AGA

Online AGA Treatment in Japan | Video Consultation and Delivery Nationwide

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Is this you?

Men’s Care Clinic treats men only. Online AGA consultations can be booked from the first visit, anywhere in Japan, and the medication is posted to you. People come to us with concerns like these.

• You want to start treatment for thinning hair but cannot find the time to attend a clinic.
• You live too far from Tokyo to attend in person.
• You would rather not be seen going into a hair-loss clinic.
• You want to try treatment for a few months before deciding whether to continue.
• You are already taking something and want to discuss whether it is the right choice.

What online AGA treatment is

AGA (androgenetic alopecia) is treated with prescription medication taken over a sustained period. In an online consultation the doctor speaks to you by telephone or video call, assesses the state of your hair, and posts the medication to your home or workplace. Consultations from the first visit have been permitted since the expansion of online medical care in April 2020.

All you need is a smartphone, or a computer with a camera. There is no travelling time and no waiting room.

How AGA develops

• Testosterone circulating in the bloodstream reaches the fine blood vessels of the scalp.
• At the front and crown of the head it combines with 5α-reductase, producing DHT (dihydrotestosterone), the factor behind thinning hair.
• Androgen receptors within the follicular tissue take up the DHT, and the hair cycle begins to be disrupted.
• The growth phase of the hair cycle becomes markedly shorter, and hairs become fine and weak.
• Hairs not only fail to grow but remain on the scalp for a shorter time, and thinning follows.

The medications used

Finasteride (oral)

Finasteride inhibits 5α-reductase type II, the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT, the substance responsible for hair loss. This suppresses the production of DHT, slowing the progression of AGA and supporting hair growth.

Minoxidil

Minoxidil improves circulation, helping nutrients reach the dermal papilla through the fine blood vessels. The clinic prescribes both a topical form applied directly to the scalp and an oral form.

The clinic’s combined hair-growth medication

An oral preparation original to this clinic, combining minoxidil 5 mg, finasteride 1 mg and zinc.

Prices

All treatment is self-pay, so public health insurance does not apply and the full cost is borne by the patient. How change appears varies from person to person, and whether a medication can be prescribed is decided by the doctor at the consultation.

How the online consultation works

Step 1 — Booking

Tell us the dates you would like through LINE. Same-day slots are sometimes available.

Step 2 — The doctor’s consultation

We contact you by telephone or video call on the number you give us. The doctor asks about the state of your hair, any treatment you have had before, and any conditions or medication you currently have.

Step 3 — Payment

An invoice is sent to the email address you register. Credit card and bank transfer are both accepted.

Step 4 — Despatch of medication

Once payment is confirmed we post the medication to your home or workplace. If you would prefer to collect it from a post office, please say so at the consultation.

Coverage, delivery and practical details

Side effects

Shedding at the start of treatment

Some hair may be shed shortly after starting minoxidil. Hair passes through growth, regression and resting phases before being shed; minoxidil activates the hair matrix cells, and hair in the resting phase is understood to be shed naturally as a result. The hair grows back after a period. As a guide, this settles within one to two months and growth is seen from the third month.

Fluid retention

Swelling occurs when blood or lymph does not drain freely. Swelling of the face and legs has been reported as a side effect of oral minoxidil.

Excess body hair

With oral minoxidil the active substance is carried around the body in the blood. Hair elsewhere on the body, and not only on the head, may therefore grow longer or thicker. For anyone already troubled by heavy body hair, this may add to the problem.

Reduced libido

Very rarely, a reduction in libido is seen with finasteride. Suppression of male hormone is regarded as the cause. In a one-year clinical trial conducted in Japan, side effects including abnormal laboratory values were seen in 4.0% of participants (11 of 276). The principal findings were reduced libido in 1.1% (3 cases) and erectile dysfunction in 0.7% (2 cases). Rarely, loss of appetite and general fatigue may appear as signs of impaired liver function; if this occurs, stop taking the medication.

Important information about this treatment

• Self-pay treatment: AGA treatment is not covered by public health insurance. The full cost is borne by the patient. No insurance card is needed, and no notice of medical expenses is sent to your home or your workplace.
• Unapproved pharmaceutical: oral minoxidil, including the minoxidil contained in the clinic’s combined hair-growth medication, is not approved in Japan as a pharmaceutical for the treatment of AGA. Finasteride and topical minoxidil are approved in Japan for male pattern hair loss.
• Adverse drug reaction relief system: where treatment uses an unapproved pharmaceutical, it falls outside Japan’s Adverse Drug Reaction Relief System, even in the event of a serious side effect.
• Main risks and side effects: shedding at the start of treatment, fluid retention, excess body hair, reduced libido, erectile dysfunction and impaired liver function. Please read “Side effects” above.
• Blood donation: you cannot donate blood while taking these medications. Finasteride must be stopped for at least one month, and dutasteride for at least six months, beforehand.

How the effect appears and how long treatment is needed vary from person to person. Whether a medication can be prescribed is decided by the doctor at the consultation. Please ask the doctor about anything that is unclear.

Common worries about being treated online

I am uneasy that nobody will look at my scalp directly.

The state of your hair is assessed over a video call, and you can send photographs of the areas that concern you. If the doctor judges that an in-person examination is needed, we will ask you to attend.

I am not sure I can keep it up.

You can begin with the three-month trial. With a repeat prescription you may pause treatment at any time and choose for yourself when to resume.

I do not want my workplace or my family to know.

Nothing on the outside of the package indicates its contents, and it can be held at a post office for collection. Because the treatment is self-pay, no health insurance is used and no notice of medical expenses is sent.

I am worried about side effects.

Effects on sexual function and changes in liver function have been reported. If any symptom concerns you, do not stop on your own judgement — tell us at a consultation.

I am afraid I will not be able to tell whether it is working.

At each consultation we ask about the state of your hair and how you feel in yourself. It is generally advised to continue for about six months before judging.

Questions we are asked

Can AGA medication be prescribed online at a first consultation?

Yes. Everything from the consultation to the prescription and posting of the medication is completed without attending in person.

How does an online AGA consultation proceed?

You arrange a date through LINE, and we contact you by telephone or video call. After the consultation an invoice is emailed to you, and the medication is despatched once payment is confirmed.

Is it acceptable for my scalp not to be examined in person?

The state of your hair can be assessed over a video call, and you may also send photographs of the areas that concern you. If the doctor judges that an in-person examination is needed, we will ask you to attend.

When will medication prescribed online arrive?

It is despatched once payment is confirmed. Delivery is to your registered address as a rule, so please tell us at the consultation if you have moved.

Could the contents of the package reveal my treatment?

Nothing on the outside indicates the contents. If you would prefer it held at a post office for collection, please say so at the consultation.

What does online AGA treatment cost?

The three-month starter trial is ¥18,000 for 90 days, the combined hair-growth medication ¥13,800, the Japanese-made finasteride generic ¥4,800, and topical minoxidil ¥6,000. All are self-pay and the full cost is borne by the patient.

How can I pay for an online consultation?

By credit card or bank transfer. Please follow the invoice sent after the consultation.

Can I change to a different medication later?

Yes, you can discuss a change in the light of how treatment is going. If something does not suit you, do not stop on your own judgement — tell us at a consultation.

Can a repeat prescription be stopped partway?

You may pause at any time, and you can choose when to resume to suit your own circumstances.

How is progress assessed?

At each consultation we ask about the state of your hair and how you feel in yourself. It is generally advised to continue for about six months, and how change appears varies from person to person.

Do I need an insurance card or identification?

AGA treatment is self-pay rather than insured care, so an insurance card is not required. This is a self-pay clinic; if you want treatment covered by insurance, please consult a clinic providing insured care.

Is medication alone enough?

Medication is the core of treatment, but lifestyle matters as well, and lifestyle advice is included in the consultation at no charge. It is generally advised to continue for about six months before judging the result, and how change appears varies from person to person.

Can I donate blood while taking the medication?

No. Finasteride must be stopped for at least one month, and dutasteride for at least six months, before donating blood.

Is it a problem if my partner becomes pregnant while I am taking finasteride?

No effect on sperm formation, semen production or testicular function has been observed with finasteride. In clinical trials the rate of partner pregnancy was similar between the finasteride and placebo groups.

Related pages

For more on the medications and prices, see AGA treatment at Men’s Care Clinic. If you would prefer to be seen in person, the Shimbashi clinic is a one-minute walk from JR Shimbashi Station.

AGA

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