Oral treatment is pain-free remedy for hair loss problem

The adage "beauty is only skin deep" may be true, but for many balding men this may not be the reality.

For many, beauty still lies in the eye of the beholder, as revealed in a survey conducted in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden) among women aged 20-39 years representing approximately 35 million women.

According to the study, it was shown that a man’s character and personality may not be enough to attract a woman. Sixty-one percent of the women said balding men tend to look older than they really are, while 71 percent of the women believe that hair plays an important part in a man’s overall appearance.

In the survey, some of the women commented that, "Hair is often the first thing that catches my eye. Only then do I look at the face and the rest." While others claimed that, "Nice hair is a sign of youth and health. A shaved head may create a certain style, but a balding man seems older."

However, good grooming and a stylish haircut may not be the solution for many men, particularly for balding men with male pattern hair loss (MPHL).

Male Pattern Hair Loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia, is a common hair loss problem that is both genetic and hormonal in nature.

It is also a progressive condition, which means it usually gets worse over time if left untreated. However, with proper and prompt treatment, further hair loss can be averted.

Today, there are various treatment options available for MPHL which include oral pills, topical solutions (minoxidil), and surgical procedures.

For those who prefer a pain-free and less messy approach to hair loss treatment, oral pills would be the best choice. Finasteride is the first and only U.S. FDA-approved hair loss oral pill and is currently available in the Philippines.

This finasteride is a safe, effective and convenient oral treatment that has been proven to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area (middle front of head) in men.

In the longest reported controlled clinical study of men with certain types of male pattern hair loss, two out of three men who used finasteride regrew hair, as measured by actual hair counts over time.

This treatment, however, is for men only.

The earlier survey also revealed that the women have very positive attitudes toward hair loss treatment and would encourage men to give it a try (79 percent), while 44 percent of the women would prefer that a man try treatment before resigning himself to hair loss.

If one starts to see signs of baldness, such as a receding hairline and/or slow balding at the crown, it would be good to consult a dermatologist and find out more about effective and convenient hair loss treatment.

This information is given by PROHair, an advocacy program developed by pharmaceutical company Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) and the Philippine Dermatological Association (PDS) to manage and treat MPHL among Filipino men.