HAIR LOSS & DANDRUFF

88 Can I have a prescription for fin as te ride for my hair loss?

FINASTERIDE is an oral medication that works by stopping testosterone being converted into another more potent form of the hormone which affects the hair follicles and causes hair loss, explains Dr Vicky Jolliffe, a consultant dermatologist who specialises in hair disorders.

‘It has a product licence for use in male pattern hair loss and can be obtained on prescription from your GP or dermatologist.’

Studies have shown it can take two years to achieve the maximum response, and to maintain the effect you have to keep taking the drug regularly, says Dr Jolliffe.

It is not licensed for use in women because of the danger that it could cause birth defects if taken while a woman is pregnant.

‘However, some doctors do use finasteride offlabel to treat certain types of hair loss in women, but as pregnancy must be avoided for several months before and during its use, it is generally only used for women who have no plans to become pregnant or who are post-menopausal,’ says Dr Jolliffe.

‘Because the reasons women lose their hair may differ from why men lose their hair, and because research on the efficacy of finasteride in women is not comprehensive enough, there may be better solutions for women with hair loss, such as minoxidil. This is applied topically and can make hair fibre longer and thicker. Occasionally it causes skin irritation,’ she says.

‘It should also be noted there are not a large number of studies evaluating long-term safety of finasteride in women, and there are some reported side-effects in both men and women.’

In the U.S. a group called the Post-Finasteride Syndrome Foundation have reported issues including depression and long-term sexual dysfunction after taking the drug.

89 Why am I going bald in my 20s?

THERE are a number of reasons why men lose their hair at this age, says dermatologist Dr Vicky Jolliffe. In her experience the most common reason is a combination of poor scalp health and dandruff coinciding with male pattern hair loss, which is in itself at least partially genetic.

‘More rarely I see men with an autoimmune form of hair loss called alopecia areata which typically presents with individual round patches of hair loss, often on the beard but also on the scalp.

‘Addressing scalp health is a very important aspect of reducing hair shedding — an itchy or inflamed scalp can prevent the healthy formation of hair and hair growth, and can lead to hair being broken through scratching the scalp.’

For these reasons she normally recommends a