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If
androgens cause scalp hair loss but body hair growth, will I lose
body hair if I use propecia
No. It sounds logical that if a 5 alpha reductase inhibitor drug
that blocks dihydrotestosterone (DHT) production can promote scalp
hair growth then it can have affects on other hair follicles that
are androgen senstivie such as those of the beard, arm pit, and
pubic hair regions. In addition, propecia is a 5 alpha reductase
type II inhibitor and it is this type of enzyme that is primarily
active in beard hair follicles. However, there are no significant
adverse effects on these follicles with 5 alpha reductase inhibitor
use.
Hair follicles in the beard, arm pit, and pubic regions require
very little testosterone to maintain their terminal hair activity
and it is possible that these hairs do not require stimulation with
DHT. They may continue their full growth activity with stimulation
from testosterone alone. 5 alpha reductase inhibitors do not deplete
testosterone production so there is still plenty of testosterone
available to stimulate body hair. In addition, 5 alpha reductase
inhibitor finasteride does not completely block the conversion of
testosterone to DHT. Propecia only reduces DHT in skin by around
60% of its normal concentration, the remaining 40% is produced by
type I 5 alpha reductase wich is unaffected by propecia.
However, it was reported in discussion at a recent conference of
the European Hair Research Society of unoffiical reports about the
growth rate of beard hair slowing down when using 5 alpha reductase
inhibitors like propecia. This seems to be a very rare event and
the slow down in hair growth was not significant enough to have
a noticable change in in the quality of hair density to anyone except
the owner.
If
androgens cause scalp hair loss but body hair growth, will I lose
body hair if I use propecia references
- Ebling
FJ. The biology of hair. Dermatol Clin. 1987 Jul;5(3):467-81.
- European
Hair Research Society (EHRS) Annual general meeting, York, UK
1999.
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