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Hair News - March 2011 |
| Author: Karen Marie Shelton -
Copyright - All Rights Reserved |
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Date: March 21, 2011 |
Monday
March 21, 2011
Findings For Finasteride, Propecia, Proscar and Hair
Replacement Surgery For Baldness
A report released today by the American Society of
Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) found that 13,000 American men
had hair replacement surgery in 2010, up by 2 percent
from the previous year.
What accounts for the increase? In the past
dealing with baldness often involved taking Finasteride,
the prescription pill sold under brand names Propecia
and Prosecar. Although The National Institute of
Health reports it acts primarily by slowing hair loss
rather than creating new growth, it used to be a popular
option in place of surgery.
Unfortunately Finasteride has become controversial
due to a recent study which found that a small number of
men (71) reported sexual side effects after taking the
drug. 92 percent of the men reporting side effects
listed erectile dysfunction and loss of sex drive.
The LA Times pointed to a previous study by the
Finasteride manufacturer, Merck, which found only 8
percent of those taking the drug reported sexual side
effects.
CBS News added alarm to the new findings of sexual
side effects by reporting that the effects could last up
to three (3) years after discontinuation of the pills.
Men discovering the information about the side
effects of Finasteride decided they would rather risk
hair replacement surgery than potential sexual side
effects of the pills. Hair replacement surgery
involves moving a skin graft from a part of the scalp
with lots of hair to one that is thinning. This
surgery is now the fifth most common cosmetic plastic
surgical procedure in men.
Ironically, hair replacement surgery can have much
more severe side effects than the sexual side effects of
Finasteride.
The sexual side effects are a critical element of
several class action lawsuits that have been filed both
in the U.S. and Canada on behalf of male patients
alleging they weren't adequately warned about the
possible side effects of finasteride, both sexual and in
terms of mental health. The American Bar Association
Journal reports that Merck plans to vigorously defend
the lawsuit.
Esquire Magazine reports that last month, researchers
working at the University of Pennsylvania's School of
Medicine found that balding might be related to an issue
with stem-cells. Researchers found that patches of bald
scalp had the same number of stem cells as patches that
had more hair. This information offers hope for
those who are searching for a cure for baldness.
Social Media Network Information
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meeting new
people
from all walks of Twitter and learning from their Tweets. Visit us
at Hairboutique.com
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YouTube.
Thank you for visiting us at
The HairBoutique Blog
and for leaving your comments. They are very much appreciated. We
apologize in advance but must remove any direct advertisements or
solicitations.
Original Publication Date: 03/01/11 - Revised
Publication Date: 03/30/10
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