Propecia (finasteride) can be prescribed for the treatment of male pattern baldness - a condition cause by the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. This process is thought to be responsible for hair loss, so Propecia is efficient in letting you re-grow your hair. However, every man intending to take this medicine is supposed to know Propecia is going to be efficient for only as long as you continue taking it. Once you stop the treatment - all the progress you achieved will be lost within the next 12 months. Make sure you discuss with your health care provider all the possible risks and benefits of the treatment. You are not supposed to take this medicine if you are allergic to the active ingredient Propecia contains, or in case you have liver failure or other liver problems. In general, however, Propecia can be taken safely by most men and is not known to interact with any drugs you may be taking. There is a chance not everything is yet known about possible drug interactions of Propecia - so always make sure you tell your health care provider about any medications you are taking at the moment or intend to take in the nearest future. Do not get worried if you do not notice any significant effects after taking Propecia for a couple of months, as it may take you up to three months to see the very first results. Everything depends on every individual case, so give this drug some chance by taking it regularly and exactly as prescribed. In very few situations was this drug inefficient, and if after a year o taking Propecia regularly you did not get any improvement - it is safe to assume it is not going to be efficient in the future. You can discuss with your health care provider the possibility of switching to some other medicine that might work for you. Propecia has been specially designed for men and is not expected to be efficient for women, even if they also have hair loss problem. The effects of Propecia are based on blocking a hormone specific to male organism, which is why women are not going to benefit from this medication. Moreover, if a pregnant woman comes into contact with a crushed tablet of Propecia and the active ingredient gets somehow absorbed through the skin - an unborn baby may be harmed. If something like that happens, the woman affected is supposed to contact a doctor to receive instructions and learn what options she has to protect the baby and prevent health problems in it.
