Medical term used for male pattern baldness is Androgenic alopecia. It basically results due to hormonal imbalance. It can also be said that male hair loss occurs as male hormones get affected by genetic inheritance. As a result of male pattern baldness, hair become thinner and hair follicles becomes weak.

Most trusted prescription treatment for male pattern baldness is Finasteride which is available in brand name of Propecia. Propecia Finasteride has been manufactured by pharmaceutical company Merck and it is approved prescription treatment for male pattern baldness.

Finasteride inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Male pattern baldness occurs due to the production of male hormone dihydrotestosterone. Men with baldness have increased level of DHT which causes hair fall in men who are genetically more sensitive towards it.

Propecia has been clinically approved. It helps in stopping further hair loss and also helps in the hair regrowth. Propecia works only for men and is not recommended for use by women so as to avoid ant health side effects.

Propecia is a prescription medication and only a doctor can determine is Propecia right for you or not. Propecia comes in tablet form and is taken once a day but should be taken only as prescribed and you should follow the instructions as given by your doctor to avoid unwanted health risks.

You can buy propecia from any local pharmacy nearby. But now there are a number of online pharmacies that sell propecia online. You can buy propecia online by filling an online consultation form. Your online doctor will give you the required prescription on the condition of being it safe as per your current health condition. If you chose to buy propecia online, it also saves your time and efforts required in visiting a doctor personally and doing face to face consultation. Moreover, online pharmacies provide your medicine at your doorstep!

Like all prescription products, Propecia may cause side effects. In clinical studies, a very small number of men experienced certain side effects, such as less desire for sex and difficulty in achieving an erection. These side effects are reversible and disappear as soon as they stop taking propecia.

When your body holds more DHT, the hair follicles become finer and thinner until the hair is permanently falling. DHT is the main hormone used extensively in the early stages of the human population. DHT completely shrivels the hair follicle until it no longer produces noticeable hair.

An evident cause of hair loss is an excess of DHT. The reasons for hair loss are still obscure. But research shows the that men suffering from male pattern hair loss have higher level of DHT particularly in the scalps. In the normal cycle, the hair passes out three phases- Expansion, falling off, and new expansion. The presence of DHT quickens the falling out phase and shortens the expansion phase. This results in hair thinning on the scalp.

In general DHT binds with the genetically vulnerable follicle receptor which is in the hair on the scalp. finasteride prevents the conversion of testosterone into DHT thereby preventing hair loss. finasteride (Finasteride) was called Proscar in early days. This was extensively used to control hair loss.

finasteride prevents hair loss by blocking the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase, which in turn reduces the DHT level in the scalp.

However, finasteride has not been found to restore re-growth in frontal areas. finasteride produces massive results when it has been conjugated with Rogaine especially for hair re-growth in the crown area of the scalp. The frontal hairline area can be restored with hair only by transplant surgery. In addition to this hair loss prevention with Propceia is limited to older men. Better results can be achieved if you have been suffering from baldness for less than 5 years. Most physicians prescribe finasteride, hair loss halting rather than re-growth and then go for transplantation for the lost hair.

You should remember to take finasteride every day at least 3 to 6 months for getting positive results. Once you stop taking finasteride, the hair loss continues.

finasteride was used to treat prostates in early days. finasteride should not be taken by pregnant women since it may lead to neonatal anomalies. This product should be used continuously for three months to prevent hair loss. But this may have a side effect of lack of sex drive and impotency.

•It is normal to lose 50-100 hairs from the head each day

•Each hair on the head grows for about 3-5 years before being shed

•40 million men and 20 million women suffer from hair loss

•Scalp hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm (just under 1/2 an inch) a month

•We each have about 100,000 hairs on the scalp

•In the United States, there has not been an elected bald President since the television age began

•An average person has between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs

•A man looses 50 to 100 hairs a day in average

There are many treatments for hair loss in the market. Maybe too many. However, It is a proven fact that one can stop hair loss and even prevent it after it started. There are a few kinds of hair loss. Each has a recommended treatment. In this article I would like to describe the most efficient treatments male hair loss - finasteride

How finasteride Works ?

finasteride works on the main cause of hair loss by significantly reducing the amount of DHT. DHT is a a chemical that shrinks the hair follicle until no hair grows. finasteride actually inhibits the formation of DHT in your scalp. Lowering DHT inhibits the further shrinking of affected hair follicles. finasteride regrows visible hair and reduces further hair loss.

When can I see results ?

