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Propecia, Provillus, Procerin - Hair care products
Added: (Tue Mar 20 2007)
A word about hormone effects: DHT is responsible for facial hair growth, increased incidence of acne, growth of the prostate gland, and is integral in the development of male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). Testosterone, on the other hand, is the classic "male" hormone, and is responsible for the changes seen at puberty: lowering of the voice, growth of the genitalia, an increase in muscle mass, and increased libido or sex drive. When testosterone is deficient, there may be decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, depression, lack of normal "drive" and ambition, and a loss of muscle mass. In other words, most of what DHT effects, we can do without! Testosterone, on the other hand, is extremely important. When men took the one milligram dose of Propecia, their DHT levels dropped by about two-thirds; on the other hand, testosterone levels were not only maintained in the normal range, but increased almost ten percent! So the mechanism by which Propecia acts, unlike that of Rogaine, is well understood. Let�s look at what the studies and clinical trials showed about its effectiveness. 1,553 men, ages 18 to 41, with Norwood Class II Vertex, III Vertex, IV or V balding patterns (which are mild to moderate; the Class VI and VII are the most severe patterns) were given Propecia. At two years, 83% of those taking Propecia either grew more hair or at least lost no more. However, this effect was much more noticeable in the crown area than in the frontal or hairline zone. Also, the hairs that did grow in were longer and thicker, or more like terminal hairs, in contrast to the finer, shorter hair seen with the use of Rogaine. Side effects seen were minimal in number.
They included different types of sexual dysfunction (decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction, decreased semen volume) at a total incidence of 3.8%. However, the group that received the placebo (sugar pill) had an incidence of 2.1%, which is not a large difference at all. Furthermore, these sexual side effects went away in all the men who stopped the medication, and in almost two-thirds of those who continued the medication! 6 to 12 months are required before any increase in hair is apparent; any sexual side effects would have occurred well before that time, so there is not a problem of losing hair that was gained on the medication when one stops taking it. Also, remember that if a person stops either Propecia or Rogaine, any hair lost will be only that which was gained or maintained while on the drug, and not any other; in short, one returns to the state of balding one would have experienced had one never taken the drug at all. Another interesting finding in patients on Propecia is that it causes an approximately one-third reduction in the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
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