Losing their hair is a problem that a lot of men can be sure to encounter at some point. This usually happens after their reach 50 years, but for some it can happen in their 20’s and it is a huge problem for someone so young. Sometimes people barely notice this and fix the problem by shaving their heads , but for most it is a serious problem which is quite depressing to them.
Luckily, this other group, who want to stop their hair from going away, or at least slow it down has a very good solution for their problem in the form of a drug called Propecia. This medication has proven to be quite capable in helping men with their hair-loss problem over the years it has been on the market.
Like most great discoveries, Propecia has also been the result of some seemingly random events. One of them is the discovery of a group of people in the Caribbean with the lack of the 5 alpha reductase enzyme. It was discovered that these men never lost their hair or had a problem with enlarge prostrate.
Okay, what does losing hair has to do with enlarged prostate you are wondering? Actually, the mechanism behind these two problems is quite the same and it involves the changes in a testosterone into dihydrotestosterone with the help of 5 alpha reductase enzyme that I’ve already mentioned earlier.
With this discovery, the pharmaceutical company rushed to developed their own cure for baldness. Little wonder for that as they knew very well that any losses in developing this medication could be returned tenfold once they have a good grasp of the market.
It took a few years, but they were finally able to develop a drug called Finasteride. They branched this drug into two. The one used for enlarged prostate got the name Proscar. The other one, called Propecia, used for hair loss is a lot more interesting for us at this point.
So how does this drug actually helps men with their hair loss problem? Propecia’s main task is inhibiting an enzyme called 5 alpha reductase and thanks to that decreases the levels of a more aggressive cousin to testosterone, called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT for short. Thanks to Propecia the deterioration and slow death of the follicles is considerably slowed down and in some cases completely stopped, much to the delight of the male population.
This medication can only be used with the consultation with your doctor and his prescription. This is important since taking it unobserved and on your own hand can lead to potentially dangerous, even lethal side effects and sometimes even overdose, which can also have near-death consequences for the user.
Since both the enlarged prostate and hair loss are problems of the man, women and children have no reason to use this medication. Also note that it cause problems for small children or the fetus in case they are consumed.