Over the counter hair regrowth drugs risk leaving young men with testicular pain and erectile dysfunction

Men’s health specialists are raising the alarm over the worrying side-effects of over-the-counter hair loss treatment drugs following London’s first festival of baldness.

Interest in hair loss treatment drugs such as minoxidil and finasteride is soaring, with search rates increasing in the latter by 95 per cent since 2020. Stephen Carson, a trichologist from London, stated he has seen a “tremendous rise in the amount of young men enquiring” about these forms of treatment.

Many of those young men do not seem to be aware of the potential adverse consequences of the drugs.  Finasteride works by suppressing DHT (dihydrotestosterone) which can aid in hair regrowth but may also cause “lowered libido, erectile dysfunction and testicular pain,” according to Steve O’Brien from the London Centre of Trichology.

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These side-effects can last beyond the period the drug is used. After lengthy litigation in 2012/13, Merck & Co., the main distributors of finasteride in the US, were found to have failed to adequately warn users of the persistence of side-effects.

This was proven and led US doctors to largely stop its prescription as a hair loss treatment, but no such step was taken in the UK.

Minoxidil, though not potentially as harmful, even in the best cases only tends to produce vellus, or “peach fuzz” hair. This never fully develops and leaves users trapped.

“If they stop or they’re inconsistent, they can see a lot of hair fall,” said O’Brien, who steered his practice away from minoxidil prescription 25 years ago.

For some attendees at the inaugural Bald Fest in May, there is another approach to ‘fixing’ hair-loss – accepting it. The event gathered bald Britons at a Soho pub offering free head shaves and pints for the bald.

Drew Wrixen, 44, an attendee of the event, was steadfast in his pro-baldness beliefs: “Just embrace it, shave it off, be confident, and save yourself a few quid”.

For those who are still seeking a pharmaceutical solution, trichologist Steve O’Brien is worried about the ease with which the drugs can be acquired. Whereas in the past you would have to get a prescription from a GP in person, nowadays, “you don’t even have to see someone in person…[it’s] quite shocking really,” he said.

Quoted side effect rates, which are often cited as two to three percent, he argued are “misleading” and “not realistic” in his experience.

Featured image credit: Tom Tarlton