With the increasing number of hair loss treatment options and information available these days, many people may be confused about what to choose and where to receive treatment.
We're seeing more and more options available, not just oral medications, but also regenerative medicine injections and other treatments.
In fact, we frequently receive the exact same inquiries from patients who visit our clinic.

"I saw something that said, 'You can cure hair loss with just injections, without taking any oral medication.' Is that true?"
"Ultimately, which should I choose: traditional AGA medication or the latest regenerative medicine?"
With so much information available, I completely understand why you might feel confused and unsure of what to choose.

Therefore, in this article, we will provide a clear explanation from a specialist's perspective for those who are wondering whether to choose oral medication or regenerative medicine for AGA treatment. We will explain the crucial differences in their roles and philosophies, as well as how to make the right choice to maximize their effectiveness.

Differences in the roles and approaches of regenerative medicine and oral medications

To get straight to the point, my view as a doctor is:"Both are extremely important, and neither is superior to the other."

Depending on the patient's concerns and current scalp condition, oral medication may be suitable for some, regenerative medicine may be more appropriate for others, and in many cases, a combination of both can lead to better results. The optimal approach varies from person to person.
They areIt's not a matter of comparing "which is better," but rather that they are "treatment methods with completely different roles."

[Oral medication]
This is about oral medications (drugs taken by mouth) for AGA (androgenetic alopecia) that have been around for a long time.
This is a highly reliable standard treatment that is recommended as the "first-line treatment" in the "AGA Treatment Guidelines" published by the Japanese Dermatological Association.

• Finasteride / Dutasteride (protective treatment)
It powerfully suppresses the activity of "5α-reductase," which produces the harmful hormone that is the root cause of AGA (androgenetic alopecia).
This medication is the most important and fundamental treatment for blocking the root cause of hair loss, slowing down the progression of AGA, and suppressing hair loss.

• Oral minoxidil (aggressive treatment)
By promoting blood flow to the scalp and delivering nutrients to the hair follicles, it strongly supports the growth of new hair.

Finasteride and dutasteride play a crucial role in slowing the progression of AGA (androgenetic alopecia) and preventing hair loss by inhibiting 5α-reductase, which is the enzyme that causes AGA.
Furthermore, by using minoxidil in combination, it is possible to suppress hair loss while promoting hair growth.

▼Detailed explanation of the treatment drugs is provided below.
  

[Regenerative Medicine]
On the other hand, the latest "regenerative medicine (such as scalp injections)" is based on a completely different way of thinking than these medications. 
Instead of inhibiting the cause or promoting blood flow like medication, it works on the hair follicles themselves to activate cells,The approach of regenerative medicine is to "fundamentally improve the scalp environment itself and rejuvenate the hair follicles, thereby reviving hair at the cellular level."

In other words, While oral medications are a "treatment that suppresses the cause," regenerative medicine is a "treatment that improves the environment and enhances the power of cells."Therefore, their roles are completely different.
Because they act on different points, it's easiest to understand if you imagine that using them appropriately in combination will create a synergistic effect that significantly increases the speed and degree of improvement in hair growth.

Reasons why oral medications may not be as effective

Among those who actually come to Dr. Touhi Clinic for consultation,
"I've been taking oral medication for AGA (androgenetic alopecia) at other clinics or on my own for a long time, but at some point the effects stopped improving."
"I've been taking oral medication, but I'm not really seeing any effects."
There are a great many people who feel that way.
In that case, we'll start by carefully examining together why the results aren't progressing as expected.

The main causes are the following three:

1. Issues regarding the quality and safety of medications (risks of personal importation)
If you obtain medication through "personal import" from overseas to reduce costs, unfortunately, there is a risk that the active ingredients may not be present as indicated on the label, or that impurities that can easily cause unexpected side effects may be present. In such cases, simply switching to high-quality, genuine products prescribed by medical institutions where safety and quality are guaranteed may allow the effects to resume.

