Medications for hair loss.
There are various medications for commercial use which have been authorised in Spain for hair loss, but the basis for all of them is minoxidil (topical use) and finasteride (oral use).
Minoxidil
The first medication to stimulate the growth of hair and decelerate baldness to be authorised by the health authorities was minoxidil (topical lotion at 2 or 5%), initially it was used for high blood pressure.
A study from the Sourasky Medical Centre of Tel Aviv, Israel, confirmed notable cosmetic improvements in just 6,6% of the people treated. It works better on the crown of the head as opposed to the frontal areas and in people under the age of 40 whose hair loss was recent. It tends to be well tolerated. In all cases it must be applied twice a day and for life, if the treatment is interrupted after a few weeks the recovered hair will be lost.
The other medication is finasteride pills, which in doses five times higher is used to control inflammation of the prostate. It acts by reducing the amount of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), ultimately responsible for the hair loss. The most optimistic studies show that it slows down hair loss in 83% of patients and in 66% it leads to the thickening of existing hair. It is only indicated for men and, as with the previous one, must be taken for life.
An article in the medical magazine Drugs, indicates that the drug is well-tolerated; although it may produce disorders in ejaculation and erectile dysfunction in 2% of those who take it (both problems are corrected when the medication is suspended).
Both Minoxidil and Finasteride must be prescribed by a doctor.
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