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Recently voted "One of the World’s Best" Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
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Propecia may be the answer if you are suffering from thinning hair or you just want to maintain your current amount of hair.
Balding…Thinning Hair. It’s a fact of aging, but does it have to be inevitable? Is there a way to slow down or even recapture some hair that has been lost? The answer is yes, with propecia.
The fact is that men and women can be affected by thinning hair. Sometimes it can start in your twenties. You see a few hairs on your brush, comb or in the shower. But hey, you’re young so you may think “what’s the worry?” The fact is that this may be a sign of thinning hair. Wouldn’t it make more sense to try and keep the hair that you have now...and if there was a simple treatment/remedy for hair loss and thinning hair wouldn’t you want to learn more about that treatment?
The following information is offered as educational material only. Dr. Francis Palmer has no affiliation with propecia or Merck Pharmaceutical. Dr. Francis Palmer a Beverly Hills Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon, has been in private practice in Beverly Hills for 16 years and has performed many hair transplant surgeries as well as scalp reductions for the treatment of male pattern baldness and hair loss. While hair transplants are a viable solution for baldness and hair loss, both in women and men, treatments like propecia have a very real and clear indication as well both before and after hair transplantation in men. Propecia is being used by young men as a preventative measure to avoid hair loss as well as after hair transplants have been performed to help keep from loosing additional hair. Propecia can not be used in children or women.
The following useful information is provided by the website on Propecia.
hair loss…can it happen to you?
The chances are yes! Some form of thinning hair, has been reported in about 50% of men in the United States by the age of 50. Obviously hair loss and thinning hair is a common problem with many men. In fact, in a nationwide survey of single, balding men, the biggest appearance-related concern was hair loss. Hair loss can begin in your teens, 20s, or 30s, and by the time you notice it, 50% of your hair may already be gone. So if you’re worried about it, you’re not alone.
What causes male pattern hair loss?
Scientists believe DHT and family history are key factors in hair loss.
What is DHT, you ask? It’s a substance found in your body that can shrink the hair follicle until it no longer produces visible hair. In men with a family history of hair loss, DHT is believed to contribute to the progressive shrinking of hair follicles and a decrease in the number of visible hairs.
In short, if you have a family history of hair loss on either side of your family, you may have an increased risk for male pattern hair loss.
How does PROPECIA work?
PROPECIA works on a key cause of hair loss by significantly reducing the amount of DHT.

Specifically, PROPECIA blocks the formation of DHT in your scalp. Lowering DHT appears to inhibit the further shrinking of affected hair follicles.
The good news is that PROPECIA helps regrow visible hair and reduces further hair loss. It is, in fact, the first and only FDA-approved pill proven to treat male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area (middle front of head) in men. (See Figure 1.)
The effectiveness of PROPECIA was demonstrated in studies of men, aged 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss at the top and middle front of the head. There is no evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at the temples.
PROPECIA is for MEN ONLY and should not be taken by women or children.
When should I start PROPECIA?
Five years of clinical data with PROPECIA show the sooner, the better.
If you have male pattern hair loss, the sooner you get started on PROPECIA, the more hair you may have later. In fact, in the longest reported controlled study of male pattern hair loss ever conducted, men who were started on a placebo (sugar pill) and then placed on PROPECIA 1 year later never caught up to the men who were on PROPECIA for the full 5 years.
If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.
In the first year of the study, 86% (584 out of 679) of the men on PROPECIA maintained hair or increased the number of visible hairs vs 42% (282 out of 672) of the men on placebo.
PROPECIA is the first and only FDA-approved pill used for the treatment of male pattern hair loss on the vertex (top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area (middle front of head). There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at the temples. PROPECIA is for use by MEN ONLY and should NOT be used by women or children.
Women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA and should not handle crushed or broken PROPECIA tablets because the active ingredient may cause abnormalities of a male baby’s sex organs. If a woman who is pregnant comes into contact with the active ingredient in PROPECIA, a doctor should be consulted. PROPECIA tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling, provided that the tablets are not broken or crushed.
How much does PROPECIA cost?
PROPECIA is available by prescription only. Because prices vary among pharmacies, including those on the Internet, we encourage you to shop around when you fill your prescription. Ask your doctor about PROPECIA today. Also ask your doctor about PROPAK®, a convenient 90-day supply of PROPECIA.
Is there scientific evidence that PROPECIA works?
A 5-year clinical study demonstrated the effectiveness of PROPECIA.
- 9 out of 10 men on PROPECIA had visible results (either regrowth of hair, 48% [134 out of 279], or no further hair loss, 42% [117 out of 279]) vs 25% (4 out of 16) on placebo (sugar pill), according to an assessment of photographs by an independent panel of dermatologists.
