How FDA approved Finasteride is Effective against Hair Fall?

 

Hair loss and today’s youth has a very close relation because this is the one of the most emerging problem that has risen since a couple of years. If you are suffering from hair loss and even if you have researched a tiny bit regarding how to resolve it then you have surely gone through the term Finasteride and Minoxidil. But what are they? Let’s get some details about Finasteride from the best hair transplant clinic in Kolkata.

 

What is Finasteride?

Finasteride is a DHT blocker. Now comes the very obvious question, what is DHT? DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is an androgen which contributes to the male sex characteristics like deep voice, increased body hair and mass, growth in penis, scrotum and testicles and fat storage in your body during puberty. DHT is converted from testosterone by the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase (5-AR). When this DHT starts to flow through your bloodstream, it can link its receptor to the hair follicles which reduce the diameter making the hair strands thin, greying them ultimately breaks them off.

 

Finasteride is a type II 5-alpha reductase inhibitor. In simple words, it restrain the enzyme which is responsible for the conversion of testosterone into DHT. By reducing the level of DHT in the scalp, the drug stops the effect of DHT, reversing the process of hair loss.

 

Finasteride and Minoxidil are the only approved drug by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to treat hair loss. Finasteride comes is a form of 1mg oral pill that needs to be taken orally. It is recommended to at least take Finasteride for period of 3 months to notice the change.

 

A study showed that Finasteride can prevent hair loss in men with mild-to-moderate male pattern hair loss. In two of the clinical studies involving men with mild-to-moderate male pattern hair loss, 86% of men treated with Finasteride maintained or showed an increase in the amount of their hair based on hair counts during the course of the studies. Only 14% of men treated with Finasteride had further hair loss after 12 months of treatment, compared with 58% of placebo patients.

 

Contraindications:

Finasteride are not supposed to be taken by women and children. However it sometimes it is off label prescribed to postmenopausal women with no problems. Finasteride is contraindicated to women who are or may be potentially pregnant. Also it is not recommended to people who are sub fertile. Such patient should consult a physician and take the necessary tests before taking Finasteride.

 

Does Finasteride cause interaction with any other drug?

The answer is a straight NO. This is a good side of Finasteride that it doesn’t coincide with the action of any other drug due to which most patient suffering from androgenic alopecia uses Finasteride and Minoxidil simultaneously and none of them cross each other’s path.

 

Side effects of Finasteride

Since Finasteride is a drug that controls the level of androgen, it has some side effects though which are observed in a very less number of cases:

·       Low sex drive

·       Trouble getting/keeping an erection

·       Ejaculation disorder

·       Skin rash

 

To sum up, Finasteride is effective against hair fall, but people should understand that Finasteride is a drug that minimizes your hair fall not improves its growth for which Minoxidil is applied. Considering the actions and side effect of this drug it is always recommended to consult a doctor before taking it.