Propecia

Each day, take 1 Propecia tablet. It is safe to take with or without food.

For the treatment to be effective, you must continue to take Propecia.

Propecia’s active ingredient (finasteride) inhibits the action of an enzyme that converts the male hormone testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is the hormone responsible for male hair loss.

Propecia helps to halt and, in some cases, reverse hair loss by reducing the amount of DHT affecting follicles in the scalp.

Propecia stimulates hair growth only on the head and has no effect on hair growth elsewhere on the body.

Propecia takes 3-6 months of daily use for most men to show results. In 90% of cases, the active ingredient (finasteride) has been shown to be effective in preventing hair loss in men. Men’s hair can regrow in some cases.

Your hair loss will return if you stop taking Propecia. Propecia works best in men who have mild to moderate hair loss on the top of their head due to male pattern baldness. There is little evidence that it works to reverse a receding hairline.

If you take more than one tablet of Propecia per day, it will not work faster or better.

Propecia side effects are uncommon and usually mild.

Propecia can occasionally cause a rash, decreased sex drive, low mood, erection problems, or tenderness on or around the nipples. Only in rare cases can sexual side effects be permanent and persist after the medication has been discontinued.

See the patient information leaflet for a complete list of side effects and how to use it correctly. If you are experiencing any side effects, please contact us through your Patient Record.

According to studies, up to 66 percent of men who use Propecia will see some hair regrowth after two years of use.

Propecia works to stop hair loss while also stimulating new hair growth. With regrowth, your hair may appear thicker.

It may take 3-6 months for you to notice the effects of Propecia. It’s critical to continue taking the medication for as long as your doctor recommends. If you stop taking Propecia, your hair loss will return.

After 3-6 months of taking Propecia, you may notice that your hairline has not receded any further, as well as some regrowth in areas where you had previously lost hair.

No, Propecia is a prescription-only medication, so you can only obtain it if you have a clinician’s prescription.

It is safe to take Propecia for an extended period of time. Propecia may slightly increase your risk of erectile dysfunction, with approximately one in every 100 men affected, but this, like other serious side effects, will be communicated to you.

All medications have an expiration date. Make sure you don’t use the treatment after the expiration date.

Propecia and Regaine treat hair loss in different ways. Propecia is said to be up to 90% effective at reversing hair loss after 5 years of use, while Regaine was shown to be 60% effective in a 48-week study. Despite this, many people combine the treatments to treat hair loss. This increases your chances of slowing hair loss and encouraging regrowth.

Propecia should be safe to take in conjunction with other medications. However, it is critical that you tell us about any prescription, over-the-counter, or recreational drugs you are taking so that we can safely prescribe Propecia.

If you forget to take your Propecia, take it as soon as you remember. Take no more than one tablet in a 24-hour period. Do not take a double dose to compensate for a missed tablet.

In our hair loss clinic, we also provide the low-cost generic treatment Finasteride. This product contains the same active ingredient (finasteride) as branded Propecia. This means they operate in the same manner.

Other hair loss treatments, such as Minoxidil (also known as Regaine), are available from LloydsPharmacy, both in-store and online.

Hair transplants, skin camouflage, and wigs or hairpieces are also options.