Beauty And Health

The world is never fair. It should show favor to the young, sparing them the emotional problems of illness and disease. Yet health comes come to everyone regardless of age, the status of the parents or the abilities of the children. In this, it’s entirely possible for the young to lose their hair. In most cases, this is the result of the stress caused by serious illnesses and/or their treatments, e.g. chemo- and radio-therapy to deal with cancer. Less seriously, hair can be lost because of fungal infections, or the teens can literally be pulling out their own hair with the latest fashions including cornrows and comparable styles pulling the hair into tight braids and plats. Even male pattern baldness can begin as early as fourteen and fifteen. Fortunately it’s rare but it’s possible.

When it comes to treatment, it’s easy to change hairstyle and to treat a fungal infection. But male pattern baldness is a different problem and, so far, finasteride is the primary treatment. When this drug was going through the clinical trials to gain FDA approval to extend the use from treating benign growths in the prostate, to preventing hair loss, the FDA was persuaded the evidence did not permit the drug to be given to the young. There’s a limit. Doctors are not to prescribe this drug to anyone under the age of 18. Why impose this limit? Because there’s very clear evidence that this can significantly affect the development of sexual identity. In older men, it can reduce libido, cause erectile dysfunction, produce testicular pain and increase the size of the male breast. These are not problems anyone would want to wish on the young before they have ensured the rite of passage into adulthood.

Although it’s always possible a young man might persuade a doctor to ignore the FDA and write a prescription for off-label use, it’s not worth the risk. Propecia, also sold as finasteride, should be used with care by older men. The potential damage to the younger person should never be ignored. People should wait before using Propecia.

Although a small number of men may have weight gain issues, the overall consensus of this research is positive. This drug has been in use for a significant amount of time both to treat hair loss and as a treatment for benign growths in the prostate. The drug has therefore had to go through two sets of FDA clinical trials with all the postmarketing reports following up on unusual effects. The consensus on the scientific evidence is that less than one percent of the men using the drug experienced any unusual weight gain. This confirms the general probability that men who lose their hair can also put on weight. This is not a cause and effect. The obvious and underlying cause of weight gain is lack of exercise, bad eating habits, and bad lifestyle choices that can include alcohol and drugs.

The possible exception to this assessment is that the drug is associated with depression. Unfortunately, when people grow sad, they often eat more as a compensation and so put on weight. In addition to this effect, the after effects of taking antidepressant medication can also include weight gain. So, if you are one of the one percent and you find additional weight building up, you should first check with your doctor on whether there’s new evidence showing Propecia intake as the probable cause. If there’s no new evidence, you should assume this is a lifestyle problem and take the usual steps. This means eating a healthy diet with fruit, vegetables, grains, low-fat milk products, fish and lean meats. On its own, reducing the calorie intake may not be enough so consider increasing your activity level and reducing your alcohol intake.

Since time and time again Propecia has been known to be a safe drug when it comes to weight loss, none of the above info should deter you from using the drug. Your regular physician will be able to look for other likely medical problems and, if necessary, recommend changes to the drugs you take. Put another way, this is not something you should ignore. Unexplained weight gain can be a symptom of several serious medical problems and you should get reliable advice. Don’t simply continue taking Propecia and hope for the best.