Results will be noticed after 3 months if you will take finasteride daily. You should not stop taking finasteride if you don’t want the results to go away.

Does finasteride always work ?

In the longest hair loss clinical study where the results were measured by actual hair counts, in average more than 2 out of 3 men on finasteride re grew hair. whereas all man in the study who talk other pills lost hair.

Does finasteride have side effects ?

Clinical studies showed that side effects were uncommon and did not affect most men. However, Like any medical treatment finasteride may have side effects - about 1% of the men using finasteride experienced less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection or a decrease in the amount of semen were .

First of all, the name of the actual ingredient in finasteride that should get all the credit for fighting the battle at the front lines of the war on receding hairlines is called finasteride. Some chemists working for the drug company Pfizer invented it in a laboratory and it does some pretty amazing things. It is a 4-azasteroid compound that is a specific inhibitor of the Type II 5 alpha-reductase. In plain English, it basically prevents androgen testosterone from being converted into 5-dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. This preventative process stops your hair follicles from dying, which allows more hair to grow on your head.

The enemy, known as DHT is an enzyme that is found primarily in the prostate, seminal vesicles, epididymides, hair follicles and liver. These particular parts of the body account for approximately 67 percent of the DHT that circulates in the bodies of men. The war on baldness is going on at an intracellular level and finasteride is your army that is fighting gallantly for you against an evil enzyme.

Here are some particulars of the actual ingredient finasteride. It is a white crystalline powder with a melting point of 250 degrees Celsius. If you put finasteride in lower alcohol solvents it will freely dissolve, but it is almost insoluble when placed in water. Most finasteride pills available contain 5 mg of finasteride. They are film-coated tablets that also contain the inactive ingredients hydrous lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose LF, hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, talc, docusate sodium, FD&C Blue 2 aluminum lake and yellow iron oxide. These inactive ingredients are mostly just the bonding and filling agents that it takes to make a little pill of finasteride that men can take every day.

There are some warnings when it comes to who can and cannot take finasteride. Women should not take it, nor should anyone who has liver problems. This is due to the fact that this drug works on the enzyme DHT which is primarily produced in the liver.

In most studies that have been performed on men between the ages of 18-54 who used finasteride on a daily basis for several months 65 percent showed an increase in hair growth over areas of the front and top of the scalp. Once the active ingredient finasteride interacts with the hair follicles in bald areas of the scalp, the follicles seem to come back to life. Hair begins to grow again, and so does your self esteem.

So it would seem that finasteride is the best product available for men to use in the treatment of male pattern baldness, otherwise known as alopecia. The side effects are minimal and the process is as easy as taking a pill. The results have been very positive in the hair growth department.

In the war against a receding hairline it is good to know that a little white crystalline powder know as finasteride is fighting the battle for you at the intracellular level against a very destructive force known as 5-dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. In plain English, if you cannot afford a hair transplant and you want to know what the next best choice would be to have a better head of hair, finasteride seems to be the answer.

There are drugs that have good success rate with regrowth, including the medically proven finasteride. The relation between baldness and finasteride started some 20 years ago when the active chemical Finasteride in finasteride was proved to inhibit the production of Dihydrotestosterone or DHT. DHT actually shrinks the hair follicles on the scalp and over the time DHT sprouts thinner hairs until no hair grows. Many patients using finasteride experience a slowing of hair loss and some also experience some new hair growth.

Finasteride in finasteride works by inhibiting the conversion of testosterones into dihydrotestosterone. It blocks the production of DHT which results in stopping hair loss and a more normal hair growth may occur.

In clinical studies, it has been found that most of the people using finasteride continuously for one year grew moderate amount of hair and the number inched from most to majority when used for 2 years. But isn’t only finasteride’s ability to grow hair that interest doctors. There are genuine evidences that finasteride helps men stop losing hair they have. So doctors say that betting for finasteride will at least keep what you have.

The good thing about finasteride is it has no potentially unsettling side affects. Though it has been associated with side affects like reduced sex drive, nausea; but these side affects tend to disappear as the body gets adapted to it within few days. However, men taking finasteride should confirm about its usage from a doctor.

As time ticks by a lot of men notice that their hair seems to be retreating faster than re-growth can keep up, finally admitting that actually we are losing our hair, our once full head now seems a little drafty at the crown and then need to gel our fringe back is no longer a priority. This is usually down to the male pattern baldness, medically known as Androgenetic Alopecia, but women can actually suffer from this condition too. Although females tend not to see such localised drastic thinning of the crown and receding of the hairline, thinning of the whole scalp takes place. Losing your hair whether male or female can be extremely hard to come to terms with, appearance for most of us essential, changing in appearance; especially unwanted changes can lead to emotional and psychological problems.

