While there’s no cure for male pattern baldness, there are medicines available that are proven to slow the rate of loss and often encourage the hair follicles to grow hair again.

One option is Finasteride, which works by lowering the levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which has a harmful effect on follicles. When taken every day, this medication prevents the hair follicle from thinning over time and slows down the effects of hair loss. It also manages to successfully produce hair growth in 86% of people who take it every day.

The term hair loss is usually used to describe losing an excessive amount of hair from your scalp, to the point where it’s either very thin, you notice bald patches or your hairline starts to recede (from a loss of hair at the front). Everyone loses their hair each and every day, with the standard amount being between 50 and 100 hairs per day, however sometimes this can be sped up, to the point where you’re losing hair faster than new ones can grow, or maybe new ones simply aren’t growing at all to replenish the lost ones.

As a medical condition in itself, this is nothing to worry about. It causes no other issues and is just a natural process in the body, however it can often be upsetting. It can lead people, particularly men, to feel self-conscious and because of this, many men choose to treat their hair loss rather than let it continue at its natural rate.

Finasteride is an effective drug used in the treatment of male pattern baldness. It is the generic version of the well-known hair loss treatment Propecia.

While effectiveness varies from patient to patient, clinical studies have shown that after 5 years of use, approximately 90% of men taking Finasteride will either have more hair, or the same amount of hair as they had at the start of treatment. In comparison, only 25% of men who did not take Finasteride has more or the same amount of hair.

It will usually take at least 2 months for you to notice an effect from taking Finasteride. Hair regrowth can occur for up to 2 years after starting the medication.