Is Dutasteride the Strongest Hair Loss Drug?

Table Of Content

• Who should not take finasteride and dutasteride?
• Effectiveness
• Dutasteride and Finasteride
• What Is Topical Dutasteride?
• Statistical Analysis
• Efficacy of Intralesional and Oral Dutasteride in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review
• What are the potential risks of using dutasteride to treat hair loss?

In men who are genetically prone to male pattern baldness, both dutasteride and finasteride stop DHT from binding to hair follicles. “Low-dose minoxidil is a safe and effective hair loss treatment that strengthens hair follicles and promotes hair retention and growth,” says Green. A person should be cautious about trying hair loss treatments that have not been FDA approved. They should always discuss hair loss with a doctor before trying to treat it with medication. Also, finasteride and dutasteride are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and shouldn’t be combined.

Who should not take finasteride and dutasteride?

Yuyu eyes US, EU hair loss market with smaller dutasteride tablet - KBR

Yuyu eyes US, EU hair loss market with smaller dutasteride tablet.

Posted: Mon, 21 Nov 2022 08:00:00 GMT [source]

If a certain medication is causing the hair loss, your doctor may advise you to stop using it for a few months. The hair results gained from the use of Dutasteride may revert if the medication is stopped, so Dutasteride for hair loss treatment is normally a long-term medication. Both Finasteride and Dutasteride function by helping to block the conversion of Testosterone into DHT, but it turns out that Dutasteride may help block that conversion much more strongly than Finasteride. Dutasteride may reduce DHT serum concentrations by up to 95%, while Finasteride may only reduce the DHT serum concentrations by around 70%.

Effectiveness

Other ways to alleviate dry mouth include using a room humidifier, stopping tobacco use if you smoke, and limiting your caffeine intake. You may also try an over-the-counter saliva substitute like the Biotene Oral Balance. If you experience any side effects while taking dutasteride for hair loss, consult with the prescribing health care professional.

Dutasteride and Finasteride

The serum half-life of a drug is the amount of time it takes for your body to reduce its amount by half of its original value in your bloodstream. Half-life is used to estimate how long it takes for a drug to be removed from your body. A longer half-life means the medication stays in your body longer, whereas a shorter half-life means that your body eliminates the drug more quickly.

What Is Topical Dutasteride?

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis concludes that dutasteride is more effective for treating hair loss than finasteride. If you are suffering from hair loss or hair thinning, the best first step is to meet with a board-certified dermatologist, like Dr. Michele Green in New York City. Dr. Green is an internationally renowned cosmetic dermatologist and is consistently voted as one of New York’s best physicians by Castle Connolly, New York Magazine, and Super Doctors. Dutasteride may also have adverse supplement and drug interactions and may not be suitable for all people, such as those with severe bladder problems or liver disease. Those who take cimetidine, diltiazem, ritonavir, verapamil, and ketoconazole, among other medications with dutasteride may have increased risk of side effects. Dutasteride may also affect results of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test used to detect prostate cancer.

Dutasteride’s mechanism of action is to inhibit (block) the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which in turn blocks the formation of DHT. This helps decrease the prostate's size and reduce the related symptoms of BPH. Healthcare providers prescribe 5-alpha reductase inhibitors to treat the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also called an enlarged prostate. Dutasteride is used alone or in combination with tamsulosin (Flomax®) to treat men who have symptoms of an enlarged prostate gland, which is also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

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‍Oral doses of Dutasteride generally start producing hair results after using the medication for 3-6 months. Topical minoxidil is available over the counter in 2% and 5% solutions and 5% foam in the United States. Patients should apply 1 mL of 5% solution or half a cap of 5% foam once a day directly to involved areas of the scalp (not the hair) when dry. However, there’s no standardized formulation for this version of the drug. Each of these websites could be selling the exact same topical dutasteride product… or totally different ones.

Efficacy of Intralesional and Oral Dutasteride in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review

Using dutasteride can be an effective tool for stopping hair loss, but experts say to keep in mind that it isn’t going to grow hair. Both of these treatments block 5-AR, however, Pimstone points out that dutasteride inhibits two forms of the enzyme known as isoforms I and II, whereas finasteride only acts on isoform II. Dutasteride is often used in situations where hair loss is extensive or not responsive to another treatment known as finasteride. No matter your age, hair loss can be an unwelcome change and it’s not always easy to know how to treat it.

What are the potential risks of using dutasteride to treat hair loss?

These online providers usually require a person to have a virtual appointment with a doctor before dispensing prescription drugs. Dutasteride has serious side effects on pregnant women and can lead to severe defects in the fetus. As such, women should not handle dutasteride as it can also be absorbed into their skin and may harm an unborn baby. Dutasteride should never be used in breastfeeding women or in children as the effects are unknown. In addition, men who have been taking this medicine should not donate blood until 6 months have passed since the last dose as the blood may be used on a pregnant woman.

A 3-month supply of oral finasteride costs $20 per month, and the same supply of topical minoxidil costs $16 per month. This medication is FDA-approved to treat and manage heart failure and high blood pressure. However, doctors can also prescribe it for FPHL if other treatments have not worked. A person should not use minoxidil if they do not know the cause of their hair loss.

The overall population consisted of 600 South Korean patients, 295 of whom received dutasteride and 305 of whom received finasteride as their index medication. Within these groups, 250 dutasteride-treated patients (84.7%) and 285 finasteride-treated patients (93.4%) received exclusively on-label dosages throughout the observation period. Effectiveness and safety data were extracted from patient charts at the index date and at each patient visit during the observation period.

The FDA has approved the 1-mg tablet of finasteride (Propecia) to treat male-pattern hair loss in adult men, known as androgenetic alopecia (balding). Men with male pattern hair loss can be treated with finasteride 1 mg daily. Treatment should be assessed for efficacy after 1 year of use, but results may be observed sooner. If none of these options are ideal for you, you may want to explore nutraceutical DHT blockers. These plant-based ingredients, which are usually considered to be weaker than finasteride and dutasteride, are often added to shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in serums. Products like these can complement your doctor-prescribed hair loss treatment.

Another recent 2022 article states that some individuals may prefer using topical finasteride rather than the oral form. Although the cohort was much smaller — 126 males in total — over 85% saw an improvement after using finasteride for 5 years. There are several safety concerns a person should consider before using spironolactone. A person should consider the advantages and disadvantages of minoxidil before trying it.