The drug propecia is a prescription hair loss medication designed mainly for men with mild to moderate hair loss. The effects of hair loss and propecia were studied in several clinical trials, and propecia was found to be better than a placebo.

The men in the studies, aged between 18 and 41, took propecia daily for a year. Some men took a placebo. Of the men who took the propecia, 86% either did not suffer further hair loss, or actually increased the amount of hair in the affected areas. Only 14% of men had continued hair loss.

The drug propecia has been found to be ineffective for women. This, combined with the potential danger of abnormalities to a male fetus, means that propecia is not prescribed for female pattern hair loss. Propecia has not been studied in older men, or men with complete baldness, and it has not been proved to work with a receding hairline. Propecia is not suitable for children, no doubt due to its negative effect on developing male genitals.

Generally, propecia is a very safe drug for hair loss. Most men taking it did not have any side effects, though some reported:

* erection difficulties

* reduced amount of semen

* less sexual desire

These were not permanent changes, and when those affected stopped taking propecia, their symptoms disappeared. Some men who reported these side effects were also able to continue taking propecia without the side effects continuing. The report I saw did not say whether the side effects just stopped, or if other treatment was undertaken to counteract them.

The drug propecia has only been studied on men for up to two years, and these men had no problems taking it for this period. However, based on research over a period of 32 years on men who are deficient on the enzyme that propecia suppresses, 5-alpha reductase, the mechanism by which propecia works seems to be quite safe for long term use.

Disadvantages of Taking Propecia

Propecia is not a cure for hair loss. Propecia works by interrupting the conversion process of testosterone to its metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT for short). It does this by effecting the enzyme catalyst, 5-alpha reductase, that is involved in the conversion process. In male pattern hair loss, there is an excess of DHT in the part of the scalp where hair loss occurs. So, by reducing the amounts of DHT in the scalp, propecia effectively works to prevent new hair loss, and allows hair to regrow. However, to continue the benefits of propecia, you’ll need to take it for the rest of your life. Once you stop taking propecia, the DHT levels will rise again in the scalp, and hair loss will return to pre-propecia levels.

The Drug Propecia and Pregnancy

Women should be very careful not to handle propecia if they are pregnant, as it can affect the development of the sex organs in a male fetus. So, it would be wise not to touch any open packets, or broken tablets. If you must, use a glove. Unbroken tablets are safety coated, so the active ingredient of propecia, which is the potential problem, is not present on the outside of the tablet.

For men taking propecia, if your wife is pregnant, there is no risk to her unless she is exposed to the active ingredient from a broken tablet. She, or the baby, won’t be harmed when her partner is taking it.

However, given that in some men propecia affects the amount of semen produced, if you are trying to conceive this may pose a problem. This side effect does not affect all, or most, men. But check with your doctor if you think this may be a concern.

Let’s discuss Propecia Reviews as per age group. Let’s begin with the age group of 20 to 30 years of age. This age group is a young group of people and it is very sad to know that such young people also face hair loss. This is the time when their hair should be of the best quality and no medicines should be required.

However the reviews of people using propecia say that they have been taking the pill of 1mg once daily from a period of 4 weeks to 2 years respectively and the results are astounding. People say that they had problems of receding hair line, hair loss and balding on the back of the head in such an early age but the medicine has worked in bringing back the lost hair in the patches where it had become thin and hair texture and thickness has increased too.

When we talk of the age group between 30 and 40 years of age people have to say that they too have been taking the pill of 1 mg each once daily and after duration of 11 months, 3 years and 1 year respectively have experienced great results. People say that the hair which had reduced in the crown area re-grew and any kind of male pattern baldness reduced as well. Many also say that even though the hair they had lost in abundance did not grow much, they did not loose any further hair.

It also cured hair thinning in many people and brought back the lost shine in their hair. Most of the people who are using this medicine are male and have reported of some side effects as well. They said they were lacking interest in their sex life after taking these pills. They also faced erection problems. Many people say they did not have any side effects at all.

For the age group of 40 and above the pill has worked wonders as well. Male patients of 40 years and above have been taking this pill and have reported that their hair never fell and they still look young with the shining thick hair on their head. Many female patients are using it after their 40 years of age and have said that their hair grew 50 percent more and all the lost hair had come back. The side effects continued to be related to sexual health and women who do not intend to have children can use it.

How does this drug work is what will explain all the questions people have in mind. The sex hormone testosterone in male body combines with another enzyme called 5-alpha reductase. When a reaction happens between these two substances a more active hormone called DHT is formed. When a person starts to loose hair the follicles on his head start forming DHT receptor sites and the DHT formed in the body starts getting attached to these sites formed in the follicles.

The DHT starts showing its colors here and treats the follicle like an unwanted thing. This will start affecting the hair as the follicle gets week day by day and will shrink in size and capacity to produce a healthy hair. This is the result of hair loss. Now what does Propecia do in this case? It will enter the person’s blood and stop the increase in DHT. The production is not completely stopped but drastically reduced. When this starts the effects of the DHT on the hair follicles will stop and hence hair loss will stop. Now this could also be the answer for the decrease in libido and erection and loss of interest in sex. The DHT is responsible for an active sex life and if that reduces then this is bound to happen.

When you have to start using Propecia for your constant and drastic hair fall, it is advisable you consult a doctor and get a prescription for it. You must also read the various Propecia reviews which are published on the Internet and get to know how your body will react to the medication. Some other things to make note of are that a consistency needs to be maintained in taking the pill as if you take it in irregular intervals it will not show the desired results.

It takes around 3 months for the pill to show its effects on your hair and do not loose patience in just a few weeks. Another thing to note is that after taking the medicine for a month may be you may loose a lot of hair. Do not be scared and stop taking the medicine. This is a sign of the pill doing its work on you. People who made Propecia also recommend that you use a shampoo called Nizoral along with the pill as it will keep you scalp dandruff free, inflammation free and healthy. With the help of this shampoo the pill will work best and will show results of good hair growth and thickening of hair even in old age.