Propecia (1mg Finasteride)
Q. Apart from Minoxidil are there any other treatments approved by the FDA effective at slowing down or reversing MPB.
A. Yes. Oral Propecia. The active ingredient in Propecia is a drug called Finasteride. Finasteride in its 5mg formulation is used to treat patients with Prostrate Gland problems.
Finasteride blocks the conversion of Testosterone to Dihydrotestosterone or DHT, which is thought to be partly responsible for the swelling of the Prostrate Gland, and for the gradual shinkage of hair follicles on the scalp to those unfortunate individuals like myself who have a genetic disposition towards the sensitivity of DHT on scalp hair follicles.
Finasteride in its 1mg formulation has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of MPB and is called Propecia. Merck phamaceutical claims that Propecia can allow atrophic hair follicles to regenerate in 66% of patients.
Q. How does Testosterone change into Dihydrotestosterone?
A. There is an enzyme that is present in our body called 5-alpha reductase (5-AR) that is responsible for the transformation of T into DHT.
It makes sence that if you can inhibit this enzyme you can significantly lower the amount of follicle shrinking DHT in the body.
Q. Are there any other investigational treatments for MPB?
A. The good news is Yes. Since the FDA approval of Minoxidil and Propecia many phamaceutical companies have invested intensive research and development programmes for medications that may arrest or reverse MPB.
For example, topical Azalaic Acid is reported to be close to 100% effective in blocking conversion of T to DHT where applied.
Spironolactone is another topical solution that is reported to be very efficient in lowering levels of DHT.
These DHT 'blockers' work by inhibiting the 5-AR enzyme responsible for the conversion of T to DHT and are called Anti-Androgens.
Xandrox solutions and lotions contain 5% Azalaic acid and are reported to be close to 100% in the inhibition of the synthesis of DHT in the scalp. - see 'About Xandrox' link
Q. What are the side effects of taking Propecia?
A. Less than 2% of patients claim a loss of libido, but even after continuing to take Propecia the symptoms usually subside. They are also claims of a decrease volume of ejaculate. (For what is worth, I have not experienced any of these side effects).
As with any anti-androgen there may also be a period of shedding before regrowth. This shows that the anti-androgen is working to replace the finer, older hair shafts with thicker and stronger new ones.
Q. How can I be sure about the long term safety of Propecia?
A. You cant. Finasteride in its 5mg formulation has only been in widespread use for around 20 years so it is difficult to predict its long term safety.
However, Propecia has just 1mg of Finasteride as its active ingredient. Fortunately, there is a natually occurring control group. These people have a congenital 5-AR deficiency and they are perfectly normal, except they have a perfect head of hair, and do not develope prostrate cancer !!
Q. Will I have to take Propecia for the rest of my life?
A. If you want to keep your hair you do. Finasteride is not a cure for baldness. You have to take it to keep the levels of DHT low. If you stop taking it the DHT levels return to normal.
Q. Will it help to grow hair at the frontal hair line?
A. It can, and is reported to be almost as effective as Xandrox in doing so. A recent study was carried out specifically to evaluate the effectiveness of 1mg Finasteride daily on the frontal hair line zone and the results were very comparable with the crown.
Frontal hair line regrowth is greatly enhanced when oral finasteride is taken in conjuction with topical 5% Minoxidil solutions.
Q. Can Finasteride accumulate in the body causing other problems?
A. No. Finasteride has a biological half-life of 6 hours. This means in 6 hours, half of the dose you took has already been eliminated from your body. So in 12 hours it will all be gone. Hence the recommended one dose per day to keep the DHT levels low.
Q. Do I have to take Propecia with food?
A. No. Propecia can be taken with or without food. It is easily absorbed in the small intestine. I take mine at the same time every day so it becomes routine.
Q. Will taking Propecia change the levels of Testosterone in the body?
A. There is a small increase in the levels of testosterone beacuse a small fraction of it is not being converted into DHT. It has been reported that levels of T are increased by 10 to 20%. For most patients this is still within normal limits.
Q. How can I get hold of 1mg Finasteride?
A. There are several web sites that claim to supply 1mg Finasteride. It is not yet available in the UK without presciption. Please do your own research to get the best product in terms of quality, price and UK delivery but be careful, there are many scams out there. Please read our link 'Avoiding Scams'.
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