If you are going bald you should seriously consider hair loss medication treatments to halt or even reverse your hair loss. While there is no “Hair Loss Cure”, hair loss drugs like finasteride (Propecia) and dutasteride (Avodart) can often stop or even reverse alopecia areata in most people.

However, just like any other drug, Propecia is accompanied by a list of potential side effects, some of which have been more recently reported as potentially long term.  You can read more about this in the "What About Side Effects" section further down this page.

Studies have shown that 80% of men using Propecia stopped or even reversed their hair loss to some degree. Preliminary clinical trials for Avodart appear even more effective than Propecia.

However, neither Propecia nor Avodart has been proven to restore hair in the frontal areas. For reasons yet unknown these drugs, along with Rogaine, only generally work in regrowing thinning hair in crown area of the scalp. Only hair transplant surgery has been successful in restoring hair in the frontal hairline area once it has been lost.

Propecia and Avodart are also less effective in growing hair in older men. These hair loss drugs work best for men who have been balding for less than five years.

Women must NOT USE Propecia

Both Propecia and Avodart are not recommended for use by women or children.

It’s been found that these drugs can cause birth defects. More specifically, these birth defects may occur when large amounts of the drug are absorbed into the body during the period of foetal development.

Physicians advise pregnant women to not handle Propecia tablets, as this may harm male foetuses. But as of yet, there has not been a single reported case of birth defects caused by handling these tablets.

Furthermore, there’s also no evidence that pregnant women exposed to the semen of Propecia or Avodart patients will risk any birth defects.

Propecia and Avodart are also not advisable for men with liver disease or prostate cancer.

Get a Prescription for Propecia or Avodart.

Often our member physicians will prescribe Propecia or Avodart to halt a patient’s hair loss and then restore the hair already lost with hair transplant surgery. These treatments in combination can work synergistically. The drugs work to halt the hair loss, while hair restoration surgery restores what was lost.

To get a prescription for Propecia or Avodart schedule a free no obligation consultation with any of our quality hair restoration physicians. Find a physician in your area.

Propecia and Avodart should be taken once a day. It has been found that after two years of treatment, Propecia effectively grows hair in about 66% of patients. Also, about 83% of the subjects receiving this treatment continue to maintain their existing hair after two years.

Propecia (Finasteride) was originally a drug called Proscar, which was used to treat and reduce men's prostate conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Its parent company, Merck & Co., soon realized that the drug had a unique side effect - it grew hair on bald men's heads.

In December 22, 1997 the FDA approved Propecia as a hair loss pill. Merck & Co. then marketed the drug as a hair loss treatment under the trade name of Propecia.

More recently Dutasteride, sold as Avodart, has generated interest as a promising new hair loss medication. Like finasteride (Propecia) it inhibits the creation of DHT and was originally developed as a treatment for men’s prostate condition.

However, unlike Propecia, Avodart inhibits the creation of both type one and type two 5 alpha reductase enzymes. Dutasteride has been shown to decrease levels of DHT by 90% after only two weeks, making it a more powerful and faster acting weapon against hair loss than Propecia (Finasteride).

Dutasteride is not yet FDA approved for the treatment of hair loss. However, some hair restoration physicians also prescribe it for the treatment of hair loss. Like Propecia, Avodart is not safe for women and children.

Sticking with the program to see results

Losing your hair took time. So too will regrowing your hair using Propecia or Avodart. These drugs require patients to take the drug daily for at least three months before any obvious changes will be noticeable. Most physicians advise taking these drugs for a year before evaluating their effectiveness.

At this time, Propecia and Avodart are only available by prescription. Our member physicians are available to discuss these hair loss drugs with you and prescribe them if appropriate. To find a quality hair restoration physician in your area.

Other DHT Blockers

Aside from Propecia and Dutasteride, there are other treatment options (all topical) that may or may not work to block the effects of DHT on vulnerable hair follicles. These include Revivogen, Crinagen, Progesterone Creams, and Xandrox (a type of minoxidil). Other DHT Blockers

To learn more about these treatments, as well as all other topical options, visit our Topical Hair Loss Products and Treatments section.

How hair loss drugs inhibit DHT and Alopecia Areata

Baldness is largely the result of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) interacting with those hair follicles that are genetically vulnerable to their effects.

DHT is essentially the active ingredient or catalyst for the hair loss process. DHT binds with the receptor sites of genetically vulnerable follicles and gradually degrades the follicles ability to produce healthy hair. This eventually results in baldness in the affected areas.

