Millions of men could get their wish this Christmas: a new head of hair.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the first pill to fight baldness, a once-a-day tablet that offers to help men re-grow their hair and prevent more of it from falling out.

Propecia, manufactured by drug company Merck & Co, will be available on prescription in mid-January. The company estimates that it will cost $45 to $49 (£30) for one month's supply.

But the pill is no miracle drug. None of the hundreds of men who tested it grew a full head of hair. Some people were not helped at all.

Hair grew back for prostrate patients

In tests submitted to the FDA, dermatologists found that 30% of men given Propecia grew slight amounts of hair in one year while another 18% experienced moderate to heavy growth.

There are 40 million balding men in the US alone, who until now have slathered non-prescription Rogaine, which costs up to $30 (£20) per month, on their scalps in an attempt to encourage new hair growth.

Propecia works by suppressing a hormone that shrinks hair follicles. It is a scaled-back version of a popular drug, Proscar, already used to treat enlarged prostates.

Doctors studying prostrate disease noticed that some of their patients were experiencing hair re-growth.

Women suffer hair loss too, but doctors warn that Propecia is for men only, as it can cause birth defects. Doctors say women should not even touch the pills for fear the drug will be absorbed through their skin.

Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage	©