Finasteride is one of the commonest drugs on the market for male baldness – but recently its users have reported worrying side effects. A few years ago, James* was at the pub with colleagues when a female co-worker walked behind him to get to the bar . “James, you should just shave off all your hair,” she offered, “because you’re balding.
So it’ll look better”. It was the first time James, who was 30 at the time, had given much thought to his hair. Sure, he’d noticed a bit of thinning on top but it hadn’t bothered him.
Then he and his girlfriend broke up and James entered the world of dating apps , where everyone seemed to care about his appearance – and hair. He found himself googling celebrities such as Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, examining not only their hair but also whether their fathers were bald. Then targeted social-media advertising got its claws into him.
Months later, James was on a health website called Hims, browsing products that promised to regrow hair. “No GP visit required,” it said. So James signed up, answered a set of questions and received an email saying a hair-loss serum had been approved by a healthcare provider.
It was half-price for the first three months – £57 (NZ$120) for three 60ml bottles. One of the active ingredients was a drug called finasteride, which was developed to treat benign prostate enlargement but has also been prescribed for hair loss in men since the 1990s. The United Kingdom’s NHS lists its main sid.