Hair loss drugs like Propecia or Avodart work by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). By reducing the amount of DHT present in the scalp the hair loss process is slowed and in some cases even reversed.

What about side effects?

Up until a couple of years ago, side effects when taking Propecia or Avodart were only considered temporary. However, over the last several years, many me have reported ongoing side effects from Propecia even after stopping treatment.  This more permanent condition has become known as "Post Finasteride Syndrome" or (PFS). Side effects included but aren't limited to reduced semen production, a reduced libido and softer erections.

As a result, in April of 2012, the FDA mandated labeling changes to finasteride related products.  Labeling changes to Propecia include "libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders that continued after discontinuation of the drug".  Labeling changes to Proscar include "decreased libido that continued after discontinuation of the drug".  Labeling changes to both Propecia and Proscar include "reports of male infertility and/or poor semen quality that normalized or improved after drug discontinuation".

While most men don't experience any side effects at all, it should be known that a small percentage of men may experience persistent side effects even after stopping treatment.  Most men who experience side effects however, only experience them temporarily and stopping treatment makes them go away.

For a list of potential side effects and more information on Post Finasteride Syndrome", visit http://www.pfsfoundation.org/.

Is this hair loss treatment effective?

Extreme Hair Therapy (EXT) for thinning hair is a 5 "step" hair loss treatment solution created by Hair Club that claims not only to rejuvenate your hair, but "rejuvenate your life".  Making claims to be FDA approved, EXT claims to stimulate hair regrowth in thinning areas by keeping hair in the anagen (hair growth) phase longer.

Balding men and women seeking hair loss solutions should be careful to do their due diligence in researching all products they are considering.   Is this one of the hair loss products that really works to treat baldness?  Can Extreme Hair Therapy really deliver what it promises?

Below we take a look at each of the 5 “steps” and separate treatments and analyze whether or not EXT can remedy alopecia in men and women.

What is the 5 Step Process of Extreme Hair Therapy?

Step One: Moisturizing or Revitalizing Cleanser
This moisturizing shampoo is rich with vitamins and works to cleanse the scalp. Though it claims to revitalize and strengthen thinning hair, the ingredients are not listed on their website. Many hair rejuvenators and thickening agents (commonly referred to as volumizing shampoos) help to make hair appear thicker as they take on hydration and swell. Unfortunately, these thickening agents do nothing to stop the progression of male pattern baldness, even if it temporarily makes the hair shaft appear fatter.

Step Two: Enzyme Scalp Cleanser
Claiming to be a “new breakthrough”, this organic formula removes sebum oils that can sometimes hinder hair growth. Though sebum buildup, excessive dandruff, and scalp dermatitis are sometimes responsible for certain non-genetic types of balding such as diffuse alopecia or telogen effluvium, it does not promote androgenic alopecia (hereditary male or female hair loss).

Step Three: Energizing Conditioner
Adding nutrients such as proteins and wheat amino acids, this conditioner helps to promote a healthy scalp and hair growth. It should be noted that nothing in this step claims to stop hair loss or stimulate hair regrowth.

Step Four: Hair Revitalizing Complex
This dietary supplement containing Vitamins B3, D, and E, Biotin, saw palmetto and nettle root is taken twice daily, once in the morning and once at night. Some of these ingredients can also be found in several other hair loss products such as Provillus, Procerin, and Avacor.

Though some of these ingredients work to treat benign prostatic hyperplasis (BPH) in men by inhibiting DHT (the hormone responsible for female and male pattern baldness), no formal clinical studies have been performed on successful hair loss treatment. It should be noted that tocotrienol molecules in Vitamin E may effectively treat alopecia but its counterpart tocopherol (commonly found in alternative herbal hair loss treatments such as HairMax MD), is not supported.  Additionally, because there are no regulations on herbal medications in the United States, the daily recommended value and dosage in Extreme Hair Therapy is based on something other than FDA regulation.

Step Five: Minoxidil (2% or 5%)
Minoxidil (the active ingredient in Rogaine and Xandrox) is an FDA approved hair regrowth formula and is used by many balding men and women with great success. Because Extreme Hair Therapy includes this, they are legally allowed to claim it to be FDA approved.

Costs:

Unfortunately, this information is not available on the Hair Club website. Upon calling the toll free number for this information, we are told that we must schedule a consultation with a Hair Club specialist. Customer service representatives are apparently not provided with this information.

Side Effects and Warnings:

No EXT side effects are reported on the Hair Club website however, Minoxidil may cause scalp irritation or redness, chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, faintness, swelling of the hands and/or feet, and unwanted facial hair growth.  Be sure to discuss the use of herbal medication with your physician before taking them. Saw Palmetto should be avoided by pregnant women with hair loss.

Conclusions:

The only FDA proven ingredient in Hair Club’s Extreme Hair Therapy hair loss treatment is Minoxidil.  Though Saw Palmettoand nettle root may be effective in treating men with an enlarged prostate by inhibiting DHT, no formal tests have been performed on them.

Childbirth may result in hair loss. It's common for many women to notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This too, is caused by hormones. But this is not something to worry about. You see, during pregnancy, hair that normally falls out is kept in by high levels of hormones. Once the hormones have returned to pre-pregnancy levels, this extra hair falls out. The normal cycle of hair growth and loss then begins again.

One product you used to see quite often in advertising is Avacor. According to Response magazine, Avacor was the third best selling product on the Internet in April, 2002. Avacor was originally manufactured by Global Vision Products. After being taken over by new management, it is now being manufactured by Avacor Products LLC.

Like most products that advertise 'Stop Hair Loss and Regrow Hair!', Avacor contains the only FDA approved topical drug minoxidil. Avacor, like other products with similar claims, mixes FDA approved drugs in their generic form with other ingredients in a multiple regimen of products like shampoo, lotion and vitamins.

Avacor historically cost approximately $239 for a two to three month supply and over $1000 for a year’s worth.  New prices are much more reasonable which range from $180 for a 3 month supply to $400 for a year’s supply of the men’s and women’s formula. Note that the ingredients in Avacor can be bought over the counter at your local store at a fraction of the cost for which they are sold in Avacor. However, they do offer 24/7 customer service and a 90 day money back guarantee.

Marketing Practices

Avacor, like other products with similar claims, has taken a lot of slack over the years for their controversial marketing tactics. Avacor has a checkered past and has previously been the focus of lawsuits and investigative reporting by major media like ABC news. Recently however, new management has taken over and claims they are very serious about selling quality products at more reasonable prices, without the hype and controversial marketing strategies. In looking at their website, while Avacor still uses slick marketing language to promote their products, the vast majority of their claims are much more realistic.

Avacor includes 3 distinct products that claim to provide “total hair care”. This includes a 'Scalp Detoxifying Shampoo', a 'Physicians Topical Formulation' and finally a 'Nutricap'. Avacor's Nutricap ingredients consist mainly of common herbs like saw palmetto, gingko biloba, keratin, resveratrol, and bilberry. While conjectured to inhibit the production of DHT, none of these ingredients are FDA approved or proven to stop hair loss. Avacor’s Physician’s Topical Formulation however, does contain 5% of the FDA approved hair regrowth agent minoxidil.

Other than minoxidil, no other ingredient is proven to regrow hair. A number of studies have been done that suggest saw palmetto inhibits the production of DHT, like Propecia. But, unlike Propecia, it has never been proven to stop or reverse hair loss.

Avacor Products

Avacor admits on their website that the only product proven to regrow hair is the Avacor Physician’s formulation which includes the FDA approved ingredient minoxidil (5% for men and 2% for women). The other products claim to provide hair with the essential nutrients for healthy hair growth but are careful not to claim to prevent the progression of male or female pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). Perhaps this is why the Avacor Physician’s formulation can now be purchased separately. Costs of the Physician’s Formulation are still, but only a little more expensive than Rogaine topical hair loss treatment, one of the first and most popular topical minoxidil products.

The Avacor Study

At this time, Avacor’s proof comes in the form of the FDA approved study showing that minoxidil can stop and reverse hair loss.  No other study is provided with their product.  Their website also is much more realistic as to what their product line can accomplish for hair loss suffering consumers.

Confidence in Products and Services

Before you consider spending hundreds of dollars for any product or service, do a review. Legitimate products will have legitimate studies and have been reviewed on many quality websites. Doctors with real talent and satisfied patients will be able to show you dozens of photos and allow you to talk with past patients. Proven physicians will make available their resumes along with their formal education and associations they belong to.

It is always best to review a product or doctor for information on their background before you make a decision for something as important as hair loss and hair restoration.

Conclusion

At the very least, the Avacor Physician’s formulation will be as effective as the Rogaine liquid formula or generic minoxidil. However, to date, both Rogaine and generic minoxidil are more cost effective than Avacor.  The nutricap, shampoo, conditioner and other products may promote healthy hair and provide it with volume, but make no claims of stopping hair loss or regrowing hair.