Propecia for Men Hair Loss treatment

For most men, Propecia aids in increasing the number of scalp hair in the first year of treatment itself. Propecia helps to fill in the thin or balding areas of the scalp. In addition, hair loss slows down.Although, the results may vary, generally it is not possible to re-grow all of the lost hair. However, there is no proof as to Propecia working in the treatment of receding hairline in the temporal area on both sides of the head.

Propecia must be taken daily for three months or more before any benefit can be seen. Known to work over the long term, Propecia is an ongoing treatment for hair re-growth. However, if Propecia has not worked for you in twelve months, further treatment is not likely to bring any benefit. In addition, if Propecia intake is stopped, there will be a likely loss in the hair that was gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.

How does Propecia work?

Finasteride, the main ingredient in Propecia, is a competitive and specific inhibitor of Type II 5a-reductase, an intracellular enzyme that converts the androgen testosterone into DHT. Two distinct isozymes found in humans, Type I and II, are differentially expressed in tissues at different developmental stages. In humans, Type I 5a-reductase is predominant in the sebaceous glands including the scalp and liver and is responsible for approximately one-third of circulating DHT. Meanwhile, Type II 5a-reductase isozyme is primarily found in the prostate, seminal vesicles, epididymides, hair follicles and the liver and is responsible for two-thirds of the circulating DHT.

In humans, finateride’s mechanism of action is primarily based on its preferential inhibition of the Type II isozyme. For both isozymes, finasteride inhibits and reduces the inhibitor to dihydrofinasteride. The turnover for the enzyme complex is slow and therefore the hair re-growth is slow.

Finasteride has no similarity with the androgen receptor and has no androgenic, antiandrogenic, estrogenic, antiestrogenic, or progestational effects. Propecia produces a rapid reduction in serum DHT concentration and has the ability to reach about 65% suppression within 24 hours of taking the 1mg oral dose.

In men with androgenetic alopecia, the balding scalp contains miniaturized hair follicles and increased amounts of DHT as compared to a hairy scalp. Use of Propecia successfully reduces scalp and serum DHT concentrations in these men. By this mechanism, finasteride interrupts a key factor in the progress of androgenetic alopecia in those patients who are genetically predisposed.