What you need to know before ordering hair loss treatments online
Male pattern baldness is a condition that affects many men. Read on to learn more about the treatments available, and how to find the right course of action.
Many men will suffer from hair loss at some point in their lives. Although the likelihood increases as you grow older, the effects of male pattern baldness (also known as androgenic alopecia) can be experienced at any age.
While some men accept the situation, losing one’s hair is a demoralising experience for many and, over the years, many treatments and supposed ‘cures’ have saturated the market with the promise of halting and even reversing the process.
Unfortunately, many men experiencing low self-esteem and emotional turmoil due to male pattern baldness have fallen prey to pseudoscientific ‘snake oil’ treatments. And while a great deal of research has been made into androgenic alopecia, only a small number of treatments have been researched — and backed by reliable clinical studies — enough to be considered effective.
Read more about the hair loss treatments available to those suffering from male pattern baldness, and how to find the right medicaments for you.
What Hair Loss Treatments Are Available?
Due to the fact that male pattern baldness is an incredibly common condition, the men’s health market has become saturated with various treatments and medications designed to slow or halt the process, and/or to encourage regrowth.
If you are suffering from hair loss, then it can be difficult to ascertain which treatments are reliable, and which will leave you wanting. Understanding which treatments come with sufficient research and medical grounding will help you to make an informed decision about your own treatment options.
Topical Hair Loss Treatments
These are treatments administered directly to the scalp, such as shampoos and lotions. While they are many and varied, the only topical treatments that have any real scientific backing however are those containing minoxidil. It was originally developed as a blood pressure medication but was found to have an unexpected side effect when it came to hair. Available as either a lotion or a foam, minoxidil works by promoting blood flow to the scalp, in turn delivering more nutrients to the follicles and encouraging hair growth. Research into minoxidil has shown that it is often effective at promoting growth. And while it presents a lower risk of side effects than the key oral solutions we’ll talk about next, minoxidil has also been shown to be most effective when used in conjunction with it.
Oral Hair Loss Treatments
Again, while there are many herbal and other oral remedies and treatments out there, only one has been FDA approved and backed by long-term studies. Finasteride, commonly known by the brand name Propecia, has been widely researched as an oral hair loss medicine over decades. It works by blocking the production of a hormone known as DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which can cause the hair follicles in your head to shrink and enter permanent hibernation. It is considered the most effective treatment for male pattern baldness, with around 80% of men in clinical studies experiencing halted hair loss, or regrowth. You can buy finasteride online, and results should become apparent after three months of taking it.
Some companies offer gummy vitamins for hair loss, containing biotin, which encourages healthy skin, hair and nails. This ingredient does not inhibit the body’s production of DHT.
What Are The Side Effects?
Many men are deterred from choosing to buy finasteride online because of wide reporting on the potential for erectile dysfunction as a side effect. This was predominantly reported by tabloids who misconstrued data from a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the USA.
Of course, any oral medication poses the risk of potential side effects, but finasteride actually poses a much smaller risk than a lot of medications. In reality, an individual taking finasteride for hair loss has only a 1 in 31 (3%) chance of experiencing side effects such as erectile dysfunction.
What’s more, in the relatively unlikely event that erectile dysfunction is brought on by finasteride, stopping treatment will allow things to return to normal.
Should You Buy Finasteride Online?
Finasteride is a highly effective treatment for male pattern baldness, as it blocks the production of DHT, which shrinks the hair follicles.
However, before rushing to order it now online, you should be sure you have assessed your situation correctly – ideally with the help of a GP, or even a hair loss expert.
Alopecia areata, problems with your thyroid, poor diet, stress, and certain medications and anabolic steroids can all cause your hair to disappear, and blocking the production of DHT will not prevent the condition from continuing, or worsening.
Male pattern baldness does present differently to other forms of hair loss — typically beginning at the hairline, and receding into a ‘horseshoe’ shape around the ears — but it can still be difficult to know whether you are suffering from this condition, or something else.
Even if you have a confirmed diagnosis of male pattern baldness and you do wish to take preventative steps, it might be worth trying minoxodil on its own first. Although side effects from finasteride are far less common than the media has reported in recent times, they still pose more risk than minoxodil, which although less powerful can be enough for some individuals. Consider beginning with this topical solution, and only moving on to finasteride if your hair loss continues.
