PROPECIA
is the first and only FDA-approved pill proven to treat male
pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of the head)
and anterior mid-scalp area in men.
The numbers.
The fact is, for most
men, PROPECIA works. The results of 2 years of testing speak
for themselves.*
- 5 out of 6 men kept
the amount of hair they had (vs. 28% with a sugar pill).
- 2 out of 3 men grew
back some of their lost hair (vs. 7% with a sugar pill).
Most men reported an increase
in the amount of hair, a decrease in hair loss, and
improvement in appearance. And the vast majority of men on
PROPECIA were rated by doctors as improved (80% vs. 47% with a
sugar pill).
*Based on vertex studies at 2
years of men 18 to 41 with mild to moderate hair loss. There
is not evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at
the temples.
Description
Finasteride (brand name: Propecia) belongs to the group of
medicines called enzyme inhibitors.
It is used to treat urinary problems
caused by enlargement of the prostate (benign prostatic
hyperplasia or BPH).
In men with very enlarged prostates and
mild to moderate symptoms (difficulty urinating, decreased flow
of urination, hesitation at the beginning of urination, getting
up at night to urinate), finasteride may decrease the severity
of symptoms.
Finasteride may also reduce the chance
that surgery on the prostate will be needed.
Finasteride blocks an enzyme called
5-alpha-reductase, which is necessary to change testosterone to
another hormone that causes the prostate to grow.
As a result, the size of the prostate is
decreased. The effect of finasteride on the prostate lasts only
as long as the medicine is taken. If it is stopped, the prostate
begins to grow again.
Finasteride also is used by some balding
men to stimulate hair growth. If hair growth is going to occur
with the use of finasteride, it usually occurs after the
medicine has been used for about 3 months and lasts only as long
as the medicine continues to be used.
The new hair will be lost within 1 year
after finasteride treatment is stopped.
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