Maybe the American Hair Loss Association (AHLA) didn’t get the memo that sexual side effects continue following cessation of Propecia (finasteride). Or that more than half of those 1,375 complaints also allege that the medication has caused or can cause prostate cancer, testicular cancer or male breast cancer. On its website, the Association’s doctor goes so far as to “strongly advise against researching your options through the yellow pages or commercial websites”. (Why not? Could this website be funded by Propecia?)Perhaps the AHLA reviewer, Dr. Paul J. McAndrews, didn’t get the memo that a California man’s product liability lawsuit has commenced in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Kyle Michelson claims that the defendants Dr. Richard Rassman, Dr. Jae Pak, and New Hair Medical Institute committed medical malpractice by treating his male pattern baldness with Propecia without properly warning him of the consequences. The AHLA also “recognizes how devastating male pattern baldness can be,” but neglects to recognize that permanent sexual side effects - such as male infertility - are devastating.
Although other hair loss treatments may not be as effective as Propecia, they are safe to use because they don’t lower DHT levels by as much as 60 percent. (Finasteride inhibits Type II 5-alpha-reductace, the enzyme that converts testosterone into a more potent androgen dihydrotestosterone.) For instance, Minoxidil doesn’t mess with hormones but Propecia proponents say its effects are temporary. Armed with the right information, it’s likely that balding men would rather choose Minoxidil’s temporary effects over Propecia’s permanent side effects.
There are hair loss treatment options besides drugs. At the University of British Columbia researchers have shown that simply changing your shampoo can slow the hair-loss process. Anti-dandruff shampoos containing Ketoconazol, an antifungal ingredient, are known to reduce conversion from testosterone to DHT. Another study conducted in Belgium concurs: this DHT reduction resulted in 17 per cent less hair loss over six months with a Ketoconazole-containing shampoo. And while you’re shampooing, Eastern medicine suggests that head massage can stimulate blood flow to the scalp's surface. No Western studies can support this technique, probably because there’s no financial gain. Propecia brings in big profits for Merck: According to WebMD, about 70 per cent of men (and 40 per cent of women), experience some form of hair thinning on the scalp in their lives.