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.

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.

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.

Concealers are a relatively new invention, designed to overcome the difficulties associated with wearing and maintaining wigs, but many people think they are incapable of withstanding adverse external conditions and appear unnatural. This is no longer true, as many of them have greatly improved recently, both in terms of their authentic appearance and their resistance to external influences. It pays to understand how different types of hair replacement products work, in order to estimate their suitability for your current condition and compatibility with your lifestyle.

HAIR SYSTEMS
As for hair systems, there are a number of factors determining the user experience, as well as their price, such as the type of hair, the technology used to make the wig, the foundation of the hair system and how it is attached to the scalp. As far as the type of hair goes, it can be artificial or natural. The latter can be of animal or human origin. Human hair requires more care than artificial hair but it looks more authentic, lasts longer and is more comfortable to wear. Its downside is its higher cost and the fact that it can lose its colour when exposed to direct sun for long hours, or break, as normal human hair does. Secondly, hair systems can be hand-tied or machine-tied. Hand-tied wigs happen to be the more expensive alternative and the more authentic-looking solution. In addition, the foundation of a hair system can be either a polymer or a mesh. The polymer foundation is the more affordable, though less comfortable, option but it lasts longer.

The method of attaching a wig to your scalp and blending it with your existing hair is a very important factor. The semi-permanently attached hair systems are either glued to your scalp or woven into your existing hair and can only be removed in a hair salon, once every five weeks for cleaning. The temporarily-attached hair systems use double-sided sticky tape or clips to fix the hairpiece to your scalp and existing hair. You can remove and clean them any time you wish but they can also be easily and unexpectedly removed, which can lead to embarrassing situations.

One thing that can surprise many prospective buyers is the price. Although you can get a wig for a few hundred dollars, the more authentic-looking pieces cost a few thousand dollars and require regular maintenance costing a couple of hundred dollars a month. In addition, you have to buy at least two identical pieces, one to wear while the other is being maintained by your hair salon.

HAIR LOSS CONCEALERS
Hair loss concealers, also known as hair thickeners, are an alternative to hair systems for people who have some miniaturised fine hair left in their balding area. They are more comfortable to wear than wigs but they can never give a full head of hair to a completely bald person. They also seem to be a less expensive solution compared with hair systems.

There are three hair loss-concealing techniques that do the trick by: a) painting your scalp to match your hair colour, b) thickening your hair by coating and penetrating the hair and trapping moisture and volume-building proteins inside the hair shaft and, lastly, c) there are microfibers that cling to your hair like branches to the trunk of a tree, increasing the hair density. Microfiber-based, hair-loss concealers can be typically applied in as little as 30 seconds, as opposed to a minimum of five minutes for hair-thickening concealers. However, microfibers are less water-resistant and it can be quite difficult to apply them precisely and, therefore, they are not very good at creating an authentic-looking frontal hairline. Their greatest advantage is that they are unrecognizable in your hair, even with a close inspection.

Hair thickeners, especially those that also colour your scalp, are extremely water-resistant and excellent for frontal hairlines but they take longer to apply. Their greatest weakness, in comparison to microfibers, is that in direct sunlight it can become visible to a sharp eye that the scalp has been painted. Some hair-loss sufferers use a combination of two products simultaneously to overcome the weaknesses of individual products and to achieve the most authentic shade and appearance. Most often a combination of a hair thickener and a microfibrous concealer is used. The results of such combinations are usually excellent even in people with very thin hair.

It can be concluded that wigs are more expensive and less comfortable than hair-loss concealers but they can cover a completely bald head, so they can also be used with burn patients and patients affected by alopecia areata, where concealers are of little help. Hair-loss concealers are suitable mainly for special occasions, when you want to look your best but many people use them permanently with good success.

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.

The main reason for anyone losing hair is dihydrotestosterone (DHT) attacking and slowly killing our hair follicles. This metabolite of the male hormone testosterone is the main cause of baldness in both men and women, leading to the irreversible hair loss. There obviously are other reasons why people lose their hair such as bad diet, extreme stress, hormonal factors and an array of medical conditions or treatments but these factors usually cause only temporary hair loss.

The aforementioned DHT causes a gradual miniaturization of our hair follicles which in turn results in miniaturization of our hair. Each hair goes through three growth periods – the growing phase, the transitional phase and the resting phase. Due to the harmful effects of DHT affected hair emerges finer and thinner with each new growth cycle while the hair’s life cycles are shortening. The end result is that the hair finally becomes so thin, colorless and short that it is hardly visible to the naked eye and it eventually dies as does the hair follicle. Hence, hair loss is not a result of increased hair fall but of increased hair miniaturization.

