Propecia, The Male Pattern Baldness Cure
Most men won’t give much thought to follicles when they’re in their youth, but it’s all too common for them to have a lot fewer functioning ones as they enter their 30s. Receding hairlines happen, and while some guys will just accept that’s part of growing older there are others who aren’t as okay with losing their hair. Male pattern baldness is often more troubling for men who have it occur at younger ages, and these are the fellows who will be looking for a hair loss cure. If they’re addressing the problem before they’re already had extensive hair loss, then Propecia is the fix they’ll be looking for.
Testosterone does wonderful things for the male body, but it’s a variant of that hormone – dihydrotestosterone – that is the villain when it comes to a receding hairline. There’s no escaping having it in the body. However, some men they have the genetics where dihydrotestosterone causes some hairs to slowly and progressively miniaturize to the point that eventually the shafts don’t sprout anymore. There’s debates about whether baldness comes from your mother’s side of the family, but all in all it’s fairly true that if your grandad and any uncles on that side have male pattern baldness then you will too.
Propecia works by blocking the effects of DHT so that hair follicles aren’t compromised, but we need to hesitate before calling it a hair loss cure. Propecia does work for a receding hairline, but the catch is you need to keep taking it throughout all the remainder of your days. If you stop taking it, your hair loss will resume within a short period of time. That can add up to a lot of OOP (out of pocket) costs over the decades, so you should deliberate some on whether using hair loss medication is something you want to do.
And if you’re looking for a more permanent hair loss solution then you’ll need to go the hair transplant route, and that has some higher costs attached to it. Either option can be possible for women as well, although fortunately women don’t experience genetic hair loss the same way men do.
Stay, Don’t Go
Hair loss concerns can also be more prominent for younger men who appear in public regularly or have some degree of renown for their profession. One of the things that you learn as you get older though is that youthful beauty is just that, for the young. There’s no stopping the sands of time and everyone ages. Thought it may be hard for young men to understand at the time it is true that by the time your reach middle age a receding hairline isn’t nearly as big a deal.
Those that aren’t reassured by that can speak to their doctor about getting a prescription for Propecia, but Rogaine is an OTC hair loss prevention medication than can be purchased without a prescription. It is a topical solution that’s applied to the scalp rather than a pill you take like Propecia, but Rogaine is only effective for slowing baldness on the top of the head. Rogaine is not effective for a receding hairline, although there are some men who use Propecia and Rogaine together to tackle both ends of the scalp spectrum.
And if we’re going to be perfectly honest, disregard any other hair loss prevention method that’s not either pharmaceutical or a hair transplantation. They won’t work well if they work at all, and you’ll quickly be back to square one in deciding if you want to try to deal with your receding hairline. If not you may want to do what most men do - shave all your hair off and go with a close-cropped cut that you can do at home with clippers and no guard.
Other Receding Hairline Treatment Options
PRP platelet rich plasma injections into the scalp can stimulate hair growth, and this is also an approach that should be tried to stem hair loss before it’s occurred on large scale. But again, this is also a pricey procedure although not as expensive as a hair transplant. Keep in mind that you’ll likely need ongoing PRP for hair loss sessions a few times a year. But it may be something you want to consider if you’re determined not let your receding hairline go any further. Some people will use PRP alongside a hair loss prevention med like Propecia or Proscar.
There is also laser therapy for hair loss, where a laser beam is used to pulse into the follicles and reinvigorate them against the effects of DHT. Most consumer reviews on it show it is only moderately effective for slowing a receding hairline, but some of the home units are relatively inexpensive. For reliable hair loss prevention though, nothing is better than using Propecia or getting a hair transplant.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above information is intended to increase awareness of health information and does not suggest treatment or diagnosis. This information is not a substitute for individual medical attention and should not be construed to indicate that use of the drug is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. See your health care professional for medical advice and treatment.
