Finasteride Cost Comparison
Also known as Propecia or Proscar, Finasteride is a medication used mainly in the treatment of hair loss in men, or Male Pattern Baldness (MBP). Originally developed by Merck as a treatment for enlarged prostates, but once hair growth was noted as a side effect, this possibility was pursued.
Propecia / Finasteride was approved for the treatment of hair loss in 1997 and was the first medication of its kind to be introduced to the market and since then has been used as the first line of defence against hair loss and has been proven to be up to 90% effective in prevention of further hair loss, and up to 70% effective in the battle to regain hair.
Finasteride, however, is not the only option for those in search of a healthier head of hair! Treatments and cures for hair loss include medication, surgery, and cosmetics – Each with their own pros and cons for individuals with different needs and wants.
What we’re going to do is compare the financial aspects of these different treatments to Finasteride as well as some pro/con analysis.
Finasteride
Cost:
£14.30 a month
or
£171.88 a year
Pros
Finasteride allows you to take one tablet a day and that’s it. Nothing else to worry about, just let the medication do it’s job, eventually leaving you with a full head of natural hair that you’re free to do with what you want.
Cons
Although it’s a simple solution, it does take up to 6 months to see results, and will only continue to work for as long as you are taking the medication. If you decide to stop taking Finasteride, you can say hello to your hair loss returning. And of course, as with all medication, there are potential side effects, and it’s not 100% effective so there is a small chance it won’t work for you. A lot of this comes down to when you decide to start taking Finasteride.
Synthetic Wigs
Cost:
£5
to
£200+
Pros
Wigs come in so many different colours and styles, it can be hard to choose which one is right for you, but I think in this case the amount of choice is a definite pro. They’re also very easy to look after in the sense that they hold colour and style very well so daily styling isn’t needed in most cases.
Cons
Although they’re easy to look after, synthetic wigs do need to be washed very carefully as they cannot be treated like normal human hair. You also get what you pay for when it comes to wigs so it’s incredibly easy to end up with an ill-fitting, unnatural looking head of hair due to a weird glossy finish or even worse, a wig that’s falling off your head.
You also cannot wear the wig while sleeping, are not secure, and a lot of activities become impossible with a wig such as swimming.
Human Hair Wigs
Cost
£200
to
£500+
Pros
Definitely one of the more expensive options, but for a reason. Human hair wigs come in almost as many varieties as synthetic wigs but without the unnatural look. Due to being made from real hair, they have a very natural look and can be treated as such allowing you to use your own styling products etc.
Cons
The biggest con of human hair wigs in comparison to synthetic wigs and Finasteride is the cost; they’re obviously far more expensive. On top of this, they don’t hold colour as well as synthetic wigs and will need to be styled every day like normal hair. They Won’t last forever, depending on how you treat your wig, but expect to get at least a year out of it.
They still suffer from some of the same problems as synthetic wigs such as not being able to wear the wig while sleeping, are not secure, and a lot of activities become impossible with a wig such as swimming.
Combover
Cost
FREE
to
£20
Pros
It’s cheap and easy. Easily the largest benefit of opting for the combover is the cost and ease. You may need a trim to make it possible or tidy it up but if you’re paying more than £20 for a haircut, you either live in London or you’re getting ripped off. And if you can rock it with confidence then go for it!
Cons
99.9% of the time combovers look awful and are incredibly obvious. You’re not fooling anyone and you’re better off going to get the rest of your hair chopped off.
Hair Transplants
Cost
£1,000
to
£30,000+
Pros
Hair transplants can be the most convincing, long-term treatment for an individual. A doctor takes hair from the back of your head or elsewhere and moves those hair follicles to where you are lacking hair allowing more hair to grow in that spot. Once the surgery is over and you’re healed, there’s the chance to go about your life without ever having to worry.
Cons
PRICE. £1,000 is the low end of a surgery and that raises rapidly according to how much is needed – This is definitely not an option most of us can afford. There’s the risk of something goes wrong, scarring, and there’s is a long healing time, you’ve just had surgery after all – you’ll also have to wait for that new hair to grow in, sometimes actually leaving the area hair was obtained from looking bald and on top of this there’s a good chance you’ll need to really on Finasteride afterwards to keep the hair you’ve recently grown!
All in all, it’s easy to see that Finasteride is the best choice for cost effectiveness, but let’s really break that down.
- Finasteride costs 51p per tablet, for that you can’t get any other treatments in that price range, but you could possibly get a few sweets for the kids!
- That’s £3.30 a week, again not enough for any other treatment but it could get you a coffee or pay your parking for an hour or two.
- That’s the equivalent of £14.30 for a month’s worth of treatment or you could instead get a cheaper synthetic wig, but you’ll probably look like you’re prepping for a costume party. Alternatively, you feed yourself for a week! Albeit with frozen meal deals.
- That works out at £171.88 for an entire year’s worth of Finasteride treatment. That does seem a lot in one go, but of course, you don’t have to spend that in one go and can spread the cost out over every couple of months or so. At this price you could get a rather good synthetic wig, or possibly a wig made of human hair at the lower end of the price scale. It could also go towards a trip away or treating the family, but I suppose that’s down to personal preference and how much you value your hair.
I think it’s fair to say that Finasteride is the most versatile treatment for hair loss, but understandably it will not be for everyone. It can have side-effects, and is only effective for as long as it’s been taken, and taking a pill will have to become part of your daily routine. On the flip side, you won’t have to worry about your wig falling off, or perfecting a comb-over, or even breaking the bank.