Many herbal and naturally-derived substances out there are assumed to treat hereditary hair loss in humans but none of them has ever been clinically proven and independently verified in a statistically significant sample to do so. Therefore, no matter what the marketers of the natural hair loss products say about the superior effectiveness of their products, you should take their word with a grain of salt. That does not necessarily implies that all natural hair loss remedies are a scam. Natural treatments are a mix of numerous components that are believed to promote hair growth and they may work for some people but their mechanism of action is a mystery and their results usually vary significantly between patients.

Herbal and naturally-derived supplements have not been subjected to any rigorous clinical testing regarding their safety, either alone or in interactions with other substances, distantly comparable to medicinal drugs. If at all, they are only tested on rodents not on humans. In addition, increasing numbers of herbs and herbal products are becoming responsible for nasty allergic reactions. Many marketers tell you that saw palmetto is as effective as finasteride in treating hereditary baldness and that it can be used as its natural substitute. Its mode of action is to reduce the dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels in your scalp, the same job finasteride does. However, saw palmetto is thought to have no negative side effects. Saw palmetto simply enjoys the best of both worlds; it is as effective as finasteride but as harmless as drinking water. A quick internet research turned up the following list of side effects experienced by saw palmetto users: stomach pains and diarrhoea, severe bleeding during saw palmetto use, allergic reactions, difficulty with erections, testicular discomfort, decline in sexual desire, breast tenderness and enlargement and a warning that saw palmetto extract is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding because of its possible hormonal activity. This example shows that herbal substances may not be so harmless after all.

And last but not least the price comparison does not speak in favour of natural hair loss products, either. They happen to be some of the most outrageously-overpriced hair loss cures on the market. Sure, it is not easy to beat the price of cheap generic minoxidil. But why should you pay ten times more for the same generic minoxidil just because it comes in a box with a few herbs, vitamins and common minerals? Natural hair loss products usually come as a complete treatment, consisting of topical and oral applications and a shampoo with conditioner. You are advised to use the entire therapy, as the individual components complement each other. This strategy obviously ensures very good profits for the manufacturer.

There are three leading causes and types of dandruff and each one of them has to be treated differently. Some people mistake dandruff for dry scalp and start shampooing their hair less frequently, which, in the case of dandruff, leads to a worsening of their condition. The most frequent cause of dandruff is the overgrowth of a fungus that normally lives in our scalp called malassezia. This fungus feeds on the natural grease in the scalp, converting it into oleic acid. The reasons for the sudden proliferation of this fungus are not exactly known.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis leads to a more severe form of dandruff than malassezia, causing greasy bran-like scales. Seborrhoeic dermatitis is usually accompanied by skin inflammation that, besides the scalp, also affects the eyebrows, ears, the skin around your nose and the lines on your cheeks, forehead and armpits. In moderate climates this condition usually improves in summer as direct sunlight relieves its symptoms. Cradle cap, however frightening it may look, is a mild form of seborrhoeic dermatitis affecting only infants and it clears itself by the time the baby turns one year old.

Psoriasis is the third known cause of dandruff, leading to its most serious form. It causes itchiness and inflammation of the skin and produces thick, silvery scales which occur most often in the scalp, knees and lower back. Psoriasis results in rapid shedding of the skin and, if this shedding occurs from the scalp, it is dandruff. This condition affects about 2% of the population and like the two aforementioned forms of dandruff, it is not contagious. An excessively oily scalp, autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalances, elevated scalp sensitivity, extreme stress, heart problems, etc. are often associated with an increased occurrence of all forms of dandruff. It has also been observed that some cases of dandruff are triggered by chemicals contained in hair care treatments. However, the exact cause of any of the aforementioned dandruff-triggering conditions is not known.

When it comes to treatment options, for a start it sometimes helps to wash your hair more often and use a mild shampoo. In more severe cases it is advisable to try some of the special anti-dandruff shampoos freely available in pharmacies. For yet more severe cases you may need to ask your doctor to prescribe you a prescription strength shampoo, which typically contains the same active ingredients as OTC products but in a higher concentration. The active substances used in anti-dandruff shampoos can include any of the following: salicylic acid, coal tar, zinc pyrithione, selenium sulphide, sulphur, ketoconazole, corticosteroids and caffeine. Each one of them addresses the problem from a different angle. For the most serious conditions, corticosteroid and anthralin treatments will typically be prescribed by your doctor.

