Is Propecia Actually Effective?
The Food and Drug Administration approved Merck & Co. to market Propecia in 1998. Many years of tests and a significant time investment from the pharmaceutical companies involved are required before any drug is approved by the FDA.
More than 1,500 men participated in a two-year study involving Propecia. More than 80% of the men experienced an improvement in the density and growth of their hair. Therefore, Propecia appears to be effective in most cases.
Some men will experience superior results than others. You need to take the drug every day for a minimum of 2 to 3 months before deciding whether to continue treatment.
If you start taking Propecia, you must continue to do so for the rest of your life. If you stop taking the drug after experiencing hair growth, you may lose the hair you have gained.
How Propecia Works
Propecia works by blocking the process in which dihydrotestosterone or DHT is formed. DHT is partly created by male testosterone, and it can cause hair follicles to shut down or malfunction.
Every tablet of Propecia contains 1mg of Finasteride, a drug that was originally prescribed in 5 mg doses to treat prostate cancer in males older than 50. Many men who took the drug also experienced an increase in hair growth. Propecia is the brand name of the version of Finasteride used to treat male hair loss in the mid-scalp or crown of the head.
Propecia & Women
Propecia does not work for women. Even though the tablets are coated, they should not be taken by women who are pregnant or may be pregnant. Broken or crushed tablets can cause deformities of the male sex organs in children. Read the rest of this entry »