F.A.Q. About Propecia (Finasteride)

What is PROPECIA Ž? PROPECIAŽ is a medical breakthrough. The first pill that effectively treats male pattern hair loss on the vertex (at top of head) and anterior mid-scalp area. Does PROPECIAŽ really work? Based on vertex studies at 24 months of men 18 to 41 with mild to moderate hair loss, the clinical results of PROPECIAŽ are impressive: 83% maintained their hair based on hair count (vs. 28% with placebo), 66% had visible regrowth as rated by independent dermatologists (vs. 7% with placebo), 80 % were rated as improved by clinical doctors (vs. 47% with placebo), and most men reported an increase in the amount of hair, a decrease in hair loss, and improvement in appearance. Only a doctor can determine if PROPECIAŽ is right for you. PROPECIAŽ is for men only. Further, women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIAŽ and should not handle crushed or broken tablets because it may cause abnormalities of a male baby's sex organs. PROPECIAŽ tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling. You may need to take PROPECIAŽ daily for 3 months or more to see visible results. PROPECIAŽ may not regrow all your hair. And if you stop using this product, you will gradually lose the hair you have gained. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIAŽworks for recession at the temporal areas. If you haven't seen results after 12 months of using PROPECIAŽ, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit. Like all prescription products, PROPECIAŽ may cause side effects. In clinical studies, a very small number of men experienced certain side effects, such as: less desire for sex, difficulty in achieving an erection, and a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men. These side effects were reversible and went away in men who stopped taking the PROPECIAŽ. They also disappeared in most men (58%) who continued taking PROPECIAŽ. Taken once a day in tablet form, PROPECIAŽ is simple, easy, and -most important- clinically demonstrated to be effective in most men. PROPECIAŽ helps grow natural hair not just "peach fuzz" and is as convenient to take as a vitamin: one pill a day. Buy Cheapest Propecia How does PROPECIAŽ work? Scientist have recently discovered that men who suffer from male pattern hair loss have an increased level of a substance called DHT in their scalps. PROPECIAŽ blocks the formation of DHT and in this way appears to interrupt a key factor in the development of male pattern hair loss in men. Most important, PROPECIA Ž helps grow natural hair, not just "peach fuzz," and is as convenient to take as a vitamin: one pill a day. What is DHT? DHT is one of many male hormones in the body. DHT is developmentally important early in a man's life; however, it appears to be a cause of hair loss as men get older. DHT shrinks the hair follicle until it no longer produces visible hair. Who should not take PROPECIAŽ? PROPECIAŽis for the treatment of male pattern hair loss in MEN ONLY. Further, women who are or may potentially be pregnant must not use PROPECIAŽ and should not handle crushed or broken tablets of PROPECIAŽ because it may cause abnormalities of a male baby's sex organs. PROPECIAŽ tablets are coated and will prevent contact with the active ingredient during normal handling. Does PROPECIAŽ work for all men? At the conclusion of a 24-month study of men age 18 to 41 with mild to moderate hair loss at the top of the head, 83% treated with PROPECIAŽ maintained their hair as determined by hair count (vs. 28% with placebo). Most men reported an increase in the amount of hair, a decrease in hair loss, and improvement in appearance. Although results will vary, generally men will not be able to grow back all of the hair they have lost. Will PROPECIA work for me? For most men, PROPECIA increases the number of scalp hairs in the first year of treatment, helping to fill in thin or balding areas of the scalp. In addition, men taking PROPECIA may note a slowing of hair loss. Although results will vary, generally you will not be able to grow back all of the hair you have lost. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIA works in the treatment of receding hairline in the temporal area on both sides of the head. Male pattern hair loss occurs gradually over time. On average, healthy hair grows only about half an inch each month. Therefore, it will take time to see any effect. You may need to take PROPECIA daily for three months or more before you see a benefit from taking PROPECIA. PROPECIA can only work over the long term if you continue taking it. If the drug has not worked for you in twelve months, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit. If you stop taking PROPECIA, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment. You should discuss this with your doctor. PROPECIA is not effective in the treatment of hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia in postmenopausal women. PROPECIA should not be taken by women. Can PROPECIAŽ help maintain my hair count? PROPECIAŽ is proven to maintain hair count in most men. It's the medical breakthrough men have been waiting for. In clinical studies, hair count was maintained in men taking PROPECIAŽ, while men taking a placebo (a pill with no medication) continued to show progressive hair loss. Imagine looking in the mirror two years from now and seeing essentially the same amount of hair you saw this morning! Now, PROPECIAŽ makes this possible for the vast majority of men. Buy Cheapest Propecia Can PROPECIAŽ increase as well as maintain my hair count? At 24 months, 66% of the men in our studies regrew hair at the top of the head (vs. 7% with placebo) as determined by an expert panel of dermatologists. An assessment by the study investigators rated 80% of men on PROPECIAŽ as improved (vs. 47% with placebo). This was not just "peach fuzz", but real hair and growth occurred on both the vertex (at top of the head) and anterior mid-scalp area. There is not sufficient evidence that PROPECIAŽ works for recession at the temporal areas. How long will it take for PROPECIAŽ to work? PROPECIAŽ begins to block the formation of DHT almost immediately; however, because hair grows slowly, visible results from PROPECIA Ž take some time. In clinical trials, most men began to see the first benefit of PROPECIAŽ slowing hair loss as early as 3 months. After 6 months, men may begin to experience regrowth. If PROPECIAŽ does not work within 12 months, further treatment is unlikely to be of benefit. How long do I have to take PROPECIAŽ? You need to take PROPECIAŽ for as long as you want to continue to benefit from use. If you stop taking PROPECIAŽ, you will likely lose any hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment. What about long-term use of PROPECIAŽ? PROPECIAŽ has been tested for 2 years in clinical studies of 1,200 men. Does PROPECIAŽ have any side effects? Like all prescription drugs, PROPECIAŽ may cause side effects. In clinical studies, side effects from PROPECIAŽ were uncommon and did not affect most men. A very small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects, such as: less desire for sex; difficulty in achieving an erection; and a decrease in the amount of semen. Each of these side effects occurred in less than 2% of men. These side effects were reversible and went away in men who stopped taking PROPECIAŽ. These side effects also disappeared in most men (58%) who continued taking PROPECIAŽ. If a man is taking PROPECIAŽ, is it present in his semen? What effect does PROPECIAŽ have on semen? Semen levels have been measured in 35 men taking PROPECIAŽ daily for 6 months. In 60% of the samples, PROPECIAŽ levels were undetectable. The mean PROPECIAŽ level was 0.26 ng/mL, and the highest level measured was 1.52 ng/mL. Using the highest semen level measured and assuming 100% absorption from a 5 mL ejaculate per day volume, human exposure through vaginal absorption would be 750 times lower than the exposure from the no-effect dose for developmental abnormalities in male Rhesus monkeys. There were no developmental abnormalities seen in male Rhesus monkey fetuses when PROPECIA Ž was given intravenously (into the blood stream) to pregnant Rhesus monkeys at 750 times the estimated exposure of pregnant women from men taking 1 mg/day. You should discuss this with your doctor and follow your doctor's instructions.  How does PROPECIAŽ compare with other products available for the treatment of hair loss? PROPECIAŽ is the only pill indicated for male pattern hair loss. Merck has not conducted clinical trials comparing PROPECIAŽ with other medicines and therefore cannot make any comments. You should discuss this issue with your doctor. How is PROPECIAŽ supplied? PROPECIAŽ is available as a 1-mg tablet. This tablet is tan in color and is octagonal (has eight sides), film-coated, rounded, somewhat elevated surface. Each PROPECIAŽ tablet is marked with a code of MRK 71 on one side and PROPECIAŽ 1 on the other. The tablets are supplied as individual bottles of 30 tablets and in PRO PAK"! , a carton of 3 bottles each containing 30 tablets for a total of 90 tablets. How should I take PROPECIAŽ? The recommended dosage for PROPECIAŽ in men with male pattern hair loss is a single 1-mg tablet taken by mouth once a day. PROPECIAŽ may be taken with or without meals. You may need to take PROPECIAŽ daily for three or more months before you see a benefit from taking PROPECIAŽ. PROPECIA Ž can only work over the long term if you continue taking it. Continued use is recommended to obtain maximum benefit. If you stop taking PROPECIAŽ, you will likely lose the hair you have gained within 12 months of stopping treatment. You should discuss this with your doctor, and follow your doctor's instructions. Buy Cheapest Propecia