Therefore, the only available gray hair treatment option for premature and age-related gray hair is to cover it. There are two principal coloring options for covering gray hair, which include hair dyes and progressive hair colorants. Hair dyes can be temporary, semi-permanent, demi-permanent or permanent, depending on the durability of their coloring effects. The ability of the pigment molecules to penetrate into the hair shaft determines the stability of the hair color. Each hair consists of at least two layers, the cuticle, which is an outer protective layer, and the cortex, which is hidden under the cuticle. Permanent hair dye is, as its name says, the most stable of the hair coloring options, as its large molecules get trapped in the cortex of the hair and resist being washed out but it is also the most drastic method of dyeing hair. Hair dyes are popular, especially with female consumers. Men usually look for more subtle options of covering their gray hair as for a man dyeing hair is socially less acceptable. Progressive hair colorants, with their slow and gradual mode of action, seem to be the right product for men.

The marketing of progressive hair colorants is typically targeted at male customers but these products can be also successfully used by women. They color hair gradually and unnoticeably and only affect your gray hair. They can be applied selectively so that you can leave certain areas untreated to look more natural. Progressive hair colorants are easy to apply, no plastic gloves are needed to apply them (with very few exceptions), and you just have to spread them on your white areas. Their mechanism of action consists of the chemical reaction involving one or two substances from the colorant, which in the presence of atmospheric oxygen produce synthetic pigment on the surface as well as in the pores and for some of them also in the cortex of your hair. As the substance is drying in the air, the chemical reaction begins and lasts until the next shampoo wash. Hence, the longer the substance stays in your hair the better. The downside is that progressive hair colorants have to be reapplied quite frequently, which makes them more expensive compared with the majority of traditional hair dyes. Progressive hair colorants are either metallic based or use organic chemicals.

The occasional controversy surrounding these products results from a wrong understanding of their mode of action and the purpose they were designed for. They were not meant to cover all your gray hair with a single application. For people with more than 50% of their hair already white, it is almost impossible to achieve full white hair coverage with these products, no matter how often they apply them. They were designed for people who want to reduce the amount of their gray and would like to do it discretely and unnoticeably. Frequent shampooing reduces the effectiveness of these products as does exposure to direct sun.

The type of hair is among the first things most buyers will ask about. Both natural and artificial hair can be used. The natural hair can be of human or animal origin. Some hair systems blend human hair with animal hair to save on cost. The human hair can be of Asian origin (the least expensive option), Indian origin and European origin (the most expensive option). Asian and Indian hair must often be bleached, which makes it brittle and less durable. Considering the harvesting methods, virgin hair happens to be the most expensive and hair gained from combs and hairbrushes the least expensive option. Human hair requires more care than artificial hair but it looks more authentic, lasts longer and is more comfortable to wear. Its downside is its higher cost and the fact that it can lose its colour when exposed to direct sun for long hours or break, as normal human hair usually does.

As far as the wig’s manufacturing process is concerned, hair systems can be hand-tied or machine-tied. Hand-tied wigs can also be custom made, which happens to be the most expensive alternative. The foundation of a hair system can be either a polymer or a mesh. The polymer foundation is a more affordable but also a less comfortable option. A mesh structure breathes better than polymer structures and is thus more comfortable to wear but, besides being more expensive, it is also a less durable alternative and more difficult to maintain. Mesh is suitable for creating authentic-looking hairlines, therefore many wigs combine both technologies, mesh for the hairline and the polymer structure for the inside of the wig.

The technique of attaching a wig to your scalp and blending it with your existing hair is a critical factor. There are semi-permanently attached hair systems that are either glued to your scalp or woven into your existing hair and these can only be removed in a hair salon once every five or six weeks for cleaning. These systems cling tightly to your scalp but can be unhealthy and uncomfortable to wear after a couple of weeks of continued use. The temporarily-attached hair systems use double-sided sticky tape or clips to fix the hairpiece to your scalp and existing hair. They can be removed and cleaned any time you like but they can also be easily and unexpectedly removed, thus leading to embarrassing situations.

The final, determining factor when choosing a hair system is the price. Any hair system is temporary in nature, it will not last for ever like hair transplants do. Nevertheless, they can be pretty expensive. Hair transplants can cost as much as ten thousand dollars or more. Although you can get a wig for a few hundred dollars, the more authentic pieces cost a few thousand dollars and require regular maintenance costing a couple of hundred dollars a month. In addition, you need to buy at least two identical pieces, one to wear while the other is being maintained by your hair salon. Though not cheap, hair systems are often the only option to replace the lost hair for many alopecia areata patients, as well as a large number of female hair loss sufferers.