PROPECIA is the first FDA-approved pill to treat hair loss in men.

Hair loss in men.

The most common form of balding is male pattern hair loss, representing close to 95% of all hair loss cases. Mild to moderate male pattern hair loss affects about half of men by age 50. This type of hair loss results in receding hairline and/or balding at the crown. It is due to heredity, from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family, and is dependent on hormones.

DHT and hair loss.

DHT is one of many male hormones in the body. DHT is developmentally important early in a man’s life; however, it appears to be a cause of hair loss as men get older. DHT shrinks the hair follicle until it no longer produces visible hair.

Doctors believe that excess DHT is an apparent cause of hair loss.

The causes of hair loss are not well defined; however, researchers have found that men with male pattern hair loss have increased levels of DHT in the balding area of their scalps. Human hair normally follows a cycle of growth, falling out, and new growth. But increased levels of DHT are believed to contribute to the shortening of the growth phase, and a shortening of the time it takes for the hair to fall out. This results in a thinning of the hair on the scalp.

PROPECIA blocks the formation of DHT.

Science has found a way to affect DHT with a prescription taken once a day in tablet form: PROPECIA. Finasteride (the active ingredient in PROPECIA) blocks the formation of DHT and, in this way, appears to interrupt a key factor in the development of inherited male pattern hair loss in men. PROPECIA has been proven to effectively lower DHT in the scalp.

Will PROPECIA work for me?

For most men, PROPECIA increases the number of scalp hairs, helping to fill in thin or balding areas of the scalp. Men taking PROPECIA noted a slowing of hair loss during two years of use. Although results will vary, generally you will not be able to grow back all of the hair you have lost. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works in the treatment of receding hairline in the temporal area on both sides of the head.

Male pattern hair loss occurs gradually over time. On average, healthy hair grows only about half an inch each month. Therefore, it will take time to see any effect.

You may need to take PROPECIA daily for three months or more before you see a benefit from taking PROPECIA. PROPECIA can only work over the long term if you continue taking it. If the drug has not worked for you in twelve months, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit. If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment. You should discuss this with your doctor.