Hair loss treatment for men: The pill recommended by pharmacists to prevent further fallout

HAIR LOSS affects 50 percent of men over the age of 50, yet the fallout can begin for some in their 20s.

Male pattern baldness is genetic, but some treatments may prevent further fallout.

The reason behind a receding hairline is due to hormonal factors – the hair follicles on the head convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

Affected hair follicles become more sensitive to DHT, causing them to shrink, weaken and eventually die.

Traumatised hair follicles don’t grow hair like they used to and, eventually, they stop growing hair at all.

Society for Endocrinology explained the amount of DHT present in the body depends on the amount of testosterone in the body.

This is because DHT is made from testosterone, which is controlled by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.

There is still so much to learn about DHT, and why the hormone that encouraged hair growth at one stage of life then proceeds to be the culprit behind hair loss.

Hair loss: The hard pill you need to swallow

Here’s the hard pill to swallow:

“There isn’t a cure for hair loss,” states Lloyds Pharmacy.

However, aside from a hair transplant, there is an option available that can “slow loss and stimulate regrowth”.

This type of pill – recommended by Llyods Pharmacy – works by blocking DHT from attacking the hair follicles.

The daily treatment will take between three to six months of constant use before you see the effects.

This is because of the hair growth cycle, which means different hair follicles will be at different stages at different stages.

The hair growth cycle consists of: anagen (hair growth), catagen (quick, transitional period) and telogen (fall out phase).

Taking medication will be a life-long treatment because as soon as you stop, the hair loss will resume.

So what’s the magical pill? It’s called Finasteride – only suitable for men.

Depending on the pack size you order, the price will vary from £39 (for four weeks treatment) to £139 (for 24 weeks worth of treatment).

Lloyds Pharmacy recommends starting treatment “as soon as you notice your hair fall”.
This is because it’s “easier to prevent hair being lost than to regrow it”.

They state that “almost two thirds of men who use [Finasteride] benefit from renewed hair growth, while hair loss is halted in most other men”.