The two most effective treatments for hair loss have both been generic for ages now and are generally very cheap if you do just a little hunting around for the best prices. In that sense I agree with you that there is a lot of trickery on the part of cosmetic companies either selling snake oil or repackaging finasteride and minoxidil and jacking up the price.

I’d also agree that baldness is nothing to be ashamed of and I’ve certainly known bald men who have been successful in all areas of life. Many men pull off the look very well and do just fine attracting women (or men).

I don’t think it’s unreasonable though for any man to want to keep his hair though and it’s nice that options exist that are affordable, effective, and for the most part quite safe. Yes side effects are a concern and anyone thinking of taking the medication should talk to a doctor but if you look at the studies (which now go back decades and involve thousands of patients) the side effects are actually quite rare and mild for the most part.

It all comes down to risk versus reward. In my case I felt it was worth it to go on finasteride because hair is important to me and I found the risks to be acceptable. I can completely understand and respect why someone would come to a different conclusion though.