Propecia and Rogaine are, probably, the most well-known pharmaceutical solutions for male pattern baldness. Both medications were shown to be effective not only in stopping the progression of hair loss, but even in restoring hair growth on the scalp. The situation would be perfect with Propecia and Rogaine, but for one nasty fly, that spoiled this pot of honey just like hundreds of its unlucky fellows. There is one tiny note about Propecia and Rogaine: all the improvements last as long as one takes a medication, but they vanish inexorably after stopping the therapy.

“Ok, not big deal”, says one optimist and decides to stick to his hair-saving remedy forever. However, “never say never”, because one more obstacle may arise at some period of time. This obstacle could be as simple as abc, but it can also be as unconquerable as the Chinese Great Wall. It is a price of about 2 U.S. dollars per one pill of Propecia, which translates into the total cost of one year treatment somewhere beyond $700…

“So, what do we do?” ask all those who want to save some of the bucks in their wallets along with saving their hair. Happily, the answer to this dilemma is offered by the generic versions of the brand-name medications Propecia and Rogaine.

Nowadays all the men with male pattern baldness are granted with the choice between the brand-name pills and their cheaper generic alternatives. By the way, “cheaper” in this case does not mean “worse”, because according to the U.S. regulations all the generic pills should be the exact copies of the original drugs with absolutely the same mode of action, dosage, indications and side effects rates.

For the time being, the generic version of Propecia, called finasteride (after the main working ingredient of the drug), is manufactured by Dr. Reddy Labs Inc., and it seem to be authorized by the U.S. FDA (at least, it is included in the list of therapeutic equivalents of Propecia at FDA CDER site); consequently the pills should be available by prescription in the USA.

On the other hand, the patent on original Propecia for male pattern baldness was prolonged until 2013, so other generic versions from Teva Pharms, Watson Labs, and Actavis are suspended until the patent expiration. So, it is better to consult a doctor or a pharmacist in your area to find out whether generic finasteride is available. Please, note that the pills can be available in either 1 mg or 5 mg tablets, but for treating hair loss one should take only 1 mg pills.

Besides, the internet is full of unauthorized generics of Propecia, manufactured in India and sold under the names Finpecia (made by Cipla and available at the price of about $150 for one-year supply), or Finax (made by Dr. Reddy’s, price of about $105 per 300 pills). These medications contain the same ingredients as original Propecia, but are not officially authorized in the USA.

Rogaine is another way of saving hair. Unlike once-daily Propecia pills, taken by mouth, the use of Rogaine may seem to be more complicated process – it is produced in the form of topical solution or foam, which should be applied twice daily. However, the obvious benefit of Rogaine is that it is available as an OTC product, so you will not need to ask a doctor for prescription. Besides, generic topical solutions of minoxidil are authorized by the FDA.

In view of the OTC status of Rogaine and the availability of authorized generics, the cost of treatment with this medication is usually lower in comparison with Propecia: one month supply of original Rogain is available at a price of about $30, and three months supply of Rogaine foam will be around $50. To make saving hair even more cost-effective, one may look for minoxidil by third-parties manufacturers, such as Rite Aid’s Hair Regrowth Treatment with the price of about $40 per three month supply.

So, while original Propecia really embodies the most up-to-date, safe, and convenient approach of men’s hair loss treatment, there are still several options to lower the cost of hair-saving campaign (sometimes even without compromising its quality and effectiveness;-).