Millions of men suffer from thinning hair, and some spend a fortune on hair loss treatments, such as Rogaine, Propecia and other products. With so many balding scalps, profit-based pharmaceutical companies are constantly doing research on new drugs aimed at regrowing hair. Recent breakthroughs have pointed toward a future cure; however, according to some, a male pattern baldness solution already exists and is readily available to patients who ask for it.

A Cure for Male Pattern Baldness?

According to a handful of doctors, the FDA has already approved a new drug that treats hair loss better than Rogaine and Propecia; however, it’s not advertised for this purpose.

Manufactured by Allergan, Bimatoprost was initially made to treat glaucoma. As a side-effect, the drug actually thickened eyelashes, and the pharmaceutical company responded by marketing it for that purpose under the name Latisse.

From the beginning, doctors wondered if Latisse might have the same success on scalp hair as it did on facial hair. According to Dr. Alan Bauman, a board-certified hair restoration physician in Florida, it does.

How does it work?

Latisse apparently works similarly to Rogaine by thickening existing hair to promote better coverage. It doesn’t actually regrow hair, and it hasn’t been approved by the FDA as a treatment for hair loss. However, there’s no law forbidding doctors to prescribe the medication to balding patients, and says he’s prescribed Latisse to several balding men who’ve experienced positive results.

Currently, the FDA is conducting alopecia trials to see just how effective Latisse is as a male pattern baldness solution; however, it may take a long time before the drug is effectively marketed for that reason. In the meantime, interested patients can talk to their doctors to see if they are willing to prescribe Latisse for the purpose of slowing or preventing male pattern baldness.