- 2 out of 3 men on PROPECIA regrew hair, as measured by hair count. All the men in the study who were not taking PROPECIA lost hair.
- A majority of men on PROPECIA were rated as improved by doctors: 77% (210 out of 271) vs 15% (2 out of 13) with placebo.
- A majority of men on PROPECIA reported their bald spot getting smaller, their hair loss slowing down, and the appearance of their hair improving.
What’s more, in the first year of the study, 86% (587 out of 679) of men on PROPECIA maintained hair or increased the number of visible hairs vs 42% (282 out of 672) on placebo.
PROPECIA is for MEN ONLY.
Further treatment is unlikely to help if the drug has not worked within 12 months. If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.
How effective is PROPECIA at regrowing hair?
2 out of 3 men on PROPECIA regrew hair, as measured by hair count.
Simply put, all men on the placebo (sugar pill) lost hair by the end of the 5-year study.
On the other hand, most men (2 out of 3) on PROPECIA gained hair at the end of the 5-year study.
By the end of the study, there was an average difference of 277 hairs in a test spot (1-inch circle on top of head) between men on PROPECIA and men on placebo.
Throughout the 5-year study, the difference between the 2 groups increased. The maximum increase in hair count with PROPECIA occurred in the first 2 years of the study.
Women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA and should not handle crushed or broken PROPECIA tablets because the active ingredient may cause abnormalities of a male baby’s sex organs. If a woman who is pregnant comes into contact with the active ingredient in PROPECIA, a doctor should be consulted. PROPECIA tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling, provided that the tablets are not broken or crushed.
Will there be a visible difference if I stay on PROPECIA?
9 out of 10 patients on PROPECIA had visible results (maintenance or improvement) according to photographic assessments by an independent panel of dermatologists.
An expert panel of dermatologists determined that 90% (251 out of 279) of men on PROPECIA at 5 years had improvement or no visible hair loss vs 25% (4 out of 16) on placebo (sugar pill).
Further treatment is unlikely to help if the drug has not worked within 12 months.
Will I grow natural-looking hair?
A study showed that hair grew in thicker and/or faster.
PROPECIA grows natural hair, not just ”peach fuzz.”
At the end of a 4-year study, there was an increase in the weight of hair samples taken from the men on PROPECIA compared to hair samples taken from the men on a placebo (sugar pill).
The effectiveness of PROPECIA was demonstrated in studies of men, aged 18 to 41, with mild to moderate hair loss at the top and middle front of the head. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works for receding hairlines at the temples.
How fast can PROPECIA work, and how long should I continue taking it?
You may see less hair loss in as little as 3 months.
You will need to take PROPECIA for as long as you want to grow or maintain your hair.
If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment.
What are the side effects of PROPECIA, and how often do they occur?
Clinical studies showed that side effects were uncommon and did not affect most men.
A small number of men had sexual side effects, with each occurring in less than 2% of men. These included less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen. These side effects went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIA because of them. In addition, these side effects decreased to 0.3% or less by the fifth year of treatment.
In general use, the following side effects have been reported: allergic reactions including rash, itching, hives, and swelling of the lips and face; problems with ejaculation; breast tenderness and enlargement; and testicular pain. You should promptly report to your doctor any changes in your breasts such as lumps, pain, or nipple discharge. Tell your doctor about these or any other side effects.
Can I take PROPECIA if my wife and I are starting a family?
Contact with the semen from a man being treated with PROPECIA is not a risk to the unborn child of a pregnant woman.
Yes, you can take PROPECIA if you and your wife are trying to conceive or if your wife is currently pregnant. However, women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIA and should not handle crushed or broken tablets of PROPECIA because doing so may cause abnormalities of a male baby’s sex organs.
PROPECIA is for MEN ONLY.
PROPECIA tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling, provided that the tablets have not been broken or crushed.
Additional information may be obtained from Merck Pharmaceutical or from the Propecia website.
Dr. Francis Palmer is happy to discuss whether you are a suitable candidate for Propecia during your consultation. We offer additional Hair loss and thinning hair treatments such as Scalp Reductions and Hair Transplants may also be used as a treatment for hair loss and thinning hair in men and women. If you are interested in treating hair loss…be sure that you get the very best….experience and knowledge does matter….Contact Dr. Francis Palmer
If you live in California, Orange County, San Fransico, San Diego, Newport Beach or right here in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills...our office is convieniently located to all of Los Angeles in Beverly Hills.
No matter where you live in Los Angeles, visiting us is easy. Our office in Los Angeles (Beverly Hills) is freeway close to all the major Los Angeles freeways so getting here for the treatment of your hair loss or thinning hair is easy. Come visit our Los Angels (Beverly Hills) office today for your consultation. Come see us today!
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