Medical treatment for hair loss
Dutasteride
This is a medication that is currently under development that inhibits the 5α-Reductase enzyme, which converts new testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The drug’s name is dutasteride, which has been shown to be effective in regenerating hair loss in early experiments. However, GlaxoSmithKline, which is developing Dutasteride, says the results so far have been “Positive,” but we need to do more.
The mechanism of action of dutasteride is similar to that of propecia, but dutasteride can inhibit both forms of enzymes that produce DHT (Propecia can inhibit only one type of enzyme) and 20-30% more than propecia. However, this drug is not yet available and in the clinical research phase, so it will take at least 3-5 years for it to be marketed in Korea.
Therefore, if you are waiting for this medicine, you may not be able to receive the medicine in time. So we recommend you to use the medicine that is currently available and switch it once this is available.
Minoxidil
A drug originally developed by Pharmacia & Upjohn, it was an antihypertensive agent that acts as a vasodilator.
However, high blood pressure patients taking this medication had side effects of thickening hair and growing up to 2-4 cm of hair all over their head, arms and legs. Upjohn has developed and marketed 2% minoxidil as a hair regrowth ointment and recently sold 5% minoxidil liquid.
Minoxidil is a hair regrowth accelerator made through such a dramatic process, but it is not certain exactly which mechanism promotes hair growth. Minoxidil is a vasodilator, but experiments show that hair growth is caused by minoxidil even in conditions where hair follicles grew without any blood supply. The effectiveness of minoxidil is estimated to be about 50%.
Specifically, the hair growth effect is greatest within 6 months of applying minoxidil to the scalp, and the more Vellus hair (peach fuzz) you have, the better the treatment responds. Therefore, in order to see the effect of minoxidil to promote hair growth and cover the scalp, it is recommended to do this with patients with thin hair on the scalp.
However, it is difficult to achieve satisfactory results in patients with complete hair loss. In addition, all hair growth promoters remain effective only while using the medicine. If you stop using minoxidil because you feel hair loss to some extent, your new hair will fall out within six months, and it will be the same as before it was treated. Side effects of minoxidil use may include itching, dandruff, scalp irritation symptoms such as red spots, and allergic contact dermatitis during application.
Propecia
Is the only oral medication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and improves alopecia by dropping DHT, the most important cause of androgenetic alopecia. Propecia an excellent and safe drug. Propecia blocks 5α-Reductase type 2 enzyme from it’s action, which inhibits the change of testosterone, a male hormone, into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Resulting in reduced DHT, which reverses hair loss or inhibits the progression of hair loss.
Although it was originally developed to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, it has been used as a hair loss treatment as research has shown that it can promote hair growth. Propecia is only for men, women are prohibited from taking.
Two years of clinical trials with 1,879 41-year-old men showed anti-hair loss in 83% and hair growth in 66%. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as the first drug to treat hair loss. However, it has to be taken continuously to see the effect of treatment. Once it’s stopped hair loss will continue again.
It is considered to be one of the new medicines of the 20th century that contributed to improving the quality of life by treating baldness. It has been marketed in Korea since May 2000. There are recent research papers that show that it is also effective on older people (age 53-76). This suggests that the expected therapeutic effect may be related to the severity of the hair loss, not to the age of the patient. Unless the patient is completely bald, it will have some improvement.
Propecia is an oral medication for hair loss treatment that is coated 5mm hexagonal tablets developed and manufactured by Merck. One tablet of Propecia contains 1 mg of a substance called Pinestrid, which is a substance that inhibits type 2 5-alpha reductase enzyme. The 5-alpha reductase enzyme turns into DHT (hydrotestosterone), which causes hair loss when it meets testosterone (male hormone). Therefore, inhibition of this 5-alpha reductase enzyme can prevent the hair lossing DHT hormone.