Research some years ago had good news for balding men as it showed that the real difference between balding men and men with a normal head of hair was that the balding men had high levels of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone in their scalps especially where the hair loss occurred and the other did not.  This was the breakthrough that meant that the actual cause of male pattern balding was known and it made it possible for more research to find a cure and remedy for the problem.

Eventually drugs were formulated after millions of dollars of research that prevented the build up of the dihydrotestosterone and men started to gain some form of hope that they would not lose all of their hair after all. The first drug was minoxidil that comes in the form of a liquid that men can apply directly to their scalps and later another drug called finasteride was developed that is taken orally and again prevents the build up of DHT in the scalp.

There is no doubt that men worry a lot about their hair loss and with the condition affecting around 50% of all men around the world there is a huge market for remedies. The most successful clinical drug to date for the restoration of hair caused by male pattern baldness is with a doubt Propecia with over 80% of men reporting positive effects when taking it.  Minoxidil has good results too and when the drugs are taken together the best results are seen.

Merck who manufacture the hair loss drug Propecia have made millions from the drug and they should continue to do so. Propecia requires a prescription as there are some side effects that need to be explained and in some cases it will not work. Women are expressly forbidden to take Propecia as it can damage the development of an unborn child.