Does Finasteride Help Hair Growth? Before a few decades ago, men simply had to accept and deal with hair loss as a natural process. Then finasteride appeared, a drug for treating hair loss that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 1997 under the trade name Propecia.
Finasteride, a medication for daily use, gives men who are balding the chance to slow down, stop, or in some cases, reverse the condition. If you’re starting to lose your hair, consider using finasteride to prevent further hair loss, either by itself or in conjunction with other treatments.
Your first concern when taking any medication is probably, “Does this stuff work?” However, we digress. Men feel this way for a reason. The majority of men will experience male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) at some point in their lives. We know how Finasteride works when you can anticipate results after beginning treatment, and the fact that it actually works.
How Does Finasteride Help Hair Growth?
Along with dutasteride, Finasteride is one of two 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Your body eventually transforms the enzyme 5-alpha reductase into the hormone dihydrotestosterone. Both hair loss and an enlarged prostate, which may result in benign prostatic hyperplasia, are linked to this hormone. For many people, the amount of 5-alpha reductase in your body determines how much DHT it can produce.
Because of this, when the active ingredient finasteride gets to work, it effectively stops some of your DHT from ever having a chance to mess with your body, particularly your scalp, and hair.
The vast majority of men who take finasteride don’t lose any more hair while taking it. After using finasteride for two years, 83% of men with male pattern baldness saw no change in the number of hairs on their heads. Comparatively, only 28% of men who took a non-therapeutic placebo did not notice a difference in their hair count.
Is Finasteride Worth It?
Consider Finasteride as a kind of stop-loss switch for your hair. Even though there is no assurance that you will regrow your lost hair, the vast majority of men who use finasteride report that their hair loss does not worsen while on medication. Your daily dose of finasteride may also assist you in regrowing hair in areas of your scalp or receding hairline where there is only mild thinning if your hair loss is not severe.
Over the course of two years, researchers discovered that men who used finasteride to treat male pattern baldness had an increase in their average hair count that was clinically significant.
When Will I Get Results From Finasteride?
You should start to see a difference in your hair loss after taking oral finasteride for about three to four months. Your results ought to be clearly discernible after a year. Although the medication begins to work right away, you won’t notice any changes. In fact, during the first few weeks of use, you might even start to see more hair falling out. This is normal and won’t last long, so don’t be alarmed.
You’ll start to notice that your hair loss has slowed down or even stopped once you’ve been experiencing it for 3–4 months. Additionally, you might notice a small amount of hair growth. You then start to really pick up the pace. You should start to see some pretty significant treatment results around the one-year mark.
Ways To Improve Results Of Finasteride
Finasteride is simple to administer. It is available as a topical treatment and a tablet and only needs to be taken once daily, with or without food. Nevertheless, you can increase your chances of success with finasteride and hasten the results by taking a few extra steps, such as combining it with other hair loss treatments.
Combine Finasteride And Minoxidil Together
Finasteride is known to be effective on its own, but research indicates that combining it with topical minoxidil for treating hair loss and promoting hair growth, can yield even better results.
Because minoxidil and finasteride work in completely different ways and address different causes of hair loss, they complement each other so well. Minoxidil works locally to encourage your hair to enter the anagen, or growth, phase of the hair growth cycle as opposed to blocking DHT. Additionally, it increases blood flow to the scalp, which could aid in providing your hair follicles with more nutrients and promoting growth. It can be applied directly to your scalp and comes in both foam and liquid forms. Minoxidil does not require a prescription, so you can get it from drugstores.
Revise Your Hair Care Products
Numerous hair care products, such as shampoos and styling aids, contain abrasive ingredients that can irritate your scalp and inhibit the growth of healthy hair. Choose a shampoo that is made to encourage growth and stop hair loss rather than one that contains ingredients like sulfates.
It is possible to increase your hair growth with other products. By doing these, it’s feasible to improve the effects of Finasteride. Shampoos with ingredients like saw palmetto or ketoconazole, like our hair thickening shampoo, may also aid in promoting hair growth and shielding your follicles from DHT’s negative effects.
An essential B vitamin called biotin does not seem to prevent male pattern baldness. It does, however, contribute significantly to the growth of your hair and could be a useful addition to your hair care regimen. By keeping your hair strong, hydrated, and healthy, a good conditioner supports the growth of your hair.
Give Your Scalp A TLC
You possibly think that the idea that scalp massages could enhance the effects of finasteride is about as absurd as it gets, but there is a science to support it. Who doesn’t enjoy a good massage, too?
Over the 24 weeks, daily four-minute scalp massages were able to increase hair thickness and stimulate hair growth. It is still unclear how and why scalp massages can promote hair growth, but experts theorize that it might have something to do with softening the skin and boosting blood flow.
Get A Healthy Lifestyle
Though your habits and lifestyle do have an impact on healthy hair, male pattern hair loss is mainly genetic and hormonal in nature. Try to stop smoking if you do. Despite the fact that smoking doesn’t seem to raise DHT levels, the toxins in cigarette smoke can harm the DNA of your hair follicles. Our comprehensive guide to quitting smoking contains more information on the most effective methods for breaking the habit.
Zinc, iron, and protein are just a few of the essential nutrients needed for healthy hair growth. Try to consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources.
Although stress doesn’t cause male pattern hair loss, it can contribute to a condition known as telogen effluvium, which is a temporary hair loss. Minimize the level of stress you encounter in your life. This could entail altering your work routine, using therapeutic tools to enhance your mental health, or engaging in meditation to better manage your stress and anxiety symptoms.
Final Thoughts On The Use Of Finasteride
There is little doubt that finasteride is effective for the majority of people. We have a reality check to share with anyone who believes it will work a miracle on their dormant or dead hair follicles, though. The effects of male pattern baldness can be slowed down, avoided, and even reversed with finasteride, an efficient treatment.
For best results, finasteride and other hair loss treatments like minoxidil must be used consistently over an extended period of time. Before using Finasteride, be sure to consult your healthcare provider for advice. Don’t hesitate to ask your healthcare professional if you have any additional questions. You can benefit from Finasteride as long as you take care of yourself. Turkey Hair Transplant: Experience the Beauty and Quality of Health Care in Turkey