Finasteride Tablets

Hair loss, while not typically a cause for serious medical concern, can be very upsetting as a condition to manage – but the good news is that there’s a lot you can do to prevent thinning from happening if you are diagnosed with male pattern baldness.

On average, we lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day (normal hair loss), but losing more than this is what is known as actual hair loss, and there are various potential underlying causes to be aware of here.

For example, there may be a genetic component that leads to male/female pattern baldness (which is permanent). But illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and iron deficiency can also lead to temporary hair loss, as well.

If you’re concerned about your hair, book an appointment with your GP as they will be able to help you address your symptoms, as well as administering any tests to find out what’s causing the problem.

Most of the time, treatment isn’t required for hair loss and you’ll find that it’s either temporary and will grow back, or that it’s simply just a normal part of getting older.

If the underlying cause is a medical condition, hair loss will typically stop and regrowth will be seen after recovery.

However, if your hair loss is causing you distress and affecting your mental and emotional health and wellbeing, there are treatments you can consider that could make a difference.

Here, you can find out all about finasteride tablets and how you could benefit from taking this particular medication for hair loss.

Finasteride: The origin story

While finasteride has long been associated with hair loss, thanks to how successful it can be in treating the condition, it was actually initially intended to treat enlarged prostates, helping to ease symptoms such as difficulty urinating, needing to urinate urgently or more often, or difficulty in emptying the bladder completely.

The history of the drug is certainly an interesting one and, in large part, we can thank Dr Julianne Imperato-McGinley from Cornell Medical College in New York for its discovery.

Back in the 1970s, she visited a remote part of the Dominican Republic to find out more about reports she’d heard of girls seemingly turning into boys at puberty – and, upon arriving in the region, she discovered that this was in fact the case.

This unique group of children from the village of Las Salinas were known as the Guevedoces (which is Spanish for ‘penis at 12’), born with a rare genetic mutation that meant they were born as males but appeared to have female genitalia.

As you might expect, these children were then raised as girls but once they hit puberty, they experienced a rise in testosterone levels, which led to the development of male genitalia, as well as becoming physically more muscular, their voices deepening and a male gender identity typically developing.

However, what was particularly discernible was that the Guevedoces grew little to no facial hair, had no acne and their hairlines didn’t recede, while their prostates remained small throughout their lives.

How could this happen?

The mystery behind this is down to chromosomes.

At conception, typically people have a pair of X chromosomes (to be born a female) and a pair of XY chromosomes (to be born a male).

Once the sex hormones are activated, at around eight weeks post-conception, the Y chromosome in genetic males instructs the gonads to form testicles, while sending testosterone to a structure known as the tubercle, where testosterone is converted into a stronger form known as dihydrotestosterone. The tubercle is then transformed into a penis.

In genetic females, dihydrotestosterone isn’t converted and the tubercle transforms into a clitoris.

When Dr Imperato-McGinley studied the Guevedoces, she found that the reason male genitalia doesn’t form when they’re born is because of a deficiency in the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, which typically converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone.

This, coupled with the fact that the Guevedoces typically had small prostates throughout their lives, led to one of the biggest medical developments in the last 50 years.

Enter Roy Vagelos

The 5-alpha-reductase enzyme deficiency in the Guevedoces meant that they had low levels of dihydrotestosterone – and this is something that was picked up on by Roy Vagelos, the head of pharmaceutical company Merck’s research division, who saw an amazing drug development opportunity in the discovery.

He recognised that if this particular enzyme could be inhibited in adult males, it could potentially replicate the associated symptoms, such as reduced prostate growth. This, in turn, could help treat conditions such as urinary problems, acne – and, of course, hair loss.

During the 80s, significant research was undertaken to explore the benefits of a new class of drugs known as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors.

By the 90s, the hard work was done and the use of finasteride for medical purposes was approved in 1992 to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. Just two years later, the drug was repurposed for male pattern baldness and then granted approval for medical use in 1997.

What to do if you have hair loss

If you’re experiencing hair loss symptoms, it’s advisable to go and see your GP to find out what might potentially be causing the problem so you can identify the most appropriate course of action for your specific situation.

Make sure you let them know if your hair loss is starting to affect your mental and emotional health, and ask them what treatments are available.

If you are experiencing distress because of your hair loss, you may want to consider counselling or perhaps finding a support group, either online or in your local community, to seek guidance and advice from others facing similar issues.

Buy finasteride tablets at Menschem online pharmacy

Here at Menschem, a certified and trusted online pharmacy, we have finasteride tablets available to buy discreetly.

You will need to complete an online consultation before the treatment can be signed off by our certified prescriber. If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with the team today.