Learn More About Dutasteride

Dutasteride is a medication used to treat enlarged prostates and has an off-label use as a medication to prevent hair loss. It was FDA approved in 2002 for prostate enlargement. However, side effects led to other uses. Hence, Dutasteride works by blocking both type 1 and type 2 5-alpha reductase inhibitors while finasteride works by blocking only type 1 5-alpha reductase inhibitors. Dutasteride goes the trade name Avodart. It is typically prescribed in doses between.05mg to 2.5 mg. Dutasteride is used in select cases for patients with severe hair loss. It can not be used by women and is currently considered a second line drug for hair loss.

Studies

A recent study compared the difference in hair growth between Dutasteride and Finasteride and found the following data:

Placebo

-32.3 hairs

Finasteride 5mg

75.6 hairs

Dutasteride 0.1 mg

78.5 hairs

Dutasteride 0.5 mg

94.6 hairs

Dutasteride 2.5 mg

109.6 Hairs

While the higher dose of dutasteride had more hair growth, however as the dose was increased in the dutasteride group patients experienced more decreased libido. Dutasteride does stay in your system longer than Finasteride (4 weeks vs 24 hours) so symptoms persisted some weeks afterwards. Dutasteride is reserved for select patients and for patients unable to tolerate Finasteride or Dutasteride, Formula 82m offers a topical formulation promising improvements.