Hair loss and male pattern baldness
Hair has been a sign of beauty and a contribution to an individual’s personality since time began. Male Pattern Baldness is a common problem and is common throughout the World which can impact the quality of life or psychological well-being of the patient.
Drugs which claim to treat hair loss target a steadily growing, multibillion dollar market worldwide. Great expectations are associated with pharmaceutical hair loss management, but there are still no radical improvement in the availability of more precise therapies. Much of the disappointment appears to result from unrealistic expectations. Over the past few years 100s of thousands of products have claimed to help hair re-growth. With the exception of minoxidil and finasteride (Propecia), none of them has been found to be effective in hair growth promotion. The hair follicle cycle is a complex process. Hair loss is a natural daily phenomenon, but this shedding of hair cannot be the main cause of hair loss. Every strand of hair on a human head is genetically programmed to a cycle that includes growth, stabilisation, aging and shedding. On average, every day a human head sheds about 5-125 hairs (depending on sex), but most will come back after the resting stage as the follicle itself is not destroyed. Trouble begins when the loss exceeds re-growth, or the re-growth is weak and unhealthy. A loss of 100 hairs per day can be considered “normal”.
There are a number of ways in which a drug may stimulate hair growth: it may increase the linear growth rate of hair; increase the diameter of the hair fibre; alter the hair cycle, wither shortening telogen or prolonging anagen; or act through a combination of these effects.
Hair growth promoting agents are lifestyle drugs and have been shown to promote hair growth.
