> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Oral dutasteride guide

> Once-daily dutasteride for hair loss is an off-label use — the capsule schedule, review points, pregnancy precautions, and side effects to know.

Dutasteride is a once-daily soft capsule. Its use for hair loss is
**off-label** — the 0.5 mg capsule is an authorised medicine, but not for
hair loss specifically, so this use has not been separately assessed and
approved by EU regulators for that purpose.

## How to use

Two rules hold for as long as you are taking it — the daily capsule, and what
must not be added alongside it.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Take 0.5 mg once daily as prescribed" icon="capsules">
    Swallow the soft capsule whole, with or without food. It is not chewed
    or opened. If a dose is missed, it can be taken when remembered unless
    the next dose is near — two capsules are not taken together.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Avoid duplicate DHT blockers" icon="circle-minus">
    Finasteride or another dutasteride product is not added without medical
    review.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Dose schedule

<Info>
  **Daily dose** 0.5 mg dutasteride — one soft capsule, swallowed whole. Use for
  hair loss is off-label.
</Info>

The capsule itself does not change; what changes is what the doctor is looking
at as the months pass.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Months 0–3">
    One capsule daily. Early changes may be subtle, and temporary shedding
    does not by itself show whether treatment will help.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Months 3–6 and beyond">
    Photographs, tolerance, sexual or mood effects, and whether continued
    off-label treatment remains appropriate are reviewed together. The dose
    is not increased to try to speed results.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What has been reported

| Category                          | What has been reported                                                                                                                                        |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sexual and reproductive effects   | Reduced libido, erection or ejaculation changes, and changes in semen parameters can occur. Fertility plans are worth discussing before and during treatment. |
| Breast, mood and allergy symptoms | Breast tenderness or enlargement and mood changes have been reported. Facial swelling, widespread rash, or breathing difficulty requires urgent care.         |

## Contact your doctor if

* A breast lump or nipple discharge, severe low mood, or sexual effects
  that are concerning appear
* A capsule leaks or is handled by someone who is pregnant or could become
  pregnant
* Fertility treatment, blood donation, or a prostate-specific antigen test
  is being planned

## Storage

Store below the temperature stated on the pack (commonly 30°C), in the
original package, protected from moisture. Leaking capsules are kept away
from women, children and adolescents; exposed skin is washed with soap and
water.

## What to expect

Hair treatment is gradual. Early shedding can occur, and photographs taken
in the same light are more useful than day-to-day checking. The doctor
normally reviews tolerance and progress after several months, and treatment
continues only while the balance of benefit and risk remains appropriate.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How long does dutasteride take to work for hair loss?">
    Early changes may be subtle, and temporary shedding does not by itself
    show whether treatment will help. The doctor reviews photographs,
    tolerance and progress at months 3 to 6 before assessing whether
    continued off-label treatment remains appropriate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I take dutasteride with finasteride?">
    No. Finasteride or another dutasteride product is not added without
    medical review. Both are DHT blockers and taking them together does not
    provide additional benefit but increases the risk of side effects.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What should I do if a capsule leaks?">
    Leaking capsules are kept away from women, children and adolescents.
    Exposed skin is washed with soap and water. Dutasteride can be absorbed
    through the skin, and it carries a risk of harm to a male fetus.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can dutasteride affect fertility?">
    Changes in semen parameters can occur. Fertility plans are worth
    discussing with your doctor before and during treatment, as the medicine
    can affect sperm production.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What side effects should I watch for?">
    Reduced libido, erection or ejaculation changes can occur. Breast
    tenderness or enlargement and mood changes have been reported. Facial
    swelling, widespread rash or breathing difficulty requires urgent care.
    Contact your doctor if a breast lump or