Male pattern baldness has always been something that the majority of men
had to deal with at some point during our lives. Up until a couple
decades ago, hair loss was something that guys had to accept and take in
stride. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with going bald,
but that it’s completely normal for people to not want to let go of
their head of hair.
Then came Finasteride powder,
which received approval by the FDA and became an effective treatment
for hair loss in 1997. Doctors guaranteed that Finasteride could stop
male pattern baldness for the majority men who take it – and it did.
More than 80% of the men who used finasteride in the clinical trials
didn’t experience any more hair loss while on the product, and 66% of
them actually regrew hair over an extended time period.
But there’s one catch: finasteride doesn’t work overnight, it takes time
and requires consistent usage for best results. In fact, when it comes
to regrowing hair, most men don’t see major results until they’ve taken
finasteride for at least a year or more. The good news is that taking
finasteride over a five-year period can actually improve your hair
growth, leaving you with 10% more hair than you’d have if you were on no
treatment at all.
But is it possible to speed up the effects of finasteride in order to
enjoy its benefits sooner? Nobody wants to wait a couple of years before
enjoying the perks of a medicine, after all. Here are some ways that
you can maximize your finasteride results.
1. Give your scalp a daily massage
You probably think that the notion of scalp massages being able to
improve finasteride’s results is about as far-fetched as they come, but
there’s actually science to back it up. Japanese researchers found that
daily four-minute massages over the course of 24 weeks were able to
stimulate hair growth and boost one’s hair thickness. How and why scalp
massages are able to stimulate hair growth remains a mystery, but
scientists believe that it has something to do with softening the skin,
increasing blood flow, and helping people to feel more relaxed.
2. Take biotin supplements
Are you familiar with biotin? Also known as vitamin B complex, biotin is
a vitamin that plays an important role in ensuring that your hair,
fingernails, and skin stay healthy. If you have a biotin deficiency,
your hair might be growing weaker and more slowly than usual. In fact,
scientists have found that people who take biotin supplements have hair
that, on average, grows faster and denser than people who don’t.
3. Combine finasteride with minoxidil
Minoxidil is a popular topical ointment that’s applied to the scalp
twice a day. Along with finasteride, it’s the only other product that’s
been approved by the FDA to treat androgenic alopecia. Men who use 5%
have experienced great results in the fight against baldness. In one
study, 984 men with various stages of male pattern baldness were
required to apply 5% minoxidil to their balding spots twice a day. After
a year of use, doctors noted that 62% of the men grew a significant
amount of hair where the ointment was applied, while 35.1% of the men
didn’t experience further hair loss – that means that less than 3% of
the participants continued to lose hair when using minoxidil!
And while minoxidil has been proven to be an effective tool to prevent
hair loss, studies show that using it alongside 1mg of finasteride a day
can greatly increase the density of hair being grown.
