The medication that is swallowed (1 mg), is intended for men suffering from Male Pattern Baldness. It has been proven that daily treatment with Propecia increases scalp coverage noticeably. The result is noticeable generally 12 months after the start of the treatment and will remain for years as long as treatment is continued.Guidelines indicate that long-term treatment with Finasteride achieves continuing improvement. Results of a 2-year research involving over 3000 patients, show that 83% of men treated with Finasteride had the same or higher hair count compared to 28% who were given placebos, of whom 72% lost hair.
Self-evaluation of standard photographs of the crown showed that 66% of the participants in the 24-month research program, experienced increased hair growth when treated with Finasteride. 30%
experienced modest regrowth, 31% moderate regrowth and 5% dense regrowth, in contrast to the men who took a placebo. It is very important to take still photographs prior to the treatment and to compare the picture a year later. Whoever does not do this will have difficulty in discerning the difference.
Finasteride is meant for use by men only, but can be given to women over the age of 45. Fertile women must not use Finasteride due to the risk of anomalies in the sex organs of male fetuses. For the time being, Propecia is available on prescription only.