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Baldness remedies - what works and what doesn't?
Written by Colin Brennan, health journalist
Is it safe?
Minoxidil is a safe treatment. Known side-effects include irritation of the scalp and the growth of hair on other parts of the body.
In some cases, loss of hair actually increases at first. If hair loss continues after two weeks, you should stop using the product and consult your doctor.
People with heart conditions should not use Regaine without first seeing their GP.
Finasteride
Finasteride is an oral tablet treatment for male baldness. In the UK its brand name is Propecia.
It is not available over the counter in shops or on the NHS: this means you will need to get a private prescription from your GP.
DHT is a hormone that can damage hair follicles and lead to hair loss in men who are genetically sensitive to it.
How is it used?
Is it effective?
It may take three to six months of treatment before you see any noticeable results.
How long do the effects last?
This can be expensive, because doctors can only prescribe the medicine on a private prescription.
If you stop taking the drug, you are likely to lose any hair you have gained within 9 to 12 months.
How much does it cost?
Is it safe?
Women cannot take this treatment, nor should they handle any crushed or broken tablets. This is because the active ingredient can cause feminisation of a male foetus in pregnancy.
What if these treatments don't work?
In cases where medicines aren't effective, some men may be tempted to try a hair graft.
Hair replacement grafts
Is it effective?
How much does it cost?
Is it safe?
There is no known way of reversing this procedure, so if you aren't pleased with the results, you're stuck with it. The transplanted hairs will grow on in the same way as the hairs at the back of the head, which most men keep forever.
'I wouldn't recommend surgery hair grafts to anybody. I would let men know it's available, but that's all. I certainly wouldn't have it done myself. It is pretty bloody and traumatic,' says Dr Messenger.
What about claims for other products?
'Many of these people are offering treatments that have no scientific basis. Men wishing to restore their hair should stay well clear of them and get advice from doctors. Then they will be advised by people who are highly trained in their field, not salesmen with no medical background whatsoever.'
He also feels that men seeking help should be supported, given counselling and not belittled.
Buyer beware
'We hear of so many unsatisfactory transplants that we no longer recommend them,' she says.
'We advise our members to stay away from private clinics to avoid losing their money as well as their hair. It is just money down the drain.
'Some men have told me they knew the exotic and expensive remedies they were given weren't going to work, but they just wanted to enjoy the temporary light at the end of the tunnel.'
Her organisation has given impartial advice to more than 30,000 men worried about their hair falling out. Elizabeth says thinning hair can leave men very vulnerable: in one case, a successful 40-year-old father of two took his own life after a hair transplant went wrong.
Where can I get help?
You take one tablet every day, with or without
food.
Propecia is effective in about 80 per cent of men.
You will need to continue to use Propecia to maintain any benefits to hair growth.
The cost of treatment is around £35 per month.
Yes. Potential side-effects include sexual problems such as a decrease in sex drive and temporary impotence.
There are no other clinically proven medicines for baldness.
'A good result depends entirely on the surgeon's skill,' says Dr Messenger. 'I have seen some fairly good results but I don't think it ever looks completely natural.'
Usually between £1500 and £4000.
The side-effects are the usual surgical risks of infection and scarring.
Dr David Fenton, a consultant dermatologist at St Thomas' Hospital in London, says men should be careful about adverts that claim to cure hair loss.
Elizabeth Steel founded the support group Hairline International for both men and women after she lost her own hair.
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