Author: Dr. William Rassman

Snippet from the study:

Before now, there has been no study of finasteride use exceeding 1 year in Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) except the study subsequently conducted from the development phase. Since the launch of finasteride, no study in a larger population had been reported. Ethnic variation of the onset age, progressive nature and degree of hair loss of androgenetic alopecia are known. The therapeutic effect of oral finasteride (Propecia) was examined on androgenetic alopecia of Japanese men. The efficacy and safety of finasteride (1 mg tablet) was evaluated in Japanese men with AGA in the long term.

Read the full abstract — Evaluation of efficacy and safety of finasteride 1mg in 3177 Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia.

A new study has been published on the use of finasteride 1mg in the Japanese Journal of Dermatology, addressing the safety and effectiveness of finasteride in 3177 balding men, and the impact on 2561 men in this group was observed. Safety data was obtained by interviews and laboratory tests. Of the 2561 men who followed through the study, the published report says that “the overall effect of hair growth was seen in 2230 of 2561 men (87.1%), in whom hair greatly (11.1%), moderately (36.5%) and slightly (39.5%) increased”.

Adverse reactions were reported in 23 of 3177 (0.7%). It is interesting that the higher degree of sexual side effects in some other studies were not matched in this study at a single Japanese institution. If one subtracted the placebo group’s side effects in the US studies, the number seems to come closer to this recent Japanese report. The article also showed increasing benefits over time in those individuals who had the best results from the drug.

Hi Dr. Rassman,

First of all, kudos for the very informative and educational blog – I have used it extensively to become knowledgeable about the options available for MPB. My question concerns propecia and the impact of lowering DHT in the follicle…By taking propecia – one reduces the amount of DHT being generated by the body but what of the levels in the follicle? The conversion of testosterone to DHT occcurs in the prostate gland, liver and skin but how does propecia reduce the existing DHT molecules in the follicle? By halting the conversion – would the DHT levels in the follicles reduce on their own (over time) and result in either reduced hair loss, hair re-growth or increased fiber size?

I am not aware of any studies of what or how DHT is doing at the follicular level, so I really cannot get into the exact biochemical process behind hair loss and hair growth related to DHT.

However, in general DHT does impact hair follicles for those men who are specifically predisposed to androgenic alopecia (also known as male pattern baldness). So the concept behind Propecia (finasteride) is to lower the DHT level in your body and thus diminish the impact of androgenic alopecia. For a specific biochemical approach to your question, I will defer to the biochemists.

Snippet from the article:

It’s getting harder for me to deny that I’ve reached middle age, and the most obvious sign is that the men in my life are losing their hair. Many men struggle to come to terms with hair loss and yearn for a way to turn back the clock. Although I’m no expert on the subject, I’ve suggested they look into Propecia, a medication used to treat male pattern hair loss.

Invariably, they’re intrigued. It works by preventing testosterone from turning into another hormone that causes hair loss. Over five years, the majority of men who take the drug report that their hair loss slows, their bald spot gets smaller and the appearance of their hair improves. However, the threat of drug-related side effects such as impotence, male breast cancer and perhaps prostate cancer has caused many of my friends to seriously reconsider the importance of a full head of hair.

Read the rest at the LA Times — So what’s the risk of taking that medication?

You should always weigh the risk vs reward for any medication, and this article touches on Propecia side effect risks. The bigger message in this piece is how oftentimes people will give more weight to the negative than the positive. Regardless, the FDA is looking into ways to make drug information easier for the consumer to understand so you can make the choice that is best for you.

Hello!
I’m a 19 year old male and I’ve been on finasteride for about 9 months. I was born with a hairline that has fairly deep corners, so my doctor put me on fin to halt any farther loss. My question is regarding side effects. I’ve experienced a decrease in libido, so I have started taking Vimax. This is an all natural supplement. My question is if the Vimax will counteract the fin since it raises testosterone.

Thanks for your help!

My stance of supplements has always been “buyer beware”. If it works for you then, that’s great. But this Vimax pill claims to make your penis longer, which already makes me think anything it claims is bogus. I wouldn’t be concerned, but with respect to prescription drugs (finasteride/ Propecia) and side effects, I would discuss your issues with the doctor who prescribed you the medication.