Hair Thinning Men

There are two main drugs effective at stopping hair thinning and hair loss, and in some cases, these hair loss medications grow hair.

• Propecia
  Propecia (Finasteride) is a drug approved for hair thinning and hair loss in men.  Propecia reduces the body’s production of dehydrotestosterone or DHT, an androgen that is elevated in men with hair thinning and hair loss and that is thought to be the cause of hair loss. Propecia was developed to treat the scalp vertex (crown) and anterior mid-scalp (the middle and front of head). Propecia is NOT approved for use in women with hair loss because the active ingredient may cause abnormalities of a male baby’s sex organs. Propecia is available by prescription only.

  If Propecia is stopped, your hair loss will return to its normal rate of loss.

  Read more about Propecia.

• Minoxidil
  Minoxidil (sold as Rogaine or Regaine), is a hair loss medication in ointment form applied to the scalp daily that slows or stops hair loss and hair thinning and promotes hair growth. One study of men aged 18–50 years with hair loss  (male pattern baldness) found that those who applied a 5% solution of Minoxidil for 32 weeks increased their non-vellus hair counts by an average of 39 hairs/cm², in contrast to 5 hairs/cm² in subjects who received a placebo.

  If Minoxidil is stopped, your hair loss will return to its normal rate of loss.

  Learn more about Minoxidil.