Finasterade

Finasterade

Female Hair Loss Perhaps surprisingly there is a strong connection between male pattern baldness (MPB) and the typical hair loss patterns seen in females. As well as having the necessary enzyme (5-alpha reductase) capable of forming DHT from the male hormone testosterone (everyone has both male and female hormones) a woman also has an enzyme called aromatise which converts some male hormone into a female type. This has the effect that much of the hair loss which would have occurred is reversed or prevented by the counterbalancing effect of this ‘extra’ female type hormone in the area of the hair roots. As a result it would be extremely unusual for a female to lose as much hair as, say, her brother, even though she may have inherited similar genetic information.

Minoxidil was the first ‘main stream’ medication for hair loss and has proven an enormous help for many. It was originally developed as an anti-hypertensive i.e. it lowers blood pressure. It was taken for blood pressure in tablet form known as Loniten. As a side effect however, certain patients reported increase in hair growth. The pharmaceutical company who had developed minoxidil then conducted clinical trials using a topical lotion and from those trials minoxidil 2% (known as Regaine) was produced as a treatment for hair loss.

Baldness cure Male pattern baldness Hereditary hair loss Saw palmetto Medical treatments for hair loss