So knowing that hair loss is something that we could at sometime during our lives face the treatments or cures suddenly became very appealing to know about.

For women the reasons for hair loss can include all those which affect men, for example Alopecia Androgenetic, Alopecia Areata which is a autoimmune condition, Triangular and Scarring Alopecia (Triangular Alopecia can affect people from childhood, loss of hair in the temporal regions which is stubborn to grow back and Scarring Alopecia due to scars on the scalp received at any stage of life). But there are others, menopause can see the start of hair loss, as can pregnancy. Iron deficiency for any reason, Anaemia or taking medication which impedes iron absorption can be the reasons for this. Excessive Vitamin A has been associated to hair loss, whilst Crash dieting or poor diet which obviously affects vitamin and mineral intake can be a cause too.

Emotional problems such as compulsive hair pulling or trichotillomania are associated, when such damage is done to the follicles that they are not able to recover. Stress, Drugs, Radiation the list goes on. But there are treatments available which can help to lessen the problem or correct it.

So where can you find these treatments I hear you ask. Well, to start with there are many so called miracle cures which are sold over the pharmacy counter, these can be used but success is very limited. However there are now hair loss clinics which offer either surgical or non-surgical procedures which really do work.

Non-Surgical treatments include either oral or topical medication. Finasteride or brand name Propecia will encourage hair to grow especially if used in conjunction with topical Minoxidil or brand name Rogaine. These products have great success whilst applied following Practitioners guidance but if ceased hair loss often reoccurs. These medications are not suitable for use in pregnancy either.

Surgical treatments nowadays seem to be the way forward. Hair transplant surgery or follicular unit grafts as they are medically known offer the freedom to restore, replace or reshape areas which have suffered hair loss, such as the hairline with results that in fact would hardly be detected by your hairdresser or barber! Hair transplant surgery involves using donor hair, usually taken from permanent hair zones such as the back or sides of the head; these are then dissected into follicular unit grafts which are then surgically positioned in the area required avoiding harming any follicles of hair which are still growing. The affects are amazing and better still are done under local anaesthetic! 2-3 procedures will be required to reach the desired look and after only 10-16 weeks, that is four months the hair transplants will start to grow needing no specific ongoing treatment other than washing, styling and trimming the same as your usual routine.

Another service that is available these days is facial hair transplants including, eyebrows, eyelashes, moustaches, and beard transplants, these effectively work on the same principle as hair transplants with great success.

So although wigs and hair pieces have come a long way and now look very realistic, we all now have the option to consider the choices, either cover up or grow our own. Baldness can strike at any age from early twenties onwards so knowing your options, knowing that you are not alone and the knowledge that it does affect everyone differently especially the way you perceive yourself, so even for self confidence alone hair loss treatments whether surgical or non surgical maybe the answer to your prayers.

Some drugs or medications can actually cause hair loss, which improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medications that can cause hair loss include the blood thinners, medicines used for gout and gouty arthritis, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, too much vitamin A supplementation, birth control pills and antidepressants. Hypothyroidism can cause it, especially the thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows. Many women notice hair loss about three months after they’ve had a baby. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. So when the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts up all over again.

And some mycotic infections can cause massive hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause it in children, which is usually easily treated with antifungal medicines. About three or four months after an illness or a major surgery, you can suddenly lose a large amount of hair temporarily. This loss is related to the extreme stress of the illness.

Recognizing and properly treating an infection may help stop the loss. If the thyroid gland is either overactive or underactive, hair may fall out. However treating thyroid disease will remedy this. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn’t be overlooked as possible causes.

There are prescription drugs, herbal remedies and topical applications available for hair loss. Surgical methods used include hair transplantation, whereby hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and injected into bald or thinning areas, but this is very expensive and requires several sessions. Try to go a more natural way with treatment if possible. Taking drugs means many months of exposure to chemicals causing side effects and possibly irreversible damage.

Minoxidil is a very expensive drug, which costs about one hundred dollars per month for daily treatment. Very little testing has been done on the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women. Surgery is another method of reversing hair loss and baldness, although it should be considered an extreme measure. There are both natural products and chemical-based products for it.

Some of the products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos and conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal based products, chemical based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo and Neutrogena T-Gel. Stress reduction can be very helpful in slowing it down.

Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure or remedy for hair loss. Whether or not the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China is now questionable. And saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have fewer side effects than either finasteride or dutasteride. And unlike other 5alpha-reductase inhibitors, saw palmetto induces its effects without interfering with the cellular capacity to secrete PSA (protein specific antigen).

Garlic as a hair loss remedy - an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the area of loss, wait for an hour and then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will be evident.

One patient reported that he used virgin coconut oil on his hair and scalp for a year. During that time his hair became thicker and he hade more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a bit. It’s good as a hair gel too. Some people lie on a slant board with their heads down for about 15 minutes a day, but clear it with your doctor first if you decide to try it.

The onion juice and honey remedy: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey. Massage the scalp with this mixture every day.

Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase (relevant to the hair loss process) and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb fat through the intestinal walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet. Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent in many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol. But consuming large amounts of it to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. So be careful if you have BPH and are taking it.

The Asian remedy - rub sesame oil onto your scalp every night, cover with a cap or old towel. In the morning wash with an herbal shampoo, rinse with a solution of one tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to one quart of water.

The olive oil and rosemary remedy - use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary. Combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage onto the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo in the morning.

Massage the affected scalp areas with the fingers each day. And raw apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth.

Remember that any drugs you take for hair loss will be a long term commitment. When they are stopped the hair loss returns. Make sure you consider the risks to your health before doing this. If you experience any form of loss that causes you concern, make an appointment with your dermatologist, hair loss doctor or regular doctor to discuss the treatment options available to you for your particular condition. It’s important to find out exactly what is causing your problem in order for you to choose the right hair loss remedy or approach.

Some causes of hair loss include mycotic infections causing massive hair loss, hypothyroidism, especially thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows and some drugs or medications, which improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medications that can cause hair loss include blood thinners, gout medicines, chemotherapy drugs used for cancer, supplementing with too much vitamin A, birth control pills and antidepressants.

Wearing a hat generally should not cause baldness, though it’s a good idea to give your scalp a rest and let it breathe for several hours every day. Temporary loss of hair can occur in areas where sebaceous cysts are present for one to several weeks. Poor digestion, parasites and nutrient deficiencies such as iron or biotin deficiency shouldn’t be overlooked as possible causes also.

Now tumors and skin growths can also induce localized baldness. If the thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, hair may fall out so treating the underlying thyroid disease will help remedy this. And alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also known as “spot baldness” that can result in hair loss that ranges from just one area to every hair on the body.

Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil (called Rogaine in the U.S and elsewhere known as Regaine) are drugs that have reportedly shown some success in partially reversing loss but one really has to consider the side effects. Propecia is available with a prescription only comes in pill form, is only for men, may take up to six months before you can tell if it is working and you have to keep taking it. Immunosuppressants applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this type of therapy very questionable.

Surgery is another method but extreme method of reversing hair loss and baldness. Hair loss remedies like treatments with prescription drugs are long term commitments. Minoxidil is available without a prescription and is for topical application, but one needs to consider its side effects.

Hair loss treatments and remedies range widely in price from free to expensive. Regular aerobic exercise can help keep the hormone androgen levels naturally lower while maintaining overall health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG. Studies done on subjects of various ages suggest that weight training alone may increase testosterone in those studies where aerobic exercise only was compared to either weight training or a somewhat sedentary life.

Massage the scalp with slight pressure with the fingers daily. One patient reported that he had used coconut oil on his hair and scalp for about a year and during that time his hair became thicker and he had more of it on the top of his head where he had been receding a little bit. Coconut oil is good as a hair gel too. Make sure that you test remedies on a small area first and check with your hair loss doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy, especially if it includes any irritating ingredients.

One home remedy is to massage the scalp nightly with a mixture made of one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Then there is the olive oil and rosemary remedy for hair loss - before bedtime use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary; combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a shower cap and shampoo in the morning. Saw Palmetto is an herbal DHT inhibitor often claimed to be cheaper and have far fewer side effects than finasteride and dutasteride.

Beta Sitosterol, which is a constituent of many seed oils, can help to treat BHP (benign prostatic hypertrophy) by lowering cholesterol however consuming large amounts to get at small quantities of beta sitosterol is likely to exacerbate male pattern baldness. Russian cure with honey and vodka remedy - combine one tablespoon honey with one jigger of vodka and the juice of a medium-size onion, then rub the mixture into the scalp every night, cover with a cap and shampoo in the morning.

