There are a lot of hair loss treatments on the market, whether it be over the counter options or those that are prescribed by a doctor.
But, one of the most obvious differences between most of the treatments are that some are in topical form to be applied to the scalp, and some are in tablet or capsule form to be taken by mouth.
For some, the route of delivering the medication is a big deal for them for one reason or another. And, for some medications, there may be slight differences in their effects when using them topically vs orally.
If you are looking into which hair loss treatment may be the best step for you, you may have run into these two options, and are trying to decide between them.
Below are the most common reasons we have found for topical treatments to be chosen or preferred over oral hair loss medications.
Finasteride tablets are the only current FDA-approved oral medication for male pattern hair loss, or androgenic alopecia.
Finasteride has been found to work great for helping to maintain your current hair and may even help with regrowth in some users. However, in a small number of men using Finasteride tablets (less than 1% of users in clinical trials), they experience unwanted sexual side effects like reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, and ejaculation disorder.
Although the risk is low, for men that experience these effects, the oral Finasteride tablet may be a deal-breaker for them.
It is thought that the topical form of Finasteride in a gel or cream may deliver similar hair benefits to the tablet, while reducing the whole-body exposure to the medication and potentially reducing the risk of these side effects.
If you have experienced side effects with oral Finasteride that made you stop treatment, you may be able to tolerate a topical form better.
Ask your doctor if a compounded topical formulation of Finasteride is a good choice for you.
Some people simply hate taking tablets and capsules by mouth. Whether it is a fear of choking on the tablet, chronic dry mouth, difficulty swallowing due to a medical condition, or you just don’t like swallowing pills, many people always opt for alternatives to tablets or capsules.
For those people, a topical Finasteride, Dutasteride, or Minoxidil solution may help them with their hair loss issues without the burden of having to take an oral medication.
For some, having to remember to take a tablet or capsule can be a struggle. Many may attempt to designate a common time to take a dose, set a timer, or place the medication bottle in a visible place, but doses may still get missed.
With a topical hair loss medication, it may be easier for some to simply apply just before bed, without having to grab a glass of water, set a timer, or wonder if you remembered your dose.
This is a personal preference, but depending on your schedule and style, a once nightly gel or cream application may be better suited for you.
For a lot of topical hair loss medication users, the choice is a way to help limit exposing the whole body to a medication that you want focused on your scalp and hair follicles.
With tablets or capsules, you are ingesting the medication which must make its way through your digestive system and liver before traveling around your whole body and landing on the appropriate receptors on your scalp.
When you apply a topical gel or cream, the majority of the medication tends to stay localized to the area it was applied to, potentially reducing any unwanted side effects for the rest of the body.
For those who are very conscientious about trying to limit systemic exposure to medications, a topical gel or cream may be the route more suited to them.
No matter which route you and your doctor feel is the best one for your hair loss goals, Strut Health has you covered. At Strut Health we offer multiple oral and topical hair loss medications online.
You can have a free 10-15 minute online consultation with our U.S. licensed doctors today consisting of a questionnaire, your preferences, and pictures of your hair.
If you are a good candidate for oral or topical hair loss treatment, your prescription medication can be shipped to your front door with our free 2-day shipping.
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