Avodart
Recently, a dual inhibitor of both enzyme types (5ar-1
and 5ar-2) that convert testosterone to DHT has been approved
for BPH. It's called Avodart (dutasteride)and is made by
GlaxoSmithKline. Finasteride was shown to reduce DHT by
up to approximately 70+% or so, where as Avodart reduced
DHT by 90-96% depending on dose (0.5mg - 2.5mg). So, this
drug would appear more effective for treating MPB, and Glaxo's
data found 2.5mg of Avodart grew 1.5 times more hair compared
to 5mg Finasteride over a 6 month period with approximately
similar side effects as Finasteride.
Real world feedback is that it is indeed superior to Finasteride
for MPB, but side effects are more common. Several doctors
I know who prescribed it for MPB told me many men stopped
using it due to side effects, so the claim that it has a
similar incidence of side effects to Finasteride may not
be true. However, it may be worth using topically mixed
into some vehicle such as Minoxidil or some custom blend.
There are many of them found on the internet in fact, and
feedback is generally good. As stated, topical is never
as effective as oral, but the side effects are minimized.
Flutamide and Spironolactone
Flutamide is not really a new drug, but an old drug being
used for MPB. It's a powerful anti -androgen used with men
with prostate cancer. I consider the side effects for healthy
men FAR too great to be used orally, though some men have
gone that route. I think they're crazy. However, topical
versions are fairly common on the ?net and this may be viable
alternative - albeit a less effective alternative -to oral
administration. Pretty much everything I have said about
Flutamide goes for Spironolactone. Gyno, reductions in sex
drive, etc, is common in men taking it orally, but topical
formulations exist and appear to be moderately effective,
especially when combined with other compounds.
Best overall multi ingredient topical formula:
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of topical formulas
on the market. I have not viewed them all nor used them
all. Keeping that in mind, my recommended all-in-one topical
formula I recommend is Proxiphen produced by a Dr. Proctor
out of Texas. Dr. Proctor is probably one of the foremost
experts on MPB and one of the good guys in an otherwise
shady industry. I have spoken to him many times and he knows
his sh*%. Proxiphen contains minoxidil, as well as the prescription
agents phenytoin and spironolactone, SODs, copper peptides,
TEMPO, PBN...over a dozen active ingredients in all. Another
plus is that Dr. proctor never sits on his success with
Proxiphen in that he is constantly adding new compounds
to the formula if he feels they show promise for MPB.
Because it contains prescription agents, Proxiphen can
only be dispensed on a physician700s diagnosis of hair loss.
This is not as big a deal as you may think, but you will
have to see your doctor to get an official diagnoses of
MPB. You do not have to travel to TX to get it, but your
Doc will have to communicate with Dr Proctor for you to
obtain Proxiphen. Dr, proctor does produce non prescription
products that may also be worth a try, but none of them
will be as effective as his prescription based product.
Dr. proctor can be contacted at 800-926-1752 or 713-960-1616.
Web site: www.drproctor.com
Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)
99% of the time, something that looks like a scam and smells
like a scam, is a scam. There is that 1% of the time when
what looks rather scam-ish at first actually may work as
claimed. Such may be the case with LLLT. Makers of LLLT
devices have claimed for years they grew hair but there
was no hard data to support it, and what the mechanism was
was never really explained. Thus, I was very skeptical say
the least.
I have had to alter that opinion however as a study published
in the International Journal of Cosmetic Surgery and Aesthetic
Dermatology ( Vol. 5, Number 2, 2003.) found LLLT may actually
work as claimed. The study found increased hair counts and
improved tensile strength in 28 men and 7 women who used
the LaserMax Hair Comb (www.Lasermax.net) for 6 months.
The results were impressive and no side effects were reported
as one would expect. I have also spoken to the director
of one clinic that does many hair transplants and they find
greatly increased healing rates post op using the laser
comb. So, my opinion of this gizmo is guardedly positive
and it may be worth incorporating into your hair loss prevention
plan.
