Although Finasteride and Minoxidil are currently the only FDA approved drugs this does not mean there are no another products which do not help with hair loss. I will give a brief description of the many on the market, omitting the many ‘snake oils’ and ‘miracle cures’ and focusing on those that have some scientific backing.

Dutasteride

Along with Finasteride another drug which blocks the action of the 5-alpha-reductase enzymes that convert testosterone into DHT is Dutasteride. Dutasteride inhibits both forms of 5-alpha reductase, Type I and Type II, while Finasteride only inhibits Type II, but it is currently is only officially approved to treat enlargement of the gland currently marketed as Avodart by Glaxo SmithKline.

In trials it was found that 2.5 mg Dutasteride was superior to 5 mg finasteride in improving scalp hair growth in men between ages 21 and 45 years with. However this may also mean it has greater side effects, although no official study on the side effects of Dutasteride have been conducted. Nonetheless men with hair loss are self prescribing and using Dutasteride at an increasing rate.

Saw Palmetto

Originally used by Native Americans to treat urinary tract difficulties saw palmetto is a palm plant native to the Atlantic coast in the southern United States. Although the study in the effectiveness in treating hair loss is limited at has been shown to inhibit both forms of 5-alpha-reductase. As herbal remedy the side effects are mild, mostly limited to gastrointestinal ones.

Ketoconazole

Ketoconazole is a synthetic antifungal drug used to prevent and treat skin and fungal infections, especially in immunocompromised patients such as those with AIDS. Because it is both an anti-fungal, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor and a hair growth stimulant it can help to slow the balding process. In a recent new study result was released including pictures of before and after treatment.

In this study six Japanese males with male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) from 23 to 51 years old were enrolled and the subjects applied topical 2% KCZ lotion (Nizoral cream) every day during or immediately after hair washing with their own un-medicated shampoos. All subjects reported a stop in hair loss and a regrowth of part of their lost hair after three months of continuous use.

A study in mice indicated that Ketoconazole may have a stimulatory effect on hair growth. Nizoral shampoo which contains Ketoconazole has shown to be beneficial in men suffering from androgenic alopecia. One 1998 study showed that Nizoral 2% worked just as well as minoxidil 2% (in men with androgenic alopecia. Nizoral Shampoo only has U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp, so although Nizoral may be useful as a hair loss remedy, it cannot be endorsed or marketed as one to the general public.

Results so far indicate that both the 1% and 2% dosages have hair loss benefits; however, the more potent 2% formulation could have better results. Optimal usage is believed to be at every third day, leaving the shampoo on the scalp for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. It has been stated that medications capable of maintaining the existing hair population should be regarded as effective treatments for androgenic alopecia. I personally recommend trying nizoral shampoo as it is not expensive, seems to have slowed down the rate of my hairloss and has little or no side effects.

Copper Peptides

Copper peptides are applied topically to the scalp, and shorten the resting phase of hairs, resulting in more hair follicles on the scalp being in the growing phase (as opposed to the resting or falling out phase) at one time. It works by dismuting the superoxide anion into hydrogen peroxide, thereby preventing the conversion of the superoxide anion to peroxynitrite by combining with nitric oxide (a naturally occurring chemical messenger). The double effect of SOD therefore is the reduction in free-radical and increase in nitric oxide.

It is thought that a key mechanism of action for minoxidil is the production of Nitric oxide (NO). Various SOD generating products are now available. Nanogen, a UK-based skin research company, is undergoing Phase I trials to ascertain the hair regrowth potential on a new “broad-spectrum” molecule which has been shown in extensive independent laboratory in-vitro testing to have both SOD and Catalase mimetic activity.

The company has not released details of the molecule as it is pending patent but it is copper II based. I have little further knowledge of copper peptides and there effect on hair loss, and there is not much research on the subject, however there are promising signs.

Laser Hair Loss Therapy

When I first heard of this treatment I was certain it was a scam, my first instinct may still be correct but I have encountered people who swear by laser treatment so I thought it was worth a mention here. Some devices claim to use low-level laser therapy to stimulate hair growth through “Photo-Biostimulation” of the hair follicles. The Hairmax Lasercomb is the only laser phototherapy device to receive FDA clearance for marketing, although the FDA did not determine whether the LaserComb is safe or effective. Instead, it determined that the device is similar to devices sold before 1976.

This means that the device can be sold without proof of safety or efficacy. The device’s maker also provided the FDA with results of a trial (again I remain sceptical as it was co-authored by the device’s maker with 3 other authors including dermatologists) that it claims shows that the device is safe and effective. However, there is no evidence that the FDA considered this study it making its ruling. There website claims “the entire hair-growing environment is stimulated by the unique characteristics of laser energy provided by the

HairMax LaserComb. The HairMax LaserComb prescription cialis generic produces nine laser beams which generate columnated, coherent visible light in the red spectrum. Laser light in the red spectrum and with the appropriate power output has been clinically proven to be beneficial for cutaneous medicine..”

I personally would still take that with a grain of salt as there is still no solid independent trials or research with demonstrate the efficacy of laser therapy in the treatment of male pattern balding. If all else fail, you should seriously consider hair transplantation.

Author Bio: Michael Pavlos is a medical adviser at the Advance Beauty Cosmetic Clinic and the Australian Institute of Hair Restoration in Sydney, Australia.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: non surgical hair loss remedy, natural, medical, australia, sydney