USING CYPROTERONE ACETATE FOR HAIR LOSS

Looking for the right hair loss treatment can be exasperating. There are various management options available like oral medications, topical preparations, and even hair transplant.

Cyproterone acetate (Androcur, Diane-35, Dianette, Cyprostat, , Procur) is one such drug that has been utilised for the past 10 years to treat female pattern hair loss.

Cyproterone acetate is actually an oral contraceptive which is a combination of the estrogen estradiol and cyproterone. It has also been used to treat prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and hypersexuality because of its anti-androgen effect. Other uses are for the treatment of acne, excess facial hair, excessive body hair, and scalp hair loss.

It was found that this medicine can control female pattern baldness by blocking the effects of androgen hormones. It works by blocking the binding of DHT or dihydrotestosterone to its receptors.

DHT is the main hormone responsible for pattern baldness in both men and women. It is formed when testosterone binds with alpha-5-reductase. By blocking this hormone-receptor binding, cyproterone acetate aids in stopping pattern hair loss.

Nonetheless, cyproterone acetate is seldom used in male hair loss but rather only as treatment for prostate problems as it adversely affects the masculine traits. Even in females, it isn’t given routinely but only as one of the last resorts for managing female pattern hair loss.

As with all drug-based preparations, cyproterone acetate has potential adverse effects. The most serious side effect is liver toxicity. Other possible problems are fatigue, mood changes, headache, palpitations, bleeding problems, and chest pain.

Women who are pregnant or think that they might be pregnant should never take this drug. It is also contraindicated in women who are breastfeeding, those under 18 years old, and people with a wasting disease (weight or muscle loss).

Furthermore, unless there is a definitive diagnosis that hair loss is due to excess androgen in the body, systemic treatment using cyproterone acetate is not recommended. Because the drug affects the entire system, most physicians would opt for topical treatments for hair loss or those that are directly applied to the hair and scalp.

Nisim International has a line of natural herbal-based products that have been proven to control severe hair loss and regrow hair on both men and women. Used directly on the hair and scalp, Nisim Shampoo, Nisim Conditioner, and Nisim Stimulating Extract have been created to address hair loss directly, without having to pass through the body.