2. Medication compliance (missed doses)
Continuing to take medication is also extremely important.
This includes cases where patients stop taking their medication on their own, such as taking it for a month and then taking a break the following month, or cases where they take their medication irregularly, such as taking it only every few days when they remember.
Maintaining a consistent concentration of medication in the body is a fundamental principle of AGA treatment, so this will not result in stable effects.
Simply "returning to the correct medication habits" can lead to improvement for many people.

3. Scalp environment and cellular deterioration
If the medication is ineffective despite no issues with its quality or how it's being taken, the condition of your scalp or hair follicles may be a contributing factor.
It is highly likely that the scalp itself, the soil from which hair grows, has hardened or deteriorated, resulting in a significant decrease in the vitality of the hair follicle cells.
In such cases, adding a regenerative medicine approach can significantly improve the results for some patients.

▼This section explains the importance of oral medications for AGA treatment.
 
  
▼The importance of continuing to take oral medication

Oral medication and regenerative medicine enhance the effects.

As mentioned earlier, when medication alone inevitably hits a wall—the deterioration of the scalp's soil and cells—that's when regenerative medicine comes into play.
What's important here is not a choice between "stop taking oral medication and switch to regenerative medicine," but rather
The approach is to continue taking oral medication to suppress the progression of AGA while also incorporating regenerative medicine.

Many people actually use oral medications in combination with regenerative medicine, and at our clinic, most patients choose to combine them with injection therapy. We propose a combination therapy that enhances the effectiveness of treatment by maintaining oral medications that block the cause as a base while adding regenerative medicine. In past cases, we have seen many instances where patients who had been struggling to improve suddenly began to show improvement after adding injection therapy.
Of course, there are individual differences, but compared to treatment alone, it seems to be able to create a more efficient environment for hair growth, and there is a clear difference in the speed and perceived effectiveness of the improvement.

"While suppressing hair loss with oral medication, we will activate hair follicles with regenerative medicine."
"Is one of them enough?"
Many people worry about this, but in reality, by combining and utilizing the roles of each component, a solid foundation is created to support hair growth, which ultimately leads to improved results and is the quickest way to see improvement.

The importance of regenerative medicine tailored to age and stage of progression

The effectiveness of the treatment varies depending on age and the progression of AGA (androgenetic alopecia).
Generally speaking, when it comes to hair loss, there is a tendency for AGA to progress quickly, but the younger you are, the better the response to treatment and the sooner you will see results. As you get older, the potential of your cells decreases, so it takes longer to see improvement with treatment, but the progression slows down.
That's why starting treatment as soon as possible and directly targeting the hair follicles with regenerative medicine to boost cell function are extremely important.

In particular, for older individuals or those whose hair loss has progressed to a certain extent, rejuvenating the hair follicle cells that have naturally weakened with age through the power of regenerative medicine, and significantly boosting their potential to areas that medication alone could not reach, can greatly influence the results.

Regardless of age, in order to make the ambitious goal of "regaining abundant hair" a reality,
It's important to consider how to combine treatments according to your own condition.

Knowing the process that people with the same problem went through to experience change will help you imagine your own treatment, so if you're interested, please take a look at our clinic's cases.

The male caseCLICK HEREから
The female casesCLICK HEREから

Summary

In this article, we explained the differences in roles between oral AGA medication and regenerative medicine to address the question of which to choose.
To reiterate, this isn't a simple comparison of which is right or wrong. Because each plays a completely different role, correctly understanding both and combining them appropriately according to your condition is the key to overcoming hair loss.
"Given my current progress, where should I start?"
"Is regenerative medicine necessary to overcome the current stagnation in growth?"
If this concerns you, please don't try to handle it alone. Start by getting a free scalp diagnosis to find out what approach is best for your scalp and understand its current condition.

Let's work together to understand your current situation, find the best approach, and create a personalized treatment plan that is both manageable and efficient.