Generic Propecia

Finasteride — known by its brand name Propecia — a medication approved to treat hair loss in men, may also improve the condition in women when combined with oral contraceptives, according to an article in the March issue of Archives of Dermatology. Find out more about this breaking news now.

As many as half of all women experience female pattern hair loss during their lifetimes, according to background information in the article. Women who are affected often report feelings of embarrassment and social anxiety and the condition often worsens if left untreated. Current treatment generally involves minoxidil (Rogaine), a medication typically applied to the scalp to encourage hair regrowth, which is effective but not always well accepted by patients, the authors report.

Matilde Iorizzo, M.D., and colleagues at the University of Bologna, Italy, evaluated the effectiveness of 2.5 milligrams of finasteride taken by mouth daily and combined with an oral contraceptive in 37 women aged 19 to 50 years who consulted a physician about their hair loss. The contraceptive was necessary to prevent pregnancy in women in the study, because finasteride is known to cause birth defects. The researchers selected a type of contraceptive that reduces levels of male hormones, because that effect may also contribute to the treatment of hair loss. They took photographs of the patients’ heads and assessed their hair density with a technique known as computerized light videodermoscopy at the beginning of the study and after they had taken the two medications for 12 months.

At the one-year mark, 23 (62 percent) patients were rated as improved using comparisons of the photographs. Thirteen patients did not improve, and one patient’s condition worsened. Hair density scores increased in 12 patients. On a questionnaire, 29 patients reported that their condition improved after 12 months, eight said that it had stabilized and none reported that it had worsened. None of the participants had adverse reactions to the treatment.

“This treatment was well accepted by the patients, who judged the results to be even better than did the investigators,” the authors write. “The clinical results using global photography, hair density scores and patient self-assessment provide a basis for future work. Further studies are needed to establish the optimal dosage and mode of administration of finasteride in premenopausal women and to definitively assess the efficacy of this drug compared with oral antiandrogens.”

As of this writing, I have been taking Propecia (Finasteride) in 1 mg pills each day for the past two months. I have also been concurrently taking one tablet of each of the following on a daily basis as well:
Pygeum
Saw Palmetto
Green Tea
B-Complex
Zinc

So I cannot attribute the results I have seen so far to either Propecia or the herbs and minerals in isolation, but only in combination.

The results? Within the first two or three weeks of this drug/herb/vitamin regimen, I noticed two things: that my scalp (and the hair near the scalp) was noticeably less oily, and that the rate at which my hair “fell out” on a daily basis was also noticeably reduced.

I plan to continue with the described regimen indefinitely, and I’m hoping that in time I will see regrowth in the areas in which I have suffered hair loss.

There has been a lot of recent press about the hair loss wonder drug known as Propecia. The news about Propecia is that it seems to work in a large number of cases for the men who take it. Unfortunately, because of known side effects, Propecia is not available for women (as of 9/98).

Whenever there is a new drug like Propecia, a lot of people are willing to try it without the benefit of knowing whether it works or not.

In those situations it is always best, when possible, to get the first hand experience of a regular user of the drug. The Hair Boutique’s hair loss expert, Spencer David Kobren, has had a lot of experience with Propecia and it has worked very well for him.

We decided that we wanted to hear feedback directly from a new user of Propecia. We felt that a new user could give us current information on using this new hair loss drug. The Hair Boutique recently asked one of our regular guest authors to write about his new experiences with Propecia.

Dave Decker shares with the Hair Boutique visitors what he has experienced since he started taking Propecia.

While Dave has very long hair, he has reported “that hair loss is also a concern”.

Dave states that “I feel fortunate that my hair loss has been progressing very slowly. If male relatives (genetics) are any indication, my prognosis is both good and bad. Bad in that I won’t be able to keep all of my hair, but good in that I will be able to keep most of it. All of my elder male relatives have hair that has thinned on top, but none have gone bald on top.”