Male Hair Loss Treatment

This service is unsuitable for you if you are:

• Female.
• Less than 18 years of age.
• Require a prescription for a medication other than finasteride .
• Already using finasteride or dutasteride medication for reasons other than hair loss.
• History of breast or prostate cancer.

Male pattern hair loss is the most common type of hair loss in men (androgenic alopecia). Men can begin to notice a receding hairline or scalp hair loss any time after puberty.

It affects around 30% of men by 30 years of age, and 50% by the age of 50 years. For some men, this normal ageing process can cause significant psychological distress, particularly if it is excessive, or occurs in early adult life.

This pattern of hair loss can sometimes occur in females. Unfortunately, this is neither safe nor suitable for this problem in Females except under Specialist supervision. Therefore we are NOT able to provide this treatment for females safely via our prescription service.

Male pattern hair loss is caused by a combination of hormonal and genetic factors. The hormone testosterone is converted to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which causes hair follicles to shrink and hair to fall out sooner.

This process has more of an effect on some individuals than others and is usually more pronounced if you have a family history of male pattern hair loss, which can be inherited from either parent.

There are many other causes of hair loss in men; stress,certain other illnesses,some medications, cancer treatments, and some hairstyle treatments.

The hair loss may be temporary or permanent. If you are concerned about another cause for your hair loss, you should speak with a doctor for advice.

Unfortunately, the treatment offered by our service is for male pattern hair loss ONLY and will not help other causes of hair loss.

There is no cure for male pattern hair loss, but Webdoctor.ie can arrange a prescription for Finasteride tablets to help prevent further loss and encourage growth, subject to clinical suitability.

Treatment will not recover any significant hair already lost and will only maintain improvements for as long as you are taking the medication. Benefits will be lost within 6 months of stopping treatment.

Propecia is a branded product and contains the active ingredient Finasteride (1mg tablets). This specific brand is licensed and available in the UK but not in Ireland. However, there is a generic version of this brand available in Ireland and we can arrange a prescription for Finasteride 1mg tablets subject to clinical suitability.

A daily dose of 1.25 mg is taken orally daily. We issue 5 mg tablets. These can be cut into quarters using a tablet cutter (available at any pharmacy).
The prescription will be for 46 tablets, which (when cut into quarters) is enough for 6 months of treatment.

It can take 3-6 months of continuous use before any benefit is seen. There is no evidence that an increased dose will provide better or faster results.
If no improvement is observed by 12 months of continuous treatment, it is unlikely this treatment will work for you and you should stop it.

Please be aware, this is an “off-licence” use of this medication.

Every medicine must have a licence for its specified use, issued by the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority. However, some medications have additional therapeutic uses outside of their intended use.

Finasteride 5mg daily is typically used to treat prostate problems but can be used at lower doses to treat hair loss in men in an “off-licence” manner. This means that doctors can prescribe Finasteride 5mg on the basis of the patient taking a quarter of a tablet daily.

A licensed 1mg version of Finasteride is also now available on the Irish market and can also be requested (up to the age of 41 years only). Please let us know by sending a message on your secure patient account.

Finasteride blocks the conversion of the hormone testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT causes male hair loss by causing the hair follicles to shrink and stop working. By decreasing the levels of DHT that can act on the hair follicles in the scalp, hair loss is reduced.

Finasteride will only stimulate hair growth on the scalp, it will not stimulate hair grown on other areas of the body.

Side effects of this treatment are uncommon and are usually mild:

• Rash.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Decreased libido.
• Tenderness in/ around the nipple area.
• Low mood/ suicidal thoughts.

It is important to note that a small number of men (less than 3%) may experience erectile dysfunction and decreased libido. This often settles without having to stop the medication but very rarely, it can persist after the medication has been stopped.

If you experience any changes in the breast tissue (lumps, discharge, swelling, pain) please seek medical advice. This is because there have been a few very rare reports of breast cancer in men taking this treatment.

If you notice any change or deterioration in your mood when taking this medication, please seek medical advice.

If you develop side effects that you feel are related to this medication (even if they are not listed), stop the medication and seek medical review.

For full information about this medication, it is important to read the patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine before you start taking it.

Finasteride may cause harm to an unborn baby.

• Pregnant women MUST avoid handling these tablets once they have been removed from the protective packing.
• If you are trying to conceive you should not use this medication.
• If your partner is pregnant or might be pregnant you MUST use condoms.