First, make sure it is pattern hair loss
Male pattern hair loss follows a shape: the temples recede, the crown thins, and over years the two can meet. It runs in families and it is slow. About half of men have some of it by the age of 50.
Hair loss that doesn't fit that shape is something else. See your GP first if the hair loss is sudden, patchy, coming out in clumps, or your scalp is itchy, sore, scaly or scarred. Those need a diagnosis before any clinic treatment.
The medicines
Minoxidil is a foam or liquid you put on the scalp, usually twice a day. Pharmacies sell it without a prescription. It slows the loss in many men and thickens some hairs. A three-month pack costs €50 to €85. Our minoxidil guide covers how to use it and what to expect.
Finasteride is a 1mg tablet taken once a day, for adult men only, on prescription. It lowers the hormone (DHT) that shrinks the follicles. It costs €79 for 12 weeks, plus the doctor's fee. Read the finasteride guide before you ask for it: the side effects matter.
Both medicines only work for as long as you keep using them. Stop, and the hair they held on to is lost over the following months.
Procedures
PRP uses platelets from your own blood, injected into the scalp over three or four monthly sessions, at €225 to €400 a session. The evidence is mixed, and it works alongside the medicines, not instead of them. More on PRP.
A hair transplant moves hairs from the back and sides to the front or crown. It costs €1,500 to €10,000, with most at €3,500 to €9,500. It suits men whose loss has slowed and who have plenty of donor hair. More on transplants.
What to do at each stage
| Stage | What you see | What men usually do |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Temples creeping back, more scalp under bright light | See a GP or clinic, start a medicine, take photos every three months |
| Established | A clear thin crown or a hairline well back | Medicine to hold what's there, and a transplant consultation if it bothers you |
| Advanced | A horseshoe of hair at the back and sides | A transplant may cover part of it; many men shave it or choose scalp micropigmentation |
When it isn't the right step yet
Paying a clinic isn't the right first step if:
- you're under 18
- the hair loss started suddenly, in the last few weeks or months, and nobody has looked at why
- it's patchy, or your scalp is sore, scaly or scarred, and a GP hasn't seen it
- you've just had a baby, been ill, lost a lot of weight or started a new medicine: shedding like that usually settles
Questions people ask
What is the most effective treatment for men?
For pattern hair loss, finasteride tablets and minoxidil have the strongest evidence, and many men use both. A transplant adds hair where it has gone. No treatment works for everyone, and the HSE is plain that no hair loss treatment is 100% effective.
At what age should a man start treatment?
When the loss starts to bother you and a doctor agrees it is pattern hair loss. Finasteride 1mg is licensed for men from 18. Starting early keeps more hair, because the medicines hold hair better than they regrow it.
Do I need a prescription?
For finasteride, yes. Minoxidil for the scalp is sold over the counter in pharmacies.
Can I just get a transplant and skip the tablets?
You can, but the hair you were born with keeps thinning around the transplanted hair. Most surgeons want the loss stable, usually on a medicine, before they operate.