Reviewed & Updated: October 2024
Not all HRBR patients require hair transplant surgery in order to treat their hair loss. We treat many patients with medical treatments for male pattern baldness; often with a combination of Minoxidil and an FDA approved medicine. Each patient’s exact treatment plan is devised during a consultation with one of our expert hair loss doctors. We recently received a testimonial from a patient who our doctors have been treating at HRBR since 2005. He has followed our treatment program of Minoxidil (Regaine), Nizoral shampoo and an FDA approved medicine for over 10 years. He has asked us to share his experience.
Hair loss treatment with Minoxidil and Medicine results after 10 years.
The photo on the left shows the patient in 2005, the photo on the right is the same patient in 2015. This patient has a family history of hair loss and noticed his hair thinning in his early twenties. The doctors at HRBR recommended non-invasive treatment with the goal of getting the patient through his 30’s maintaining the hair he has, as that was the patient’s wish. At HRBR we realise the importance of understanding how the patient feels about their hair loss, as this is a key factor in devising a treatment plan. There is no one size fits all.
Who is suitable for this type of treatment?
As a rule of thumb, if you are worried about hair loss the earlier you come to speak to us the better. This may give you more options for dealing with your hair loss. In general, medical treatment is believed to be more effective in the 18-41 age group, but exceptions exist and significant benefits from these medications are frequently seen outside this age group. As this patient says
For younger men preventative treatment can be very effective as it has been for me over the past decade and while it is not a cure and will eventually wear off it can be a non-invasive way to manage the issue while you consider other options and how you really feel about hair loss.
At HRBR one of our expert medical team will assess your hair loss and discuss your concerns, before recommending a treatment plan. We do not employ salespeople, your consultation will be with a medical doctor, with specific expertise in hair loss.
What is the FDA approved medicine?
The medical treatment for hair loss is an oral prescription medication which blocks the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the form of the hormone that causes male pattern baldness.
The medication inhibits the action of the type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme that is present in higher concentration in and around the hair follicles of balding men with androgenetic alopecia. After two years, results showed that 83% of the men taking the medication either kept their hair or grew more. Seventeen percent continued to lose hair while taking the medication.
What Brought this Patient to HRBR?
This patient, like many men experiencing hair loss, turned to the internet for information and in his own words he “got lost in the mixture of truth, half-truth, science and complete nonsense” that he found online. He subsequently ended up at a well-advertised clinic that had a famous sportsperson as its spokesman. Here is what he had to say about that experience.
My experience here immediately focused on me considering a menu of shampoos, laser combs and hair systems (modern toupees) and little was done to explain what was happening me medically or how I even felt about losing my hair. There was certainly no mention of possible preventative treatment that might manage the issue. The climax of the experience was being left alone in a room to watch a carefully constructed video that aimed at manipulating my insecurity about hair loss and I assume lead me to sign up to one of their treatments.
Read about this patient’s experience, from the time he first noticed his hair loss, to a visit to a sales led hair clinic and finally to his experience at HRBR over the past 10 years.
Is this a Permanent Solution for Hair Loss?
Many patients ask what the results of medical treatments for hair loss will be years later. The medical treatments can be effective in slowing down the hair loss process, however, for most men the effectiveness of the treatment will wear off over time. In our experience, most men will start to see the effectiveness wear off 6 – 8 years after starting to take the medications. It really does depend on the patient.
The major benefit of the medicine seems to be in its ability to slow down or stop hair loss temporarily. It is usually necessary to commit to following the treatment plan for at least 12 months in order to assess the benefit for each individual patient. In this patient’s case after six months, he began to notice an improvement. It is also important to know that it stops working when a patient stops taking the medication. When the medication is stopped the patient’s hair loss will revert to where it would be had the patient never taken the medical treatments.
Currently, the only permanent solution for treating male pattern baldness is hair transplant surgery.
Are you concerned about your hair loss and looking for a non-surgical treatment option? If you would like to meet with one of our hair loss doctors to discuss your options please contact the clinic today on +353 1 209 1000 or info@hrbr.co.uk.
Please note the contents of this page is intended as general information and should not be considered medical advice. For more information please click here.
About the Authour
DR Maurice Collins
Consultant Surgeon
MB, B.Ch, BAO, DLO, FRCSI, FRCS, FRCSEd.
Registered with the Medical Council of Ireland
Dr Collins is Medical Director and Team Principal of Hair Restoration Blackrock. He was educated at Belvedere College Dublin and did his undergraduate medical studies at University College Dublin. After graduating as a doctor he trained in General Surgery and received his Fellowship (FRCSI) in this specialty from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Find out more about DR Maurice Collins and our team of doctors and surgeons.