If All Else Fails!:
Ok, so you have tried most of the above, don't want to
try the above, or don't have enough hair left on top of
your head for the above to really make a difference, and
you want information on transplants. As you know, when transplants
first came out, they were pretty crude and looked pretty
damn bad. Things have changed for the better in the last
few years with some truly impressive results.
So, the good news is there are procedures that now look
totally natural. Bad news, none are going to give you the
hairline you had before you started losing your hair. You
have to have realistic expectations here to begin with.
Ok, after a great deal of research I am of the opinion
that the laser method is superior to other methods. There
is a great deal of confusion out there regarding the laser
method propagated by people using outdated information or
fear of competition. People who put down the laser method
claim all sorts of things that are simply not true today
with the right laser being used by an experienced medical
professional.
Before we get to that, a little background. Lasers are
finding new applications in the medical and cosmetic field
almost every day such, such as their use in surgery and
the use of lasers in skin rejuvenation and resurfacing.
It700s been slower in the field of hair transplantation
using lasers. The reason for this is simple, the first generation
of lasers used for hair transplants were non-pulsating CO2
lasers which caused damage to the local blood supply (dry
hole) and poor hair growth resulted.
Keep in mind, blood supply to the transplanted follicle
is essential for any growth to take place. Without adequate
blood supply, the transplanted follicle simply dies. These
older lasers caused thermal damage to the area (burned the
area due to excessive heat from the laser), which of course
is not what you want. This is the main criticism of the
laser approach.
However, newer generation pulsating CO2 lasers showed a
vast improvement in maintaining blood supply resulting in
improved graft growth and survival of the transplanted hair.
Later improvements added the Super Pulse laser which is
a big improvement over older lasers that caused extensive
thermal damage. Another type of laser that is used is the
Erbium laser.
Both lasers appear to have their strengths and I have seen
excellent results with either. The right laser in the hands
of a doctor who has experience with this method does not
hinder blood supply at all, and excellent graft growth follows
after the hair follicle is transplanted. The laser greatly
reduces actual surgery time and trauma to the area, so post
op pain is reduced and recuperation time is also reduced.
Some other reasons the laser method is superior to having
someone cut holes in your head with a scalpel or needle
punch: every time a laser hole is made, bald tissue is actually
being removed. This reduces the total amount of bald area
present. This advantage is not seen when using a scalpel
blade or needle to prepare recipient sites. Lasers also
decrease the incidence of what is called "postoperative
epidermal inclusion cysts." These are ugly little bumps
that often show up in the area of the transplanted hair,
and they look like sh*$ to be honest.
There are yet more advantages to the use of the laser versus
the "cold steal" methods (e.g., scalpel, needle
punch, etc.) that I don700t have the space or need to cover.
It's the only method I have personally seen where I simply
could not tell that work had been done on the person's head
until I saw the before pictures!
The clinic with probably the most experience with laser
transplants is the Hair and Scalp laser Clinic in Clearwater
Florida. The clinical director is John Satino and the doc
doing the work is Dr. Markou. They can be reached at 1-800-883-4247
or 1-727-572-9344. Web site is www.hairscalplaserclinic.com
Now, if you can find someone in your area using the laser
method who has real experience with it and can give you
referrals to speak to regarding their work, by all means
use them, but not many people are currently using the laser
method for transplants. On a final note, I don700t want
people to think there can700t be satisfactory results with
some of the more traditional scalpel and needle punch methods,
but in my opinion none of them are superior, or more natural
looking, than the results achieved with the laser in the
hands of an experienced medical professional.
Conclusion.
Ok, please don't bombard me with questions about the latest
greatest cure for hair loss you read about or are using.
The above is about the only treatments I have any faith
in. The longer I have been researching the topic the more
I realize how few of the products out there actually work
and what a vexing problem MPB is to solve. However, the
information in this article is about as good as you are
going to find in your attempt to not end up looking like
the guy in the Gold's Gym logo!
>> Click here for Will Brink's Bodybuilding Revealed
>> Click here for Will's Fat Loss Revealed
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