Most hair loss medications are effective for hormone-related hair loss (alopecia androgenetica). What all these drugs have in common is that the hair loss returns after discontinuing the therapy, so that a lifelong therapy is necessary.
Therapy of hereditary hair loss in men
A real miracle cure for hereditary hair loss in men does not yet exist. This is mainly because the cause of this phenomenon is still largely unknown. A promising approach to explain hair loss comes from the field of endocrinology and andrology.
It is assumed that the hair of the scalp atrophies under the influence of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone and ultimately falls out completely. The hormone is produced in the body from testosterone with the enzyme 5-reductase, which is found in large quantities in the prostate, for example. The aim of a therapy should therefore be to reduce the dihydrotestosterone level in the blood in order to combat hereditary hair loss.
This can be achieved with the help of the active ingredient finasteride. The drug inhibits the 5-reduct key and thus prevents the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. However, Finasteride must be taken daily and success is not evident in all men.
As a side effect Finasteride may decrease subjective sexual desire (libido). However, the drug has no effect on potency. Finasteride is not approved for use in women, as it may damage the fetus in pregnant women or women of childbearing age.
Minoxidil is another drug to combat hereditary hair loss in men. Minoxidil is actually used as an antihypertensive, but in this context it has the pleasant side effect of increased hair growth. Why this is so can not be completely clarified until today.
Possibly, the vasodilatory effect of Minoxidil on the scalp leads to a better supply of blood to the individual hair follicles and thus prolongs their life. In addition to the drug therapy described so far, there is another surgical option, namely hair transplantation. Here, hair from the neck, which has a much longer survival time than hair on the front of the head, is transplanted onto bald areas of the scalp. Depending on the need, up to 5000 follicles can find a new place on the scalp individually under local anesthesia. Hair transplantation is not quite cheap at around 5000 euros and should be considered carefully, especially by younger patients.
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