Regardless if you’re male or female, losing copious amounts of your hair can be quite upsetting, and to some, even scary, most especially if you are one who is concerned about how you look in public. But before you sound the alarm, it is normal for every individual to lose between 50 and 100 strands of hair a day.
This loss is often nothing to worry about, but if the daily loss is slowly becoming noticeable. If the loss is too sudden, you start to develop bald patches, losing hair in clumps, your scalp itches and burns, then it can be a cause for concern. A medical condition can sometimes be associated with hair loss.
However, most hair loss does not need treatment if it is, either:
● If the condition could be temporary and more frequently your hair will go back
without any intervention.
● It’s a normal part of getting older.
There are types of hair loss that can be permanent, such as male and female pattern baldness. Typically, this type of hair loss is hereditary, and therefore runs in the family.
The types of hair loss that can be deemed temporary can be caused by:
● Stress
● An illness
● Hormonal imbalance
● Cancer treatment
● Iron deficiency
● Weight loss
The good news is, most hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops and/or grows back once the illness has passed, and you’ve fully recovered.
If for instance it does not, there are processes you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But know that no treatment is 100% effective.
Finasteride and Minoxidil for Hair Loss Treatment
For male pattern baldness, the main treatment available are finasteride and minoxidil. For women, they can use minoxidil.
Women, however, are not advised to use finasteride because it is a teratogenic. What this means is if a woman is pregnant while taking it, it may cause birth defects at its most serious.
Topical finasteride according to recent clinical studies can help prevent the advance of hair loss in men with androgenetic alopecia, also known as male pattern hair loss. The beauty is, topical finasteride has a lower side effect profile than when taking it in pill form.
Finasteride works by blocking an enzyme that converts male testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen, a hormone that weaken hair follicles.
Minoxidil on the other hand is a clinically-proven ingredient that can help you grow hair, even if you have hair follicles that are dormant. It works by actually increasing how long follicles stay in active growth.
Can Finasteride and Minoxidil Be Used at the Same Time?
Is it possible to use them simultaneously? Absolutely! Not only can you save time in application with this potent combo in the morning and in the evening.
A combination of 0.1% topical finasteride can treat hair loss by reducing DHT in the scalp, and when used in combination with 6% topical minoxidil, increases hair density.
As yet, topical finasteride is not yet approved by the FDA, but there are continuing research on its effects. The pill form of finasteride is generally sold as an oral medication, with a prescription. Topical minoxidil on its own can be had over the counter (OTC), which means you don’t need a prescription. Oral minoxidil, on the other hand, does require a prescription.
For added information, oral finasteride is often prescribed to be used together with topical minoxidil. There are evidence that these two working in conjunction works best. But instead of oral finasteride, it also falls true when using topical finasteride.
Though it’s true that a more in-depth research is needed into exactly why and how these two medications work so well together, there are studies that suggest that minoxidil works by increasing the absorption of topical finasteride.This, then leads to better results.
The combination of topical finasteride and topical minoxidil as part of your hair loss treatment is often effective. Using the two alongside each other is safe. Male pattern baldness is best treated at an early stage.
In a 2015 study, it has been found that the regular use of finasteride and minoxidil together helped in maintaining a good hair density level. Interestingly, in this study, the use of topical finasteride along with minoxidil was used.
After 12 months of treatment, men who used the combination of minoxidil and finasteride at the same time showed improvements in 94.1% of the subjects, as compared to 80.5% who used finasteride, and 59% of minoxidil alone.
Since both medications work on different parts of the body, the risk of using them in concert is eradicated. Another advantage is you’ll be using only one medication to treat hair loss.
This compounded medication is only available with a valid prescription and will require a telehealth consultation for our team of experts before beginning to use.
Takeaway
If you currently use any other medications, it is imperative that you talk to your healthcare provider to check if it would be safe to use the finasteride and minoxidil combination.
Although baldness can’t be prevented, especially in men with a predisposition of going bald due to hereditary factors, there are medications such as finasteride and minoxidil, that can help in slowing down hair loss. Studies have shown that the combination of finasteride and minoxidil is typically more effective than using the two products individually.
