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Hair loss medication
Finasteride & Minoxidil: Hair loss products
If someone were to tell you that you had an 82% chance of keeping all of the hair you currently have by using medication would you be interested?
With prescription drugs such as Finasteride this is not only a possibility, but it has been a reality for thousands of our happy patients over the years. This particular treatment is worth considering for younger men who are looking to keep a full head of hair or for men wishing to find a preventative measure against further hair loss.
Finasteride is for men who are looking to stop hair loss dead in its tracks. It is for men experiencing what we call 'diffuse' thinning which is basically the formation of a bald spot at the back or crown area, or for men who have recession of the temples or a combination of both. Finasteride has been backed up by many years of scientific data and has been clinically proven to give an 82% chance of retaining the hair you have today and that can make all the difference.
Finasteride is an anti-androgen treatment which halts the cause of hair loss and many practitioners would say it 'stabilises' your hair; do not under-estimate the effectiveness of this medication. It is often vital to stop the cause of your hair loss in order to see optimal results from growth stimulant solutions such as Minoxidil and of course to get the most out of a surgical hair restoration treatment such as FUE or Advanced Micrografting.
Minoxidil is a topical solution that is applied to your scalp daily; it is not taken internally as with Finasteride. Minoxidil works by reactivating hair follicles and increasing their size whereas Finasteride stimulates growth by altering male hormone enzymes inside the body. With continual use of Minoxodil follicles gain volume and growth cycles become longer; they therefore produce longer, thicker and better quality hairs. As we get older one of the symptoms of male pattern baldness is hairs slowly thinning as the follicles shrink and Minoxidil works to reverse this. After using Minoxidil, new hair growth will appear as soft almost 'clear' hair which will then grow normally like your existing hair thereby covering thinning areas and improving density.
You may still feel that medications are not right for you and you simply want to permanently replace hair on your scalp. If so, then why not consider the very latest developments in FUE and Advanced Micrografting at one of Court House Clinics three treatment centres located in Manchester, Birmingham and Berkshire. These procedures are now very simple and straightforward and are performed under local anaesthetic. Please click on Micrografting or FUE on the right hand side for more information on these procedures.
Frequently asked questions
FINASTERIDE
How does Finasteride work?
Finasteride gets to the root of the problem! It has been found that hair thinning in men is caused by the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which is formed by the action of enzyme 5-alpha-reductase. The male hormone testosterone froms a bi-product known as DHT. When a man then begins to lose his hair certain genetically programmed follicles begin to develop DHT receptor sites almost like small 'nooks and crannies' in which these molecules attach themselves. This chemical change not only affects hair but it also causes itching and inflammation and often leads to oily or greasy hair. At this stage the tiny follicles begin to shrink and after a couple of years they are simply too small and short to be seen and the follicle will die off. When Finasteride is taken it works to inhibit the production of this enzyme and so the DHT content in the scalp is reduced and the balding process may therefore be reversed. This results in improved hair growth and a healthy head of hair restoring an appearance of youth and vitality.
Are there any side effects of Finasteride?
Finasteride has very few side effects that have been reported and is generally well tolerated. An advantage of this treatment is that you can take it for a month to see how well you tolerate it. Side effects can be experienced for a small percentage of people in the beginning whilst the body adjusts to the medication and will typically disappear after a couple of months.
Finasteride is only available on prescription and it is important that our doctors are properly briefed on your medical history before they prescribe.
MINOXIDIL
When was Minoxidil introduced?
In 1988 Phamarcia Corp. (then Pharmacia & Upjohn) introduced the first FDA approved product designed to stop hair loss and regrow hair. Since then Minoxidil for Men and Women has safely been sold to millions of patients around the world.
How does Minoxidil work?
Minoxidil is a topical solution that is applied to your scalp daily; it is not taken internally as with Finasteride. It works by reactivating the hair follicles and increasing their size and with continual use follicles gain volume and growth cycles become longer which results in longer, thicker and better quality hairs.
Should I use Minoxidil even though I am not experiencing hair loss?
Minoxidil should only be used if you are experiencing hereditary hair loss or thinnning. In other wors if there is a history of hair loss either on your parent's side of the family.
Before and after
