Finasteride and Male Pattern Baldness
You might know it better by its brand name, Propecia, but Finasteride is the most famous – and most effective – treatment for male pattern baldness (MPB) on the market.
MPB, or androgenetic alopecia, as it is technically known, is the leading cause of hair loss in men. It affects the majority of men across the lifetime, yet – perhaps surprisingly – it affects 30% of men under 30 too.
The condition is caused by a hormone known as dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, which binds to hair follicles and causes them to weaken, shrink, and stop producing hair. If MPB progresses far enough, it will leave you completely bald. However, you’ll pass through the typical signs of hair loss first – including a receding hairline and balding at the crown.
Finasteride can stop this and, in this article, we’ll show you how. But we’ll give you more than just the hard science. Hair loss has a human side too – and that’s potentially even more important.
What is Finasteride?
Finasteride is a drug that blocks the production of DHT. It does this by inhibiting the enzyme – known as 5-alpha reductase – that is responsible for the conversion of testosterone. If the enzyme is inhibited, there is less DHT in your system and in your scalp – up to 60% less, according to studies.
This means, in principle, that your hair follicles are less likely to undergo the damage that the hormone causes. Yet, just how effective Finasteride can be might be surprising. Studies show that over 80% of men who use the drug see hair regrowth.
Importantly, Finasteride is much cheaper than the famous hair loss solution, the hair transplant. It’s much less radical too. And, you can safely combine the treatment with other medications such as Minoxidil (Regaine or Rogaine), which improves the health of your scalp and hair follicles. By using these two medications together, you can well and truly beat the bald.
Finasteride Before and After: Luke’s Hair Loss Story
Don’t just take our word for it, though. Rather, we’d like you to judge the effects of Finasteride treatment with your own eyes.
Let’s meet Luke, a member of our community who shared his story with the Manual team. He told us about his own experience with hair loss – and his journey to new hair growth following Finasteride treatment.
At the age of 21, rather than giving up and accepting his MPB as the beginning of the end, Luke adopted our Finasteride plan just five months ago, and he has already seen fantastic results. He shows the dramatic difference between before and after signing up to the Manual Hair Loss Plan, and what effect the treatment can have on thinning hair.
Before Finasteride: Luke’s Thinning Locks
Losing your hair when you’re young can be traumatic. Luke’s hair was understandably important to him – as it is for most men of all ages. But being a 21-year-old student out on the dating scene, he really wanted to look his best. Luke had shaved off his hair during his teens, after being teased about it since the age of 14. Yet, it wasn’t over: he wanted to take action that would improve his situation.
For Luke, it seemed like MPB wasn’t exactly a priority for his GP. When he went to his local surgery, he was met with the age-old attitude of “if you’re going bald, you’re going bald.” Being dismissed like this made him register with a new GP, and eventually he was referred to an NHS dermatologist. Soon after, he was diagnosed with MPB and pointed in the direction of Finasteride.
This was a step in the right direction – however, initially Luke was concerned by the potential side effects. This changed when he stumbled across one of Manual’s online promotions and saw that the vast majority (over 98%) of men in clinical trials continued to use Finasteride because they’d experienced no negative side effects. And if he was one of the unlucky ones, he knew he could simply stop taking it.
Luke decided to take the plunge, and the rest is history… Well, not exactly, because he’s still not even halfway to optimal growth!
After Finasteride: Luke’s Regrowth
Luke has been on the Finasteride Hair Loss Plan for five months, and has also added our Minoxidil Hair Loss Plan for the past month or so. The Finasteride medication has been working successfully – blocking 5-alpha reductase and giving his hair follicles a chance to recover.
Check out the “before and after” pictures for yourself. They’re pretty impressive, and he’s not even halfway to their maximum effect. The best results of Finasteride are actually seen after 12 months of continuous use.
Meanwhile, despite his early worries, Luke has experienced no adverse side effects whatsoever. Since starting his treatment, Luke has gone from making the most of his visibly-thinning hair to actually enjoying a hairstyle that he wants.
Luke’s story is a stark example of the profound and life-changing effects that simple treatment of MPB can have – without resorting to the more expensive and drastic alternatives. As a thank you for sharing his experience, we’ve sent Luke some caffeine shampoo to keep his locks in the very best condition.
Thank you, Luke, for sharing your success story with us. We wish you a happy and hairy future!
Key Takeaways
For men with MPB, life is different before and after Finasteride. The medicine helps men to turn a corner in their hair loss journey, no matter their age.
We’re delighted to share positive news of that happening in real life. We hope these examples will inspire you to get those pesky hair follicles to work for you, rather than against you. When it comes to hair loss, remember that you can change your situation.
¹L Drake, M Hordinsky, V Fiedler, J Swinehart, W P Unger, P C Cotterill, D M Thiboutot, N Lowe, C Jacobson, D Whiting, S Stieglitz, S J Kraus, E I Griffin, D Weiss, P Carrington, C Gencheff, G W Cole, D M Pariser, E S Epstein, W Tanaka, A Dallob, K Vandormael, L Geissler, J Waldstreicher (1999). The effects of finasteride on scalp skin and serum androgen levels in men with androgenetic alopecia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10495374/
²Akio Sato, Akira Takeda (2012). Evaluation of efficacy and safety of finasteride 1 mg in 3177 Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21980923/
³Yu Seob Shin, Keshab Kumar Karna, Bo Ram Choi, and Jong Kwan Park (2019). Finasteride and Erectile Dysfunction in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or Male Androgenetic Alopecia: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479090/
While we've ensured that everything you read on the Health Centre is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to your doctor.
