Pharmaceutical

Medications
There are medications that can be used to treat male pattern hair loss that tend to have results in stopping or slowing hair loss, with new hair growth happening in some men. The two main medications used to treat male pattern hair loss are:

Finasteride – is an oral medication that works by blocking the conversion of to DHT. The hair follicles are then not affected by DHT and can enlarge back to normal.

About two in three men who take finasteride every day experience some hair re-growth. About one in three men experience no hair re-growth, but most don’t experience any further hair loss. Finasteride has no effect in about one in 100 men. The chances are therefore quite high that finasteride will help hair re-grow or at least stop more hair from falling out.

Most men do not notice any effects from taking finasteride for up to four months. It can take up to one to two years for full hair re-growth to happen. Any improvement in hair growth is usually greatest over the crown than over the frontal areas of the scalp.

If treatment is stopped, the balding process will begin again, meaning if successful, treatment needs to be ongoing to continue hair re-growth.

Side-effects are uncommon, but about two in 100 men taking finasteride experience a loss of sex drive (libido).

Finasteride taken at a higher dose is also commonly taken by men to treat benign prostate enlargement, and has been found to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. However, research has found that men who do develop prostate cancer whilst taking the drug have an increased risk of the cancer being more aggressive.

However, whether this arises because finasteride induces more aggressive disease, or simply because finasteride makes it easier to detect more aggressive disease earlier is not certain.

Nevertheless, men taking finasteride for hair loss should not be worried as the dose of finasteride given for hair loss is much lower than what is used to treat prostate enlargement but should speak to their doctor if they have any concerns.

The low dose used for treating hair loss does not seem to have an effect on the development of prostate cancer.

Minoxidil – Minoxidil, applied topically, is widely used for the treatment of hair loss. It is effective in helping promote hair growth in people with androgenic alopecia regardless of sex.

About 40% of men experience hair regrowth after 3–6 months. Minoxidil must be used indefinitely for continued support of existing hair follicles and the maintenance of any experienced hair regrowth.

Side-effects are uncommon, but minoxidil can cause skin irritation or a rash in some men.