Propecia is a prescription drug that is used to treat male baldness. It has its greatest effects on the top of the head and the middle of the scalp. Propecia results in slower hair loss, and it may stop hair loss, and even reverse it. The results vary widely from person to person. Propecia is not meant to be taken by women who are able to get pregnant or by children. In fact, women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant are advised not to even touch Propecia pills because they are known to cause birth defects. However, women who are not able to become pregnant sometimes take Propecia for hair loss, and like with men, the results vary from person to person.
Propecia prevents the production of 5-alpha-reductase. This substance is responsible for converting testosterone to a form called DHT, which is associated with male pattern hair loss. DHT is a male hormone that is responsible for the development of male genitalia. It also tends to result in male pattern baldness, reduced growth of residual hair, enlarged prostate, and acne.
For treatment of baldness, Propecia is taken as a 1 mg tablet daily, and it can be taken with food or alone. Taking more Propecia than the prescribed dosage does not cause a greater benefit. It can take 3 to 6 months for Propecia's effectiveness to become apparent. It is likely that if a person takes Propecia for 6 months without noticing an improvement, that Propecia simply will not work for that person. For those people in whom Propecia does work, the effect lasts only as long as the drug is taken. In other words, if a person stops taking Propecia, the hair loss will start up again.
It is not hard to find patient reviews of Propecia on the internet. There are also numerous forums on which this and other treatments for baldness are discussed. What is striking about reviews of Propecia is the wide variation in Propecia results and the wide variation in experience of side effects. Many users say that Propecia is a wonder drug that has made a significant difference in their fight against hair loss. Others report no improvement at all. Some users report no problems with side effects whatsoever, while others report permanent, life-altering side effects.

From reading reviews and user forums about Propecia, the users that experienced troubling side effects like loss of sex drive or development of breast tissue (in males) seemed to experience these side effects right away. Some users continued with the drug to see if the benefits would outweigh the side effects, and results were mixed. Some users who had mild side effects reported that the side effects went away with time. Users who experienced severe side effects reported that the side effects remained even after stopping the drug. Whether the side effects were permanent or not has not been scientifically studied.