| WHAT
IS MALE PATTERN HAIR LOSS? |
| Male
pattern baldness, androgenetic alopecia, is a very common condition
in which men begin to experience thinning of the hair on the scalp.
These changes often start slowly in men in their 20’s and often progress
to a receding hairline and/or balding on the top of the head. Male
pattern baldness is believed to be hereditary and dependent on hormonal
effects. |
| WHAT
IS PROPECIA & HOW DOES IT WORK? |
| Propecia
is the first oral drug approved by the FDA to treat male pattern baldness.
Men with male pattern baldness have increased levels of the hormone DHT
and the hair follicles in the balding areas of the scalp become miniaturized.
Propecia is a specific inhibitor of Type II 5 alpha reductase enzyme which
is the enzyme responsible for the peripheral production of DHT. Therefore,
Propecia interrupts a key factor in the development of androgenetic or
male pattern baldness. |
| WHAT
IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROPECIA 1 MG TABLETS AND PROSCAR? |
| Finasteride
is the active ingredient in Propecia and Proscar. Proscar contains
5 mg finasteride and is prescribed for prostate hypertrophy and has been
shown to be associated with a higher risk of an aggressive form of
prostate cancer. Propecia is 1 mg finasteride and is specifically
developed for male pattern hairloss and does not have an increased risk
of cancer as does Proscar. For economic reasons, one can choose
to receive a prescription for Proscar and cut the tablet into 4 pieces
and take 1/4 per day rather than Propecia. When prescribed
for hair loss, Proscar is NOT covered by medical insurance and Medical
Wellness Center. |
| WILL
PROPECIA WORK FOR ME? WHAT ARE THE INDICATIONS? |
| In
over 80% of men with Male pattern baldness in the vertex and anterior mid-scalp
area, clinical studies have shown that Propecia stops further hair
loss and/or increases the number of scalp hairs resulting in significant
hair re-growth filling in thin or balding areas of the scalp. |
| HOW
LONG BEFORE I SEE RESULTS? |
| Hair
grows only about ½ inch per month, therefore patients start to notice
results after first 3 months of treatment. It takes time to see improvement.
Also, for those just starting to have hair thinning, taking Propecia in
the early stages can prevent or dramatically slow further hair loss. |
|
HOW
LONG DO I HAVE TO TAKE PROPECIA?
|
| The
underlying predisposition to baldness is always present. Therefore, if
a patient discontinues use of Propecia, he will gradually lose the new
hair that grew in response to Propecia treatment and will experience the
progression of his underlying predisposition to baldness. |
| WHEN
DO I TAKE PROPECIA? |
| Propecia
comes in a coated tablet that you take once a day with or without food.
Taking Propecia more frequently or in higher doses will NOT make it work
better or faster. If you miss a Propecia tablet do not take an extra
tablet. |
| WHAT
ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PROPECIA? |
| Most
men, over 98%, experience NO side effects. Less than 2% of men experience
possibly related sexual side effects such as less desire for sex, decrease
amount of semen etc. These possible side effects disappeared in most
men who continued to take the drug Propecia, and completely disappeared
in men who stopped taking Propecia. |
WHO SHOULD NOT TAKE
PROPECIA?
WHAT ARE THE CONTRAINDICATIONS
FOR PROPECIA?
|
| CONTRAINDICATIONS:
In order to proceed to the medical consultation, you must proceed to the
next page and read the contraindications and verify that you do not have
any of the contraindications and understand that any pregnant or potentially
pregnant woman must not even touch any broken or crushed pills. |
Under
NO circumstance is any woman or a child under the age of
18 to take
Propecia. |
|
Propecia
Hair Loss Forum
|
ABOUT
PROPECIA: Questions and Answers