Many men have taken Propecia to combat the effects of hair loss, the successful and popular drug is produced by Merck however nine men in the US are suing the company because they allege they are suffering from sexual dysfunction caused by taking Propecia and Proscar, with symptoms continuing even after they stopped taking the drug.

Both drugs contain finasteride which is known to have a number of serious side effects including cognitive impairment, depression and various forms of sexual dysfunction including erectile dysfunction, reduced ejaculate volume, low sex drive, reduced sexual sensation and infertility. Finasteride prevents the conversion of androgen testosterone to DHT; DHT is a hormone along and with other genetic factors is believed to cause male pattern baldness.

Currently there are a number of studies into the effects of finasteride as well as a whole host of evidence that it can cause permanent side effects of sexual dysfunction even after men stop taking Propecia. However any decision in regards to the sale of the drug wont probably be made until the case against Merck finalises.

A lawsuit has been filled by a Connecticut law firm against pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck & Co, who make the hair loss drug Propecia, on behalf of men who have taken the prescription drug because its critics say it also causes severe side effects such as sexual dysfunction and mental impairment.

The suit, filed by Attorney Edward Jazlowiecki of Bristol and two other firms in New Jersey and New York, alleges that Merck has failed to fully disclose the serious side effects of Propecia and failed to adjust its warnings in the American market even after European regulators forced the company to carry a stronger warning label.

Originally Propecia, which is also marketed as Proscar, was used to treat men with an enlarged prostate, however after some of the patients taking the drug noticed its restorative powers with hair, it gained FDA approval in 1997 as a treatment for male pattern baldness. Finasteride, the drugs active ingredient, can help reduce the levels of the substance on the scalp that leads to hair loss.

However in some men also reduces sexual function and leads to mental and emotional symptoms like anxiety attacks and insomnia, which unfortunately do not subside even years after men stop using the drug.  Attorney Edward Jazlowiecki stated: “The same mechanism in the hormone system that controls hair loss also controls sexual function and a patient’s mental state, and this drug has had devastating effects and destroyed the lives of men who have taken it. Merck knew this, and their claims that the negative effects of the drug go away once you stop using it are false. The damage to these men appears to be permanent, even after five years of taking the drug.”

When contacted by The Courant, Merck released a statement that said, “The Company intends to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”

Speaking about one of the men his firm were representing, Jazlowiecki said he has suit suffered such severe symptoms that his wife left him, and that another plaintiff suffered from a loss of concentration that forced him to drop out of law school.

Hair loss or male pattern baldness can affect any man usually between the ages of 30 and 50, for some man it can take around 15-25 years to go bald however some unlucky sufferers will go bald in less than five. Currently a drug called Propecia is available to treat male pattern baldness, which helps thicken the hair on your head and help slow down the process of balding. Most men are born with approximately 100,000 hairs on their heads. By the time they get into their mid-twenties and testosterone kicks in, a significant proportion lose about 50 per cent density on top.

There are also other options available such as hair plugs or hair transplants which numerous male celebrities have tried recently such as Gordon Ramsey and James Nesbit, although this is a much more expensive route to take. You can also change your diet and try and reduce stress in your life which stops your hair falling out as quickly.

New research from the University of Pennsylvania has found that a stem cell problem may be the reason men lose their hair. Their studies found that men who have lost their hair have fewer advanced stem cells which are crucial to new hair growth in their scalp than hirsute men. Therefore the researchers believe that stimulating stem cells in the scalp could be the answer to finally finding a cure for baldness which would be welcome news to many men.

Currently there are no cures for male pattern baldness however there are steps that can be taken to slow the process treatments like Propecia which helps thicken your hair on the scalp and slow hair loss over time. Some people opt for hair plugs and you will have probably seen a few on your TV screens over recent years. Currently hair plugs seem the most effective however it’s highly costly, which is no surprise it only seems to be the rich and famous sporting hair plugs.

If you are unable to afford some of these measures then there are a couple of things you can do to avoid noticeably looking like your suffering from male pattern baldness. For example: Keeping your hair short will make it look fuller, or go the whole hog and shave all your hair off and go for the skin head look!

Recently James Nesbitt has been sporting a rather fuller head of hair than he had in his past, and by the looks of it, it is not a wig either. So this begs the question, what did he do to reverse the effects of male pattern baldness? Well as the actor admitted last week that after many years of thinning hair, he underwent two follicular unit transplants, which replaced much of the lost hair, saying: “They’ve changed my life,’ he says. It’s horrible going bald. ¬Anyone who says it isn’t is lying.”

So there is hope out there that there are effective ways to combat male pattern balding, well if you have a nice large bank account as it’s not cheap, however there are other treatments out there which cost a lot less and have had good results, such as Propecia, which helps thicken your hair on the scalp and over time slow hair loss also.

Hair accessories usually make any girl feel sophisticated and elegant. From dainty little clips to fascinators, you can be sure that there will be a hair accessory for every occasion. This article outlines some of the hair accessories in designers’ recent collections.

Philip Treacy presents a full range of fascinators in his collection. Fascinators are fancy pieces clipped into the hair, and usually worn to a wedding. They are stylish and elegant, and you can be sure it’ll be a fascinating talking point amongst everyone there.

