Blush logo

Androgenetic Alopecia: Here Is How You Can Reduce Your Hair Loss

Advice

By Alex TrufiaPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
Like
Androgenetic Alopecia: Here Is How You Can Reduce Your Hair Loss
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Androgenetic alopecia refers to genetic hair loss in men. These days, an increasing number of people suffer from this condition. If you have this condition, the hair on your head will become thinner with the passage of time. If you don't do anything about the hair loss, you may grow bald. But if you get lucky, your hair will grow back once again. But if the roots of your hair have been compromised, new hair growth won't happen in the affected area. Women can also have this problem, but they don't lose all of their hair. Let's find out more about this condition and how you can deal with that.

Basically, this problem is associated with dihydrotestosterone also known as testosterone, which refers to the male sex hormone. It is important to keep in mind that androgenetic hair loss is not a disease, but a process. Although some young men don't mind walking around with the bald head, others look weird in this state. Most men just don't want to lose all of their hair at a young age. Therefore, they try to fix this problem and search for alternatives.

Hair Growth Cycle

Your hair goes through a specific life cycle. Typically, it involves three phases called growth, transition and resting. During the growth phase, most hair follicles show up. If your hair loses their metabolic activity, they start falling out, which is a natural process.

The follicles keep functioning even during the ultimate stage of degradation. They don't just die, but the hair produced is too short and thin. Therefore, you can barely see them. With the passage of time, the connective tissue closes off the hair growth shaft. This phase is irreversible as far as pharmacological treatment is concerned.

Hereditary Alopecia: Common Causes

One of the most common causes of genetic hair loss is the "high" sensitivity of your hair follicles. In other words, the hair follicles are extremely sensitive to androgens in your scalp. Dihydrotestosterone is one of the main factors. Actually, androgens refer to male sex hormones. dihydrotestosterone may trigger hair growth on your body. But it can also leave you with a bald head. Although it's associated with male sex hormones, know that it's nothing to do with a hormonal disorder.

Which Drug can be used to Treat Alopecia in Men?

Although there are many treatments for alopecia, Propecia is one of the most common drugs for this purpose. Finasteride is on the list of active ingredients found in Propecia, which helps treat alopecia in men. The role of this ingredient is to reduce dihydrotestosterone levels by curbing the transformation of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. However, before you go for it, we suggest that you consult your doctor to make sure you have the type of hair loss that can be treated with this drug.

As said earlier, the primary cause of androgenetic alopecia is the high level of dihydrotestosterone. Therefore, the active ingredient of the mentioned drug can curb the enzymes that turn testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. If you take the drug, you will disrupt the hair loss process. As a result, you may experience hair growth by up to 10%.

According to experts, Propecia is quite effective when it comes to fighting hair loss. If taken on a regular basis, the effects will kick in after around 3 months. Unfortunately, Propecia can't help you if you lost all your hair a long time ago. Basically, the drug treatment helps eliminate the root cause of the condition. Apart from this, the drug helps as a form of maintenance therapy and helps control hair loss. If used regularly, the effect will persist. But if you stop taking the pills, the problem will come back.

If you want to stop or at least slow down your hair loss, you can give a go to this remedy. This drug is on the list of over-the-counter drugs. Therefore, you don't need a prescription to buy it at your local or online pharmacy.

According to a study that lasted 5 years, 70% of the participants that had 1 mg of the drug on a daily basis experienced hair regrowth. On the other hand, participants who didn't take the pills continued to suffer hair loss. Apart from this, half of the participants experienced noticeable hair growth while others didn't lose hair anymore.

How Can you Take these Pills?

Since the pills act as a pharmaceutical agent, you can take them to curb your hair loss process. The pills are taken orally and the daily dose is only 1 mg. For best results, experts suggest that you start the treatment when the hair loss has just started. But if you have lost all of your hair, none of the available therapies can work.

Most people can easily tolerate the drug and the effects of the drug inside your body will be reduced to 50% in 6 to 8 hours. And if you stop taking the pills, hair fall will continue within 6 months.

In 85% of cases, the use of Propecia can be quite effective against hair loss. There can be some minor side effects as well. Given below are some of the common side effects that you should be aware of:

Thoracic pain

Ejaculation disorders

Decreased libido

Itching

Exanthema

Inflammation of the lips and face

Testicular pain

Also, taking the drug may contribute to birth defects in some cases. Therefore, if you are pregnant, we suggest that you don't take these pills. Researchers are not sure whether the pills may affect breast milk. Although hair loss is a natural process, not all men are happy about their hair loss.

Nowadays, you can find a lot of drugs that help block the turning of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. As a matter of fact, once you eliminate the root cause of your hair loss, your hair will stop falling out and you will experience healthy regrowth as well. Although you can choose from a lot of drugs, finasteride is on the list of the most effective ones.

As a precautionary measure, we suggest that you consult your doctor before taking the pills. The reason is that a sudden change in your hormonal levels may cause some side effects as well. However, the chances of side effects are very slim. In most cases, the primary side effect is a reduction in your sexual desire because dihydrotestosterone affects your libido. But not all users experience these side effects. So, there is nothing to worry about.

Finally, finasteride offers a lot of advantages over many other sprays and ointments. All you need to do is take only one tablet per day and you will be good to go. The maximum does is 1.5 mg of finasteride for best results.

Long story short, this was a description of a common drug for the treatment of hair loss. If you have the problem of rapid hair loss, we suggest that you consult your family physician and take this drug on a daily basis.

hair
Like

About the Creator

Alex Trufia

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.