Male pattern hair loss is extremely distressing for a lot of men, regardless of when in life it occurs. Losing one’s hair can make any man (or woman) less confident, stressed, and leave one feeling perplexed on what to do next to remedy and solve it.
Male pattern hair loss is common and affects two-thirds of all American men by the age of 35 (some even younger). It only increases in frequency among men by the age of 50, where 85% of the male population experiences the condition.
Hair loss is associated with embarrassment and shame for most men, especially if the condition manifests at a young age. There is an estimated 25% of men who experiences male pattern baldness and begin losing their crowning glory before the age of 21.
What is Finasteride?
Orally administered finasteride is a prescription medication. It has been proven to halt hair loss and promote hair regrowth in most men. The drug is best known for addressing hair loss for male pattern baldness.
Finasteride was first developed for the treatment of enlarged prostate or benign prostatic hyperplasia. During the drug’s clinical trials, researchers found that the medication seemed to stop hair loss and promote hair regrowth in men who are suffering from male pattern baldness.
Though the drug is effective in addressing male pattern baldness, the drug (as with other medications), carries with it a host of unpleasant side effects, including erectile dysfunction.
Recently, a topical formulation of Finasteride is being looked at as a viable treatment option for men who do not, and cannot tolerate, taking oral Finasteride but still want to address hair loss. The question running through everyone’s mind is, does topical finasteride work?
Finasteride Tablets vs Topical Finasteride for Hair Loss Treatment
Most studies have shown that there is not much difference between oral Finasteride and topical Finasteride when it comes to effectiveness, there is a clear distinction between the two treatments. This involves their related side effects.
Oral Finasteride, as we briefly touched earlier, is effective in curbing male pattern baldness, but many men are anxious about taking oral Finasteride due to experiences with side effects, although such side effects were rare.
Studies have demonstrated that Topical Finasteride has fewer unpleasant side effects than other forms of treatment. Topical Finasteride, as shown in studies, does not exhibit the same reported side effects as the oral treatment.
In one study, it was shown that Topical Finasteride had no local or systemic effects on 52 participants. This means that the results showed no side effects reported after taking the treatment.
To put it in plain words, studies have shown that Topical Finasteride can be as effective at hair loss prevention, same as Oral Finasteride, but without experiencing the risks of side effects.
This is the prime reason that many men opt to use Topical Finasteride over Oral Finasteride in combating male pattern baldness without having to deal with other issues.
How Effective is Topical Finasteride for Hair Loss Treatment?
As we have already discussed, Topical Finasteride is just as effective in treating male pattern baldness or hair loss that are comparable with those observed with Oral Finasteride.
The results of using Finasteride Topical Gel and Finasteride Tablet were found to be relatively similar to each other. Results show that subjects in both groups showed significantly reduced hair loss.
Both forms of treatment work by reducing DHT. This hormone is responsible for male pattern baldness. One study back in 2014 showed that Plasma DHT was significantly reduced by 68% to 75% with the use of Topical Finasteride. On the other hand, Oral Finasteride reduced DHT only by 62% to 72%.
The results here suggest that Topical Finasteride can, in some cases, be even more effective in reducing DHT than Oral Finasteride. The main takeaway from this fact is that Topical Finasteride to be at least just as effective as its oral counterpart.
This result is encouraging for men looking at the effectiveness of Topical Finasteride as an option over Oral Finasteride as their choice of treatment.
Which One is Right For You?
Regardless if Finasteride is taken in Oral and Topical form should only be used by men, experiencing Male Pattern Baldness, who are over 18 years of age.
While studies have shown that both forms of treatments are effective, do note that most men who used Topical Finasteride are far less susceptible or even experience the unpleasant side effects associated with using Oral Finasteride. For this reason, if you have concerns about side effects, Topical Finasteride might be the better option for you.
Of course, we cannot rule out Oral Finasteride entirely, since it can still be a good option for some men. This goes for men who become easily irritated with topical solution on their scalp.
In Conclusion
What’s really important is that you get treatments that are right for you. Topically applying Finasteride may localize the reduction of DHT levels where it counts, your scalp. Doing so will avoid those unwanted side effects from taking Finasteride Tablets.
For further reading, consider hopping on to our articles on Dutasteride for Hair Loss and Topical Finasteride and Minoxidil.
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