How Effective are Propecia (Finasteride) and Dutasteride (Avodart) in Treating Hair Loss?

I went to my doctor today and got a finasteride prescription. Now I’m reading that dutasteride may be more effective. Does anyone have any comparative experiences? Have you seen any people actually regrow hair by getting on finasteride (or dutasteride)?

Most guys are using Propecia (finasteride) for hair loss. Avodart (dutasteride) is typically reserved for the day when finasteride is no longer sustaining hair growth and hair loss once again begins to advance.

There are probably a number of reasons for this. First, dutasteride is not FDA approved as a hair loss treatment so many physicians won’t prescribe it. Second, dutasteride tends to be more expensive and, lastly, as it inhibits both the type 1 and type 2 alpha-reductase enzyme (the enzyme associated with the conversion of testosterone to DHT), side effects can be more severe.

In terms of the effectiveness of Propecia in the treatment of androgenic alopecia, there are three potential outcomes. The first potential outcome is that it regrows hair. This is pretty easy to assess and document photographically.

The second potential outcome is that is slows the progression of male pattern baldness, allowing you to retain more of your existing hair over a longer period of time. This outcome is not so easy to measure. If you take the drug for five or ten years and still have most of your hair, how could you know for certain that you wouldn’t have had the same outcome without the drug?

Obviously, the most desirable effect would be a combination of outcomes 1 and 2.

Of course, the final potential outcome is that it does nothing at all and you continue to lose hair until reaching your final stage on the Norwood Scale.

There lots of guys here that have been on finasteride for years and have reported positive results with little to no negative side effects. In generic form, it’s so affordable these days that it’s certainly worth a try. You’ll never know if it will work for you until you try it. Give it 6 months to 1 year before assessing your results and take monthly photos for comparison.

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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.

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