Hello,

Thanks for writing to us.

I understand the concern regarding your ongoing hair loss.

From the above presentation and treatment I assume the diagnosis made is of Androgenic pattern hair loss. Two medications are approved to treat male pattern baldness:
1) Minoxidil: is a solution that you apply directly to the scalp to stimulate the hair follicles. It slows hair loss for many men, and some men grow new hair. Hair loss returns when you stop using this medicine.
2) Finasteride: is a pill that interferes with the production of a certain male hormone linked to baldness. Hair loss returns when you stop using this medicine.

There are a number of other therapies available too, however none of them have been proved to be effective or are FDA approved.

So you are definitely in the correct path. However what you have to understand that a genetic pattern hair-loss will never have a complete cure. It takes anything between 3-6 months to start seeing new hair growth to cover the existing thinned areas. This is because , by the time you have started the therapy, a lot of hair has already shifted to the telogen(shedding )phase and is not possible to revert them.

You can add on Ketoconazole shampoo 2% thrice weekly to shampoo your hair. Ketoconazole shampoo is frequently used as an adjunct to other hair loss treatments. It is a mild anti-androgen that may possibly block DHT (the hormone that causes hair loss) at the scalp. The shampoo itself also helps maintain a healthy scalp, which is important when treating hair loss.

As for Finasteride, I would say you should talk about it with your dermatologist in your follow-up visit as this can also help a lot in hair loss. Some dermatologists do not prefer starting it right away as there are chances of a few unwanted side-effects of finasteride. But if the responses to other medicines are not good, this is worth starting.

I will be happy to answer any follow up query you have.

Wish you good health.
DR.TANUSHREE BISWAS

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Thanks for following up.

You are right. The medicines Glycomet is used to control blood sugar level.
It also prescribed if there is a suspected 'insulin resistance' in the body. Insulin resistance means that the target cells in the body not responding to insulin secreted. This leads to inadequate action of insulin in human body followed not only by raised blood sugar level, but also other metabolic actions of insulin are hampered. In many, this leads to weight gain. Since over-weight /obesity is linked with hair loss, this is improved my metformin, which sensitizes the body to insulin secreted.
I assume this is why it was prescribed. If you feel any of this does not apply to you, you can definitely ask your dermatologist about the role of Metformin in hair loss.
Acnonac is a combination medicine, works as anti-oxidant. It is prescribed by many physicians as an adjunct to treatments.
As for milk, some believe that milk and dairy products lead to a stimulation of hormones causing hair loss in male pattern baldness. This has not been proven convincingly by research; however some dermatologists prefer a restriction on milk intake.
For the method of treatment to be followed, both homeopathy and allopathy will have their limitations for genetically pre-determined disorders. Androgenic hair loss is one of them. Results will be sustained by both till you take the therapy and you start losing benefits if you stop. But with proper treatments, many achieve a good level of correction and are able to maintain them as well!
So whatever method you follow, the key to optimum results is persistence with the therapy.
Do not worry. You have begun with the therapy; hence my advice would be to follow it at least for 6 months before you think about alternatives.

If you do not have any further clarifications, you may close this and rate the answer.
Wishing you good health,
DR.TANUSHREE BISWAS

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Hi,

Thanks for the follow-up.

You are absolutely right about the information regarding Finasteride and its mode of action. I think you should discuss about starting this on your follow up with your dermatologist.

Glycomet helps you to improve insulin sensitivity and hence control obesity /over weight. Abdominal obesity is related to increased levels of DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) in the body and scalp. Hence weight control contributes to overall improvement by limiting DHT in the body. I suggest you that you do not stop taking this before consulting you dermatologist who prescribed this.

If you do not have any further clarifications, you may close this and rate the answer.

Wishing you good health,

DR.TANUSHREE BISWAS

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Hi,

a )Your Body Mass Index is 25.3.
So you fall under being overweight (Range: 25–29.9).Good time to start weight control measures as this might gradually rise.

b) Since the basis of Androgenetic Alopecia is genetically pre-determined, we cannot predict the correction/advancement with time. Once hair loss has started, it takes a lot of time to regrow hair. Hence we should not loose valuable time for therapy.

c) Saw palmetto has been propagated as a natural alternative to finasteride. It is present in many oral medicines /multivitamin combinations to control hair loss. However, there are no proper comparative studies to show that saw palmetto is more or equally efficacious than finasteride.

Hope this is helpful. Wish you all the best,

DR.TANUSHREE BISWAS

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