How does propecia work for hair loss
Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is the main cause of male hair loss. The purpose of Propecia is to restore the hair and to stop testosterone from converting into DHT, thus preventing hair loss. Propecia is typically taken orally once a day at 1 mg. It is contraindicated in women and children. Because the hair follicles’ genetic vulnerability to DHT is the cause of male pattern baldness, Propecia should, in theory, be an effective method of treatment.
Ideally, Propecia will also stop DHT from binding to the receptor sites of the hair follicles, which is another aid in preventing hair loss. It may slow down, and even reverse hair loss, as Propecia can stimulate the hair growth process for men with only mildly thinning hair.
In most cases, users of Propecia will see an improvement. However, Propecia is not always strong enough for men with severe hair loss. Men who suffer from extreme crown hair loss or hairline recession may resort to other alternatives, like hair transplantation surgery (of which there are many types). A leader among such hair loss solutions is body hair transplantation (BHT) using follicular unit extraction (FUE). This procedure itself is minimally invasive and results in a linear scar-free result.
Body Hair Transplants and Propecia
Becasue Body and beard hair requires Androgens to thrive and Propecia and Finasteride are DHT blockers (Anti androgen), there is the potential for loosing ones own body hair with chronic usage of propecia. If your body hair has been transplanted to the head and this phenomenon of loosing your body hair results from chronic propecia usage, your body hair transplants may be negatively affected. This however does not happen uniformly. Discuss with your Dr about the potential of losing grafts after BHT because of Propecia usage.
Some patients may experience new hair growth from taking Propecia. Others may not. But all patients should consider the risk of side effects when deciding to take this drug or not.