Whether you like the President or not, its hard not to like his full head of hair. As Trump himself said As everybody knows, I do not wear a wig. My hair may not be perfect but its mine. The Presidents hair has been a topic of jokes, intrigue and even magazine covers. Some have even suggested that he has grown more hair over the past few years. When most men his age are going bald, what is Mr. Trumps secret?

According to Trumps personal physician, Bornstein, he credited the drug finasteride for Trumps hair growth and said that Trump has all his hair. Finasteride is better known by the name Propecia.

But what is finasteride, and how does it work? This is an oral drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat and reverse male pattern baldness. This type of baldness usually begins at the temples and leaves a bald top with some hair around the sides of the head.

Finasteride blocks the action of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. This enzyme changes testosterone to another hormone (DHT) that causes hair loss in males. Finasteride increases hair growth on the scalp by inhibiting this enzyme and also fuels new hair cell growth ( journal Expert Opinion in Drug Discovery) . The effect of finasteride on the scalp will only last as long as the medicine is taken. When it is stopped, the hair will be lost.

Finasteride is also used to treat BPH (benign prostate enlargement) which is common as men age. Men with BPH usually have difficulty urinating and a need to get up at night to urinate. Finasteride helps make these symptoms less severe and reduces the chance that prostate surgery will be needed. It may be used alone or in combination with other medicines.

Finasteride works by increasing the level of testosterone which in turn decreases prostate size and reduces hair loss. If one were to speculate, it is possible that the President has a low PSA and a relatively high testosterone level due to the effect of finasteride.

According to the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Finasteride has gone through three placebo-controlled trials to assess its effects on male pattern baldness. Men who had taken finasteride had 107 more hairs per square inch after one year of use and 277 more hairs per square inch after five years of use. It should be noted that the average person may have anywhere from 1,050 to 1,935 hairs per square inch according to the journal. No wonder, Mr. Trumps head of hair looks fuller!

The drug has relatively few side effects. Rarely, men reported erectile dysfunction and decreased libido, and there was a slight association with depression, but it is considered a safe drug.

Irrespective of your political leanings, or whether you personally like the President or not, or whether you think he is going to win a lot, Mr. Trump has certainly won the battle of hair. He has managed to avoid baldness and maybe even grow hair. Whether he has done this with the help of Finasteride, remains a matter of speculation until we know for sure. But finasteride remains an option for those men who are starting to lose hair, and would like to hang on for a little bit longer.

This information is strictly an opinion of Dr Prakash, and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Dr Chris Prakash is a contributing columnist, and author of eParisExtras The Doctor is In column. He is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology Paris. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Oncology and Hematology. He can be reached at 9037850031, or Sucharu.prakash@usoncology.com

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The Secret Behind Trump's Flowing Locks - eParisExtra.com (blog)

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