Propecia vs. Minoxidil – Everything You Need to Know

Research shows that over 35 million men in the U.S suffer from hair loss and related conditions. About 21 million female individuals experience some type of hair loss. The American Academy of Dermatologists reports that a person with a healthy scalp loses between 50 and 100 strands of hair daily.

However, hormonal changes, health conditions, aging, genetics, improper care, and chemical-based hair products can take a massive toll on your scalp, leading to hair loss and conditions like alopecia.

There are various treatment options to stop hair loss or promote hair growth. These include homemade treatment options, essential oils, and medications, such as Propecia and Minoxidil. Read on!

Propecia

Propecia is the generic name of Finasteride, an FDA-approved medication prescribed by doctors and dermatologists to treat hair loss, baldness, and prostatic hyperplasia in male individuals. Doctors prescribe this medication to prevent excess hair growth in women.

The primary benefit of taking Propecia is to prevent hair follicles from rapid aging and maintain optimal hair growth. Research studies have confirmed that Propecia can regrow lost hair efficiently and quickly.

One study shows that Propecia is an effective medication for men to regrow hair at the vertex or top of the head. Although Propecia can help regrow your hair, taking this medicine for a prolonged period can cause various adverse reactions or side effects:

· Muscle weakness

· Dizziness

· Nausea

· Inflammation in breast

· Swelling in hands and feet

· Low sexual desire

· Male and female infertility

· Abnormal ejaculation

· Difficulty achieving orgasm

Minoxidil

Minoxidil is another FDA-approved medication used to treat hair loss conditions. It can also help reduce symptoms of hypertension. Numerous studies conclude that Minoxidil is equally beneficial for men and women to treat pattern hair loss.

Not only does Minoxidil increases blood flow to your scalp and nourish follicles with essential nutrients, but it also reverses follicular miniaturization. As a result, the balanced supply of nutrients and oxygenated blood to your follicles promotes healthy hair growth.

In addition, taking this medication can stimulate follicular movement and trigger hair growth processes. It also extends follicles and speeds up the growth phase to ensure you achieve your hair growth goals.

Minoxidil is a safe product for men and women to promote hair growth by balancing sebum oil levels in the scalp. Because Minoxidil is a vasodilator, it can cause various side effects. The most common adverse reaction caused by this medication is an increased blood supply that elevates your heart rate, causing discomfort and pain in your chest.

Alternative Options

A growing body of research evidence shows that natural compounds, elements, or supplements, such as zinc, silicon, biotin, iron, onion juice, and aromatherapy, can regrow hair without causing intense side effects.

Massaging your scalp with essential oils, such as coconut oil, fish oil, rosemary oil, sunflower oil, etc., can also restore your hair by strengthening your follicles’ health. These oils contain essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, to balance sebum oil production and optimize hair growth.

Hair transplants, such as FUE and FUT, are alternative treatment options for hair growth. Studies show that FUE and FUT produce permanent results, making them more effective than medications like Minoxidil and Propecia.

Moreover, Plasma-rich-platelets (PRP) micro-needling is an advanced, cutting-edge hair restoration technique suitable for people with thinning hair. PRP slows down hair loss, strengthens hair follicles, repair damaged cells, regenerate tissues, and induce new hair growth. If you have alopecia, you can undergo PRP sessions to regrow your hair.

Final Words

Emotional trauma, health conditions, protein deficiency, hormonal changes, imbalanced dietary patterns, sedentary lifestyle, hair products, pregnancy, etc., are triggering points of hair loss in men and women.

Propecia and Minoxidil are widely used medications to treat hair loss and promote hair growth. Make sure you consult your health provider before using these medications to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Hair Transplant - FUE vs FUT

Research shows that androgenetic alopecia is the primary cause of hair loss in men, leading to 95% male pattern baldness in male individuals. The American Hair Loss Association reports that about 25% of men who have androgenetic alopecia lose their hair at a young age.

About 66% of men age 35 experience some degree of male pattern baldness, and about 85% of men experience thinning hair by the age of 50. Different hair loss treatments include medications, such as minoxidil and finasteride, low-level laser therapy, and hair transplant surgery.

Follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplant (FUT) are two common hair transplant surgical techniques. In today’s article, we will discuss FUE and FUT hair transplant procedures.

Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)

FUE is an effective hair transplant procedure that requires a surgeon to take hair follicles from your skin and move them to your body’s other parts where hair is thinning or absent. An experienced and qualified surgeon uses micro-punches for individual hair follicle extraction and moves them accurately, leaving no extraction signs behind.

You will see FUE hair transplant results in three to four months. A 2017 research study shows that FUE leads to 10-80% of the growth of the transplanted hair. Follicular Unit Extraction costs between $5,000 and 15,000 per session. Expect to pay up to $50,000 or more if you undergo multiple FUE sessions.

Although surgeons perform FUE hair transplants on the scalp, they can also do it for other body parts, including arms, legs, and genital area. Follicular Unit Extraction is an effective and safe hair transplant procedure with no or minor side effects, such as small white scars due to follicle extraction. Although the side effects are rare, some people may experience bruising, sensitivity, and inflammation.

