Hey guy:
The big three is perhaps the most effective "non-experimental" treatment to date. It includes minoxidil (norm at 5%), Nizoral 2% and Finasteride (either proscar or Propecia). With Proscar, the tablets must be cut into 1/4's, as 1 tab of Propecia is 1 mg finasteride, whereas 1 tab of Proscar is 5 mg.
What does this do for hairloss? With Propecia, it inhibits 5-alpha reductase, an enzyme responsible for converting Testosterone in DHT at a systemic level. Research suggests that regular use of Propecia/Proscar will reduce systemic DHT by 90% and beyond. DHT is associated with male pattern baldness and is the "root" of the problem: perhaps the most powerful theory yet regarding male pattern baldness. Much research and long-term stats have verified the latter. It works.
Minoxidil is also a potent male pattern baldness treatment, offering the user the ability to not only stop, but maybe even to regrow some hair. Much research verifies the latter as well. The mechanism is still not as understood as we would like, but one hypothesis is that it reacts with nitrogen causing a favorable reaction in the hair follicle. Yet another says that it opens potassium channels in the hair follicle. It causes the hair follicles to enter, more actively, into "anagen", the phase of growth. So, with regular treatment, it "sparks" hair into being more active at any one time, so the hair that would normally be resting and shriveling up due to the causes of male pattern baldness standfast (ideally) and continue to actively grow. This combats the effects of male pattern baldness in that balding men slowly have less and less hair follicles actively growing (in anagen), and more and more sitting in telogen. Sometimes hair follicles stay in telogen for years.
Many people have at least stopped their hairloss with this product, as well as regrown hair. Combined with Propecia, it is a powerful treatment.
Then we have Nizoral. Nizoral is an anti-fungal hair shampoo that has been researched in peer reviewed journals regarding its effect on male pattern baldness. It is postulated that, from this research, Nizoral is a weak anti-DHT agent as well as an anti-inflammatory. Anti-inflammatory might help male pattern baldness in that, in some schools of thought, auto-immunity is implicated as one cause of male pattern baldness, where the body "tags" and attacks its own hair follicles. There are some problems with the latter, but inflammation has been shown to be present in men suffering from male pattern baldness in the top region where hairloss typically occurs. This can cause fibrosis in the skin, giving rise to the "shiney" look. In short, scar tissue forms, degrading the tissue resulting in little hope of having functional hair follicles again.
So, a multi-angeled problem combatted with a multi-angeled approach. I have personally seen excellent results from people using the above regime.
I would add copper peptides, as they can help with regrowth. As well as a multi-vitamin and MSM/L-Arginine. These supplements can and do speed hair and nail growth, helping your treatment.
My regime has changed a bit. I stay away from Propecia, as I think it caused negative reactions in my body. I now use a topical DHT inhibitor that shows favorable research (5% sprionalactone) with Xandrox (a blend of 5% minoxidil, Retin-A and Alzelaic Acid, another DHT inhibitor). I also use American Crew Copper Peptides that has Saw Palmetto (DHT inhibitor) and Green Tea in it (anti-inflammatory).
Think about Propecia seriously and ask yourself if you think it is a good idea to "erase" the hormone DHT from your body, that does play a role in bodily functions. I feel confident with my treatment and you do have options for topical anti-DHT treatments. I consider myself on the "Big 4", in that I have the heavy hitter spironolactone 5%, minoxidil, Nizoral 2% and Copper Peptides.
Other treatments that are more risky might be more effective, but they are risky. Dutasteride is another treatment you may see, as it inhibits 2 enzymes, they 2 enzymes responsible for DHT formation. This then, is perhaps more powerful in terms of inhibiting DHT than Propecia. I hear many mixed things about it.