The onion juice and honey remedy: prepare a hair-growing mixture by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey then massage the scalp with it every day. For something strange try the fingernail buffer three times a day or so, for about five minutes. Buff your right fingernails with the fingernails of your left hand; this is supposed to stop hair loss, encourage hair growth and prevent hair from graying. And polygonum multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure. Whether or not the plant itself is useful, the general safety and quality control of herbs imported from China can be quite questionable.

If you have any form of hair loss that causes you concern, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the treatment options available to you for your particular condition and research natural remedies. Treatment for alopecia can be slow and sometimes not very successful. The more hair that’s lost, the more you may have to work to get it back and in some cases may not be able to, but try as many natural non-invasive treatments and remedies as you possibly can. With extensive research, reading ratings and reviews and reading testimonials from real people, not paid actors, you may be able to find the right hair loss product, treatment or remedy that’ll work for you.

Fungal infections of the scalp can cause some hair loss in children but is easily treated with anti-fungal medicines, try to find the natural kind. If the thyroid gland is overactive, as in Grave’s Disease or is underactive, hair may fall out. And treating the thyroid disease will help remedy this. One less common type of baldness is called traction alopecia, which is most commonly found in people with ponytails or cornrows who pull on their hair with too much force.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder also called “spot baldness” that can result in hair loss ranging from one area to every hair on the whole body. Tumors and skin growths can also cause a localized baldness. And correcting a hormone imbalance may help prevent further hair loss too.

Traumas such as chemotherapy, childbirth, major surgery, poisoning, and extreme stress may cause a less common hair loss condition known as telogen effluvium. If a medication is causing your hair loss, your doctor may be able to prescribe a different drug or you may find you really don’t need it at all. And hair loss can happen as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.

Propecia (Finasteride) and Minoxidil, called Rogaine in the U.S. and outside the U.S. as Regaine, are drugs that have been reported as having shown some success in partially reversing loss but one needs to consider carefully the side effects. Be aware there are side effects and serious side effects sometimes with the hair loss drugs that are usually used.

Propecia is available with a prescription only and comes in the form of a pill. It’s for men only and may take up to six months before one can tell if it’s working or not. Products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos with conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning-hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal based products, chemical based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo, Neutrogena T-Gel, and many, many others.

Immunosuppressant drugs that are applied to the scalp have been shown to temporarily reverse alopecia areata, though the side effects of some of these drugs make this therapy highly questionable. And serious stress reduction can be very helpful in slowing down hair loss. The surgical methods used include hair transplants, whereby hair-producing follicles are taken from the back and sides of the head and used in the bald or thinning areas.

There are many natural home remedies and many recipes for making solutions that can be applied to the scalp. The raw onion remedy for hair loss: take half of a raw onion and massage the scalp with it then cover the area overnight, then shampoo and rinse the scalp in the morning. For an unusual remedy, some swear it works: try the fingernail buffer for hair loss. Three times a day or so, for about five minutes, buff your fingernails on your right hand with the fingernails of your left hand. This remedy is supposed to stop hair loss, encourage new hair growth and prevent the hair from graying. Another remedy: massage the scalp with the fingers daily.

Another remedy: massage the scalp each nigh with one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. The vodka and cayenne remedy (be careful if you try it (test on the skin first for sensitivity) - mix one jigger of vodka with a half teaspoon of cayenne and rub it on the scalp. Blood is supposed to rush to the hair follicles that are stimulated by the vodka and cayenne pepper. For the olive oil and rosemary remedy, use equal amounts of olive oil and oil of rosemary then combine them in a bottle, shake vigorously, massage into the scalp, put on a cap and shampoo the next morning.

The onion juice and raw honey remedy: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of raw honey, and then massage the scalp with the mixture every day.

And finally, Polygonum Multiflorum is a traditional Chinese cure for hair loss. And whether the plant itself is useful or not, the general safety and quality control for herbs imported from China can be very questionable these days.

And try massaging the scalp every day. Getting good circulation to the scalp is very important.

Keep in mind that hair loss should be continually treated, preferably with a natural approach however. If you stop losing hair after trying any of the natural treatments, you may find that you need to continue if you start losing hair again. Hair loss treatments and remedies can be free, low cost or expensive. The natural treatments are generally relatively inexpensive. And it’s important to find out exactly what is causing your hair loss problem in order to choose the right approach for you. And concentrate on giving the immune system a boost with a natural plant food diet to give your hair the best chance to regrow.