Benefits of FUE

A 2019 research study highlights that FUE hair transplants have over 90% hair graft survival rates than other hair transplant methods. Because it follows the precision harvesting technique, it reduces trauma during the process of harvesting. Some of the benefits of FUE hair transplant are:

· Less visible scarring

· Minimum graft preparation

· A shorter recovery period

· Suitable for tight scalps

· No nerve injury risks

· Less bleeding

Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT)

A 2021 research report shows that hair loss affects 40% of women and 85% of men. Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) is a minimally invasive approach that focuses on covering bald spots on your scalp.

During the procedure, an experienced surgeon cuts a skin strip from your scalp with a width of no more than 0.6 inches. The surgeon removes the individual follicles from the strip and re-inserts them into your scalp.

Bear in mind that the FUT hair transplant procedure is relatively quicker than other transplant methods, including FUE surgery. The surgeon will give you local anesthesia to numb your scalp, meaning you will stay awake during the transplant procedure.

The average cost of the Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplant is between $5,000 and 10,000. However, the price depends on different factors, such as the amount of transplanted hair, surgeon’s experience, and clinic’s location.

Benefits of FUT

A recent study shows that people over 25 years of age are good candidates for follicular unit transplantation because hair loss patterns rarely occur in younger people. FUT is the best transplant procedure for men with Norwood hair loss patterns.

A growing body of research evidence shows that men with this hair loss pattern usually respond best to FUT. Besides, hair transplant surgeons recommend the FUT procedure for those who need a large number of follicles grafted.

The operation time is relatively shorter than FUE, and you can see the results in 8-15 months. However, your hair will mature, thicken, behave, and appear like your original hair, making it an effective hair transplant procedure. Other benefits of FUT surgery are:

· Higher follicular survival rates

· Manageable recovery period

· Effective results with natural hair appearance

· No additional scarring

Final Words

A surgeon removes singular hair follicles from your scalp’s back and sides and transplants them into the affected area during the FUE procedure. On the other hand, FUT surgery requires the surgeon to extract hair follicles with a skin strip, leaving behind a linear scar at your scalp’s back. FUE has a success rate of about 90%, whereas the FUT success rate is 95-98%, making both effective, reliable, and convenient procedures for people with hair loss problems.

Pros and Cons of having a Hairpiece or Toupee

Many men wear a hairpiece or toupee to cover their baldness. A toupee is an important hairpiece made of natural or synthetic hair. A toupee is also known as the partial wig because it helps men cover partial baldness.

Men's wigs are always in demand because of their natural-like appearance. Men use liquid glue or special two-sided tape to hold in place the toupee with existing hair, especially on the head's back and sides.

Although hairpieces and toupees are mainly designed and manufactured for men, some women also use them for hair lengthening purposes. In today's article, we will discuss the pros and cons of having a hairpiece or toupee for bald men. Read on!

Pros of Toupee or Hairpiece

Men wear a toupee to hide their male patterns baldness quickly and efficiently. Research shows that hairpieces are suitable for men of all ages. Toupees are known as the best hair systems because you can style them as you desire.

You can dye, color, perm, or wash your toupee or hairpiece without any problems. Besides, it gives your hair a realistic appearance by making your hair look thicker and beautiful. Unlike other hair applications, a hairpiece is lightweight, meaning you won't feel the load on your scalp.

Appear like Natural Hair

The most exciting thing about wearing a toupee is that your hair will appear naturally thick and gorgeous. A tape or glue is an essential accessory used to hold this hairpiece for a long time. You can even wear it for a month.

Men who wear toupees made of 100% human hair achieve a natural appearance. It won't interfere with your day-to-day activities. You can even go swimming while wearing a toupee.

Breathable and Undetectable

The toupee's base is thinner and breathable, making it a safe product for men. Besides, a hairpiece made of 100% human hair is undetectable on your scalp even when you or someone touches your hair.

If you have a sensitive skin and can't use other hair products, you can use a hairpiece made of natural hair. However it may still cause scalp irritation, redness, or skin allergies in the long run.

Cons of Toupee or Hairpiece

There are various benefits of wearing a toupee or hairpiece to cover your baldness or scalp-related conditions. However, it has a few downsides, such as some products are not comfortable for men and do not fit their scalps.

Unnatural Look

A hairpiece made of synthetic hair won't align well with your hair, meaning you won't achieve a natural look. The problem worsens when you perform certain activities like swimming because your hairpiece will come off quickly. Experts say that this often happens when one wears a synthetic toupee with low-quality glue.

High Maintenance

Although you can clean the hairpiece in the shower, you have to remove it and scrub it to maintain your hairpiece. The purpose is to clean your toupee inside out and remove all the accumulated oils and adhesives.

Some toupees or hairpieces are made of a durable base material, and you can wear them for a long time. Research shows that hairpieces with monofilament durability and polyurethane adhesion can be worn for 4-6 weeks.

However, after the time has passed, you have to remove the hairpiece and then clean up the product and your scalp. Because this requires time and effort, many men don't like to wear a toupee.

Final Words

Although there are some good quality toupees in the market today, we recommend consulting with your primary doctor or a qualified dermatologist to make sure your scalp is healthy and capable of carrying a hairpiece or toupee as well as to make sure it won’t damage your skin in the long run.