Louis Mariette presents a range of stylish headbands. These can also be found on the high street in similar and less sophisticated designs. Louis Mariette’s designs are typically in gold or silver, and will be sure to add an absolute touch of class to your outfit. Once again they are popular amongst wedding guests. However, they are considered less over the top than the fascinators.

Temperley London presents a range of silk scarves to be worn in the hair as an accessory. There are a number of ways in which such an accessory can be worn. With long hair you can simply tie it in a ribbon around a pony tail, or you can tie it round the head as a headband. These are often considered to give a more casual look than the aforementioned hair accessories.

Clipping your hair with a simple clip is another way to accessorize. Different designs of clips can be found in the collections of Louis Mariette.

If you want to keep your hair manageable and looking in tip top condition there are a couple of tools and products that you must always have whether you’re at home or away.

Hair straighners – A life saver for many women especially on a bad hair day, you need a good quality durable pair of hair straightners preferably with ceramic plates such a ghd, who offer a varying range of sizes, as well as offering limited edition ghd straighners.

Hair brush – As with hair straightners you also need a good quality hair brush, the type you need depends on the style and length of your hair for long straight hair paddle brushes are great at reducing frizz and for shorter styles round hairbrushes give you lots of volume.

Comb – You cannot do without a wide tooth comb, when your hair is wet you must always use a comb, not a brush as it reduces damage.

Shampoo/conditioner – It’s not just your skin that needs protecting, your hair does too, there are many shampoos and conditioners out there made for different hair types, as well as some designed specifically for coloured hair. You can also get conditioning treatments, that help repair damage caused by styling.

Hair products – If you are styling your hair every day with heated tools its worth investing in a protector spray such as the ghd thermodynamics range which has heat deflecting qualities which protects your hair from heat appliances.

If you spend a lot of money having your hair done, you need to make sure you also invest in keeping it looking healthy otherwise it’s a waste of money, you need to make sure you have the correct tools and products to do this. If you don’t pay attention to your hair and not take time to look after it, it will be open to damage which can make it dry and brittle. It doesn’t have to cost the earth either to keep it in tip top condition, remembering a few simple things can keep it looking great.

Making sure you have the right tools is very important, a good brush is something every woman needs, the best brushes have rubber bases with boar’s head bristles, and they allow bristles to flex, cutting down on the damage to your hair. A wide tooth comb too is a necessity, they should always be used on wet hair as they reduce damage, where as a hairbrush increases it on wet hair. New modern hair dryers are also important, and they have come a long way with added extras such as Ionic conditioning to help protect your hair. Ghd hair straighteners are also a god send and have improved vastly of the past couple of years, they are specifically designed to reduce damaged caused by everyday styling.

Choosing the right products to use in your hair is also important, there are thousand out there to choose from all offering different finishes, some are also specifically designed for certain hair types. You need to make sure however you are using the right shampoo and conditioner for your hair, some can make hair that greasy even worse, some can dry out your hair and others can fade your colour. Heat Protector is also a must when your blow drying and styling your hair, ghd thermal protector is ideal to use because it reduces the damage caused by the heat of your styling tools.

It’s not surprising that women can go through many different hairstyles, everywhere we look someone famous has a new haircut, main offender is Victoria Beckham, who unveils a new image every few months, from sleek bob to longer curly locks, in an instant. Sometimes all a new look takes is a different way of styling your hair you don’t always have to have a lot chopped off, ghd hair straighteners have made changing a hairstyle much easier. Now over a lifetime most of wont rack up the number of different hairstyles VB has, at 36, she has probably already managed her 104-style quota.

Often women don’t change their hair as dramatically as celebs; instead many opt for subtle changes like adding more texture by adding some layers or by drying and styling differently. Some of the main reason women want a change of hair are:

1. ‘I just wanted a change’
2. ‘I was bored’
3. To boost confidence
4.  After a relationship break-up
5. ‘To re-invent myself’
6. Fashion / trend changes
7. Going grey
8. A milestone birthday

Many women like to change their hair to give them a boost of confidence, when going out, you feel better knowing your hair looks good, after all your hairstyle is an extension of your outfit, spending lots of money on clothes and accessories then going out with messy hair can bring your look down. There are many ways to give your hairstyle a quick up date at home, ghd straightners are great because you can style your hair straight and sleek or big bouncy and curly.

This summer the beach babe look is in, perfect if you will be spending time on the beach, however you’re not on the beach this is still a great style to go for, it’s easy to do and doesn’t require that much styling and you can put your ghd hair straighteners away.

When you dry your hair you need to remember your going for a messy look, so don’t dry it perfectly tidy and smooth, instead apply mousse to your roots as well as protector spray then dry with your head tipped upside down for a messy, dishevelled, blow out look with lots of volume.

Apply ghd Sea Spray all over your hair and then twist and scrunch sections, you want to get as much texture as possible, the Sea Spray is great for styling your hair but it also contains UVA that will protect your hair from the suns harmful rays.

 The final look you want to achieve is easy, breezy sun drenched surfer chick/beach babe locks that give the impression that you have been lounging around on the beach all day and don’t care how your hair looks because you know it looks fab!