal substitutes to finasteride without first consulting your doctor. On the same note it is not advisable to buy finasteride online without having a prior approval from your doctor.

Despite the widespread belief that hair loss can be succesfuly treated with herbal shampoos and nutritional pills, the healthy diet or lifestyle most balding men will not see any results from such treatments or advice. The fact is that the only existing treatments that have been clinically proven to improve genetically determined hair loss conditions are medicinal drugs. And there only happen to be two of them that have been approved by the FDA for treating hair loss to date. It is minoxidil, better known under its trade name Rogaine and finasteride, also known as Propecia. Both of them are being frequently accused of causing negative side-effects but the medical science has shown that only about 1% of the population is affected and many of such stories seem to be spread by the marketers of natural substitutes, claiming their products are guaranteed to regrow your hair while having no negative side-effects. However, such claims have never been scientifically verified and should be taken with a grain of salt.

The truth is that it is only the two aforementioned drugs that have been shown to improve genetically determined hair loss condtions in men. Whereas minoxidil can be bought in almost any pharmacy and in many stores, either as Rogaine or straight minoxidil or as one of the active ingredients in diverse topical mixtures, finasteride remains to be in the most countries a prescription medicine. In a number of countries finasteride has not been yet approved as a hair loss treatment and seeing a dermatologist will not get you prescription. Finasteride has to be usually prescribed by your urologist but he cannot prescribe it for hair loss as finasteride has not yet been included in the list of hair loss medicines. Therefore, the easiest option is often to buy Propecia online in one of many online pharmacies. There are licenced online pharmacies that will require prescription but also such that will give you prescription after completing an online consultation. This often is the only option for many male hair loss sufferers in many parts of the world to effectively counteract their condition as Propecia is currently the most powerul drug for treating hair loss. However, you are best advised to see your urologist before ordering any such drug online and select your pharmacy carefully.

Rogaine was the first medicinal drug in history approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating genetically determined hair loss in men. By now it has been approved and is available as a hair loss cure in many other countries of the world. Its principal active ingredient is minoxidil, a vasodilator that was originally used in the form of the oral drug Loniten to treat high blood pressure. Minoxidil is a hair growth stimulant but its exact mechanism of action is not known. Since Loniten has long come off patent, generic minoxidil is widely available in drugstores at a very reasonable price and in most countries it does not require a physician’s prescription.

Both Rogaine and generic minoxidil come in concentrations of 2% for women and 5% for men but many experimental generic treatments use concentrations of up to 20%. Minoxidil is often blamed for causing various negative side effects. Since it has become the most frequently used drug for treating hereditary baldness, its side effects are very well documented and they happen to be often exaggerated. In less than one percent of patients they include an irregular or fast heart beat, very low blood pressure, swelling face and ankles, blurred vision, numbness in the hands, etc. These symptoms are directly related to minoxidil being a vasodilator. In addition, minoxidil can cause increased hair growth on the face and other parts of the body. This is due to its ability to stimulate hair growth. But some side effects that minoxidil is often blamed for are not caused by minoxidil itself. They include inflammation, redness and itchiness of the scalp, dandruff and allergic reactions. These negative side effects can be attributed to the chemical vehicles used in the solution, such as propylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol (propanol). Many hair loss sufferers have discontinued their minoxidil treatment because of scalp problems, although minoxidil rarely causes such reactions.

Furthermore, many generic, minoxidil based lotions contain supplementary ingredients that are supposed to improve their overall efficacy, such as azelaic acid, retinoic acid, herbal extracts, etc. These substances, especially the herbal extracts, are known to be allergenic to many people. It is advisable to try several different minoxidil based products, for instance, those that do not contain propylene glycol, in order to test their tolerability for your scalp. A more expensive product, e.g. the original formulation, Rogaine solution, is not necessarily a better choice than a less expensive generic mixture. However, Rogaine foam, though relatively expensive, is typically very well tolerated. Anti dandruff shampoos, e.g. Nizoral, can, in the majority of patients, be employed successfully to treat scalp inflammations, itchiness and dandruff caused by the use of minoxidil based topical products.

Men have been fighting hair loss since the beginning of time with methods that are at times ridiculous and dangerous. Today’s man has more choices than previous generations, but harsh and unnatural chemicals may not be the first choice for many men. Fortunately, there are several hair loss products that are based on traditional, natural treatments that may be just as effective.

Male pattern baldness is often genetic and/or related to too much dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the follicles of the scalp. This is a specific type of testosterone that is only found in hair follicles. For years, saw palmetto oil has been used to treat prostate problems, and it has been found to have some beneficial effect in blocking the DHT that causes most male hair loss.

A good multivitiman containing B5, folic acid, silica and biotin will help maintain hair health, but be sure to regulate your dosages carefully. Taking in excess of 30mg of zinc daily can cause a copper deficiency, often linked to hair loss. Before supplementing copper, restrict your intake of zinc, as copper can become toxic.

Traditional asian medicine links hair loss to kidney malfunction and often prescribes a kidney tonic to correct male hair loss. Another ancient remedy is aromatherapy and the use of essential oils. A combination of rosemary, thyme, lavender and cedarwood was studied in Scotland and the results were encouraging. The essential oils were mixed with a carrier oil, either almond or grapeseed oil, warmed and then rubbed into the scalp. The treatment was continued with a warm head wrap. Used for several months, the tonic helped over 40% of the study’s participants regrow hair.

Perhaps the easiest natural treatment for male hair loss is a change of diet. Increasing foods rich in iron and silica seems to help strengthen the existing hair and encourage new growth. Consider adding foods rich in silica like potato and cucumber skins, peppers and sprouts.

In today’s overly medicated society, many are hesitant to try another prescription drug. You have a choice not to. Many of the natural hair loss treatments are pleasant and more often than not, have no side effects. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.