Propecia is the only FDA approved oral medication indicated for treating male pattern hair loss on the vertex and the anterior mid-scalp area. Male baldness is a general cause in which men experience thinning of the hair on the scalp. This results in a receding hairline or balding on the top of the head. Propecia inhibits the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone in the body.
Men who have male pattern baldness will lose their hair in a well-defined pattern, starting above both temples and then advancing over time to form a typical “M” shape.
Male pattern baldness is caused by the effects of the male hormone DHT on genetically inclined hair follicles placed in the front, top, and crown of the scalp.