8 Common medications treatment to hair loss for men - 4

7. Estrogen for male

Topical estrogen is used by some to treat pattern hair loss.

Estrogens are indirect anti androgens, increasing the production of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and thus leading to a decrease in the bioactive free testosterone. SHBG, a glycoprotein synthesized by the liver, is the most important protein for androgen binding.

hair loss

The more potent androgens and estradiol are bound in the plasma to SHBG, although the binding affinities differ. Elevated testosterone causes SHBG synthesis to decrease, in addition to an increased activity of 5 alpha - Reductase, the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of testosterone to DHT. Estrogens increase Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and thus further decrease the amount of free testosterone.

Extensive clinical trials of the use of a topical estrogen preparation in subjects with androgenetic alopecia have been not been conducted as yet. However, one double-blind, controlled, 6-month trial of topical 0.025% 17 alpha - estradiol conducted with 51 men and women who had pattern alopecia showed a significant reduction in the percentage of telogen hairs along with stabilization of the hair loss. Although more than 70 percent of a topically applied preparation is metabolized to weak non-androgenic by-products, the absorption of topical estrogen can lead to decreased libido in men.

Topical estrogens are not generally available in North America, but they are being used in Europe and topical estrogen products are available from a number of pharmaceutical companies there. There seems to be some confusion over which estrogen formulation is best (as there are different types of estrogen) but it seems that estrogen application topically could help treat pattern baldness in both men and women.

8. Progesterone for male

Progesterone is a potential topical hormone for treating male pattern baldness.

Topical progesterone has been utilized widely, but has not been thoroughly tested in clinical studies. One study undertaken to ascertain the efficacy of the compound used topical progesterone (concentration and vehicle unnamed) for 10 to 48 months in 12 men, in the age group 18 to 39 years, with male pattern baldness. None of the subjects grew hair: 6 of them developed further thinning, and the other 6 had the same hair density.

Overall, topical progesterone has not been found to be of great value in treating androgenetic alopecia, but it can have a limited positive effect for some people.

Prev Page1234Next Page