Hair loss is rapidly increasing recently and young people are losing hair by 2030.
Treatment with dutasteride and finasteride
Thinning hair is a precursor to hair loss
Great results can be achieved if treated early and do not stop taking the medication.
[파이낸셜뉴스] The age of men suffering from hair loss is getting younger. Middle-aged and elderly people also have concerns about hair loss, but for people in their 20s and 30s who are serious about taking care of their appearance, hair loss is a serious problem that can lead to mental stress such as psychological shrinkage and depression.
According to Healthcare Big Data on the 14th, the number of patients diagnosed with alopecia in Korea in 2023 is 247,382, an average annual increase of 2.5% from 225,000 in 2018. In particular, as of 2022, people in their 20s and 30s accounted for 40.1% of hair loss patients, which is based on the number of patients who visited hospitals and were officially diagnosed with alopecia. Experts estimate that the actual number of people suffering from hair loss in Korea is as high as 10 million.
Therefore, one in two men in Korea is worried about hair loss, and the number of men suffering from one or more hair loss symptoms is known to amount to about 70% of all men. Kim Seong-gon, director of Coco ENT Clinic in Jongno 5-ga, known as the ‘Hair Loss Holy Land’, said, “Hair loss can be treated quickly and good results can be seen by taking medication for a long period of time, so if risk factors related to hair loss are detected, it is best to manage it early through consultation with medical staff. “It’s the most important,” he emphasizes.
Kim Seong-gon, director of Coco ENT Clinic, explains hair loss treatment methods. Photo = Reporter Kang Jung-mo
Director Kim said, “The oral male pattern hair loss treatments currently approved in Korea include dutasteride and finasteride. Finasteride blocks 5-alpha reductase type 2, and dutasteride blocks both types 1 and 2, which are the main causes of hair loss. “It is known to inhibit the production of DHT more efficiently,” he explained.
Drugs containing dutasteride and finasteride are used to treat hair loss, but since they must be taken continuously over a long period of time, long-term treatment effectiveness and safety are of utmost importance. In particular, the dutasteride drug is applicable to a wider age group and is known to have an effect of improving transpiration in various hair loss types, including M and V types, as well as a rapid hair loss treatment effect. A representative drug containing dutasteride is GSK’s ‘Avodart’.
“Hair loss treatment, the faster the treatment, the higher the treatment effect”
Director Kim said, “Recently, we can feel in the field that the number of young hair loss patients in their 20s and 30s has increased,” and “There are many young patients who think hair loss is very fatal to their appearance, and YouTube and other sites are emphasizing that treatment should be started as soon as possible, so the number of young patients in their 20s and 30s is increasing.” “It seems like there are a lot of patients starting treatment at ,” he said. He said, “What is emphasized in various contents is that it is better to start hair loss treatment at least a year early, and this is actually true. If even thin hair remains, it can be saved through treatment, but it is very difficult to make the lost hair grow again.” “He added.
Herbs containing dutasteride and finasteride are usually used to treat hair loss, but finasteride is more commonly prescribed nationwide. Director Kim said, “Patients starting hair loss treatment often start treatment with the weaker drug finasteride due to concerns about sexual side effects, so it appears that more prescriptions for finasteride are still being administered. There is a big difference in side effects between the two drugs.” “The atmosphere in the field is changing a bit as clinical data that says no is available,” he said. “Personally, I prefer dutasteride prescriptions, and in terms of price, the original Dutasteride drug has the advantage of being cheaper than the original finasteride drug.” “There is,” he explained.
Director Kim said, “I feel that Dutasteride is more effective in treating M-shaped hair loss, which is the most common type of hair loss,” and added, “The response speed of Dutasteride is also a bit faster than that of finasteride, and the effect takes about 3 months after taking it.” “There are many cases where the prognosis is not good while taking finasteride, so switching to dutasteride shows results,” he said.
You have to take it for a long time… “The side effects are not that big of a problem.”
He said, “During treatment, patients often talk about tolerance or concerns about side effects, but I explain that the number of people who experience side effects is not very high, about 1 to 2%.” He added, “Also, even if most side effects occur, they first disappear within 1 to 3 months after taking the drug.” It occurs in many cases and disappears naturally if the treatment is taken consistently for about 6 months to a year, and the younger the patient, the faster the recovery.”
Director Kim said, “Hair loss treatment is a drug that must be taken continuously without stopping for the treatment to be effective, so I was worried about taking it for a long time, but looking at the recent 5-year clinical data, it is clear that there is no safety problem and the effect is maintained even if taken for a long time.” “This point has been confirmed,” he said, adding, “Also, hair loss treatments have almost no drug-drug interactions, so they can be taken even if you have other underlying diseases, so they are highly safe drugs.”
The basis of hair loss treatment is drug treatment, but the treatment effect can be maximized by taking topical medications or nutritional supplements.
Director Kim said, “Oral drug treatment is the priority, and additional treatment of applying minoxidil preparations or taking nutritional supplements such as biotin can be considered,” adding, “Minoxidil was not used often in the past, but about two years ago, it was used at conference presentations and “It’s popularity is increasing as its effectiveness has been reported through papers, and another advantage is that it can be used by both men and women,” he explained.
Director Kim said, “Once you start treatment for hair loss, the most important thing is to take it consistently, but if you stop taking the medication for a long period of time, about 6 months to a year, the effect decreases compared to the past and it becomes difficult to recover from the gap.” “There are many patients,” he emphasized.
He continued, “The later hair loss treatment starts, the more difficult it is to restore it to its original state. Even if there is only thin hair left, it can be saved, but it is difficult to make the lost hair grow again.” He added, “If the hair thickness has become thinner, it is a precursor symptom of male pattern baldness. “We recommend that you visit the hospital quickly to begin treatment,” he said.
[email protected] Reporter Kang Jung-mo
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