For Men With Genetic Hair Loss |
But, since dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is intrinsic to both BPH and androgenetic alopecia, this drug can also be used to help to slow or even stop the genetic hair loss process as well.
Testing revealed that the lowest effective dose for treating androgenetic alopecia is 1mg.
So, Proscar was split into fifths, bottled as a 1mg pill for daily finasteride hair loss treatment and named Propecia.
(The dosage of finasteride is the only difference between these two products). Both Proscar and Propecia are prescription drugs by Merck Pharmaceuticals. However, you can also get generic finasteride (which will save you money).
Note - BPH is an enlargement of the prostate gland. It often occurs in elderly men and involves testosterone being converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by an enzyme (5-alpha reductase) within the prostate gland. Finasteride will inhibit 5-alpha reductase type II which, in turn, decreases the amount of DHT and helps to shrink the prostate gland.
Propecia has been FDA approved for treating androgenetic alopecia (in men only) Proscar has FDA approval for BPH only.
Note -The only other FDA approved drug for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia is minoxidil (Rogaine in the US and Regaine in the UK). Minoxidil is available without a prescription, and can be used by women as well as men.
Does finasteride hair loss treatment really work?
Finasteride has been clinically proven as effective against androgenetic alopecia and so both Propecia and Proscar can be used for this purpose.
How much do you use?
You need 1mg of finasteride per day. That’s one Propecia pill or one fifth of a Proscar pill. It’s more convenient taking Propecia but, by splitting up the tablets, Proscar is much cheaper. However, given that it can be difficult to split one tablet into 5 equal pieces accurately, you may prefer to cut Proscar into quarters instead. You can buy a pill splitter from any pharmacy to do this.
Any side effects?
Decrease in sexual desire.
Difficulty in achieving an erection.
Decrease in the amount of semen produced.
Impotence.
Breast tenderness or enlargement.
Finasteride hair loss treatment is for men only. Women who are, or may become, pregnant must not handle crushed or broken any finasteride tablets (including Propecia and Proscar). Finasteride can be absorbed through the skin and cause sex organ birth defects in developing male babies. Always read the label.
Cost?
The retail price of Proscar and Propecia is about the same. But, since Proscar tablets have 5mg of finasteride whilst propecia only has 1mg, you can split each Proscar tablet into 4, and get the same benefit for a quarter of the price you’d pay for Propecia. By doing this, you’ll only need 3 boxes of 30 Proscar tablets for a whole year ($120 approx per box) compared to 12 boxes of Propecia ($70 approx per box).
You can also get generic finasteride online with no requirement for a prescription or consultation.
US price
(30 x 5mg tablets) - $30 approx.
UK price
(30 x 5mg tablets) - £15 approx.
Money back guarantee?
You can get a 30 day money back guarantee for generic finasteride for the treatment of male pattern hair loss.
A Top Hair Loss Remedy?
If, like me, you prefer to prevent further hair loss and regrow hair you’ve already lost without using drugs or any ongoing costs, read this page -
Top Hair Loss Remedy.
Find out more about Proscar.
Find out more about Propecia.
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