An Editorial review of the Propecia 5 year results. We've all heard the story time and again. "Propecia maintains hair in 83% of men in a two year clinical trial for those who took 1mg daily". For over three years we've all wondered exactly how long Propecia could maintain that level of success, as the clinical trials continued without so much as a peep from Merck or the FDA. Now the 5 year results are in..
Well finally the pharmaceutical giant has spoken. For the complete article including specifics on the numbers and the incidence of side effects found after 5 years, please view the PROPECIA 5 YEAR RESULTS article.
Some men were on Propecia. Some men took a placebo (pill with no active ingredient in it). After five years, the men who had been on Propecia had an average of 277 more hairs in a 1 inch diameter circle area than those who were on the placebo. Reviewing the results from that viewpoint shows Propecia to be a complete success, and compared to no treatment at all, it has shown itself to still be the most effective clinically proven treatment around for maintaining hair count - now for at least 5 years.
But let's look at this from another angle. Comparing to Placebo (no treatment at all) is a piece of cake. Clearly placebo users are going to decline. What about the performance of those on Propecia though, from year to year? How did their status progress or decline as time rolled on, and the pills were popped?
After the first year of treatment, those that did regrow hair did so with an average of over 90 hairs in the specified area. By year two, that newly grown hair decreased to an average of 80. By year three, the new hair they had grown decreased in count to around 60. By year four it decreased to around 40 hairs. By the fifth year, the hair that Propecia had grown
If nothing else, Propecia continues to hold the title as the best possible treatment for long term maintenance of hair. No other hair loss treatment has been tested so rigorously and for such a long period of time, ever.
For younger men just starting to lose their hair, these 5 year results are exciting news. Men just starting to lose hair today are the first men in the history of the human race to keep a full head of hair when they should have otherwise gone bald. With Dutasteride in the pipeline, and several other potentials being researched, this 5 years of maintenance and slight growth for the majority of Propecia users is nothing but good news. Buying time has always been the name of the game.
For those who are looking to regrow, a combination treatment of Propecia, Nizoral, Rogaine, and Tricomin are the best possible options available, with clinical backing.
