Movie stars like Patrick Stewart, Jason Statham, and Vin Diesel show that lack of hair does not equal lack of appeal. However, for every balding man who embraces the look, there are plenty of other balding men who do not, particularly if they are younger. Male pattern hair loss affects up to 70% of men eventually, and the typical pattern of hair loss is at the hairline, temples, and crown. If you’re losing hair and you’re not happy about it — despite friends’ and significant others’ encouragement to “just go with it” — you’re not alone. Hair loss can bring some tough psychological baggage, even if you’re handsome, successful, and happy in a relationship.
Anecdotal Evidence on the Effect of Hair Loss
A man’s self-confidence can suffer when he starts noticing hair loss, particularly if he is under 30, and particularly if he had a thick, glorious mane before. It doesn’t help when friends make joking remarks, even if a man’s partner is perfectly OK with his hair loss. Many men who start losing their hair may attempt to hide their hair loss as much as possible, by wearing hats or getting a buzz cut. Day after day, this can take its toll and damage even a confident and attractive man’s self-esteem. Some men are able to accept their hair loss and understand that they are just as appealing to their wives or girlfriends, but others emphatically want to do something about their hair loss.
Scientific Data on the Effect of Balding
Believe it or not, the effects of hair loss on men’s attitudes and behaviors have been studied scientifically. A 2009 study from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia surveyed over 600 men with male pattern hair loss, ranging in age from 25 to 49 in six countries (US, Germany, France, Spain, Korea, and Japan). Around 75% of respondents were “concerned, very concerned, or extremely concerned” about hair loss, with 96% at least “somewhat concerned.” Many tried self-treatment before consulting a physician, and only 16% of respondents had not tried anything to address hair loss. Clearly, the typical man with male pattern hair loss has concerns about balding and generally makes efforts to self-treat the condition before turning to a physician.
Options for Treating Male Pattern Baldness
It’s easy for friends or significant others to say, “Just shave your head,” but the situation is far more complicated to the person whose hair is falling out. Dermatologists will tell you that you have three main medical options for treating male pattern baldness:
- Use of Rogaine (minoxidil) topically. This medication is available over the counter, and gets results, but the hair that grows back may be more like fine fuzz than thick hair.
- Hair transplants, which work, but which are out of most men’s price range.
- Use of Propecia, an oral medication that prevents conversion of testosterone to DHT, which can result in slowing, halting, or reversing of hair loss.
If you really want to address balding, and hair transplants are unaffordable, then Propecia is usually your best bet.
Propecia and Hair Loss
Propecia must be taken every day, and it can take up to a year to produce noticeable results. In some men, Propecia may slow or stall hair loss without causing hair to grow back. There’s really no way to know whether Propecia will work for you without trying it. You may have read news stories about men taking Propecia experiencing lower sex drive. However, it’s important to note that the studies on this phenomenon were done on men who were not randomly selected, but who were self-selected from a popular website for men having problems with finasteride, the active ingredient in Propecia. These men were not tested for hormonal levels and do not represent a random sampling of Propecia users. The FDA trials for Propecia showed sexual side effects in under 2% of randomly selected users.
If you’re losing your hair and aren’t ready to embrace the bald look, Propecia may help. At eDrugstore.com, we dispense Propecia and generic finasteride using US-licensed pharmacists, and often ship the same day the order is placed. We also offer competitive pricing and convenient refills, so you can take Propecia long term and experience maximum benefits. Furthermore, eDrugstore.com is HIPAA-compliant, ships parcels in discreet packaging, and is committed to the highest standards of online security.
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