Dutasteride, which is commonly marketed under the brand name Avodart, belongs to a class of drugs called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors, which block the action of the 5-alpha-reductase enzymes that convert testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). The drug was approved by the FDA for the treatment of prostate enlargement in men in 2002.
Avodart has not been approved for the treatment of hair loss, although physicians can use an approved medication in ways other than that it was specifically approved for. That said, the use of dutasteride certainly requires doctor supervision. Avodart is used mostly for men who have an enlarged prostate.
If your prostate is smaller, it will put less pressure on your urethra. AVODART has been shown to improve symptoms after 3 to 6 months, with continued improvement extending to 2 years, and this improvement can be maintained up to 4 years. By shrinking the prostate, it stops the symptoms associated with prostate enlargement from getting worse.
Like finasteride (the active ingredient in Propecia), dutasteride blocks the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase that converts testosterone to DHT (DHT causes hair loss). Unlike finasteride, which only inhibits the Type I form of the enzyme, dutasteride inhibits both the Type I and Type II forms. This combined effect lowers circulating DHT more with dutasteride than with finasteride, but also increases the incidence of side effects.
The Type II form of the enzyme (blocked by finasteride) is found predominantly in the hair follicle. The Type I form of the enzyme has been found in the scalp and sebaceous glands, but its exact role in hair growth has not been determined. It is felt that the ability of dutasteride to lower serum levels of DHT is what makes it a more potent medication in hair loss.
When considering the safety of dutasteride, one should consider several facts. It acts on other parts of the body besides the hair follicle. Unlike finasteride, where families that had a deficiency of the Type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme were followed for years without any adverse effects, there is no natural biologic model to show the safety of dutasteride.
Avodart has been approved for prostate enlargement in an older male population. It is not approved for hair loss and, in fact, the clinical trials for hair loss were discontinued, so there is no safety data for its use in younger patients. There is a greater incidence of sexual side effects with dutasteride compared to finasteride.
I hope you have found this information helpful. In any case, you should consult your physician before using Avodart. It may or may not be appropriate, depending on your medical situation, to use the drug to treat hair loss. Be sure to disclose to your physician any other drugs you might be taking before requesting a prescription for Avodart.
Another beautiful way to imprint promotional products, etching is often mistaken for engraving. Though the results are similar, the process behind the two are totally different. Engraving uses either a graver (can be a rotating carbide cutter or a diamond drag) or laser to cut into metal and other hard-surface items. Etching, on the other hand, uses strong acids or other abrasives to cut into the unprotected parts of the substrate. The most common use for etching is on a metal or glass surfaces.
How It's Done
Etching Metals The metal to be imprinted is coated with an acid-resistant substance (also called a resist, it is usually a waxy ground). The etcher then exposes the image to be imprinted.
Traditional methods of exposing an image utilizes an etching needle or an ?choppe for sloped lines. Today, most etching companies use photographic means. A photo-negative of the artwork is prepared. This image is then exposed on the photo-sensitive surface of the metal. This step results in exposed and a protected metal portions.
The metal then goes through an acid bath or an acid wash. During this process, the acid eats away at the bare metal leaving a fine image on the surface of the product. This process is called ?biting?. Once the image has successfully been transferred onto the substrate, it is washed over with water. Finally, the resist is removed with a solvent.
Etching Glass There are two ways to etch glass:
First, glass etchers can either use acidic, caustic or abrasive substances. In the 1920's, manufacturers developed the mold-etch process to significantly reduce costs for labor-intensive glass etching. Here, art is etched directly onto the mold so that each piece cast from it comes out with the image already etched on the glass. This process involves extremely hazardous acids, so most etchers still prefer the use of abrasive elements. Fluoride compounds are the most popular abrasives used for glass.
The second way to etch glass is with a sand blaster. The glass is covered with a template that has a design cut out of it. When blasted with silicone sand, only the unprotected portions are etched into the glass.
Both Jim Pretin & Remy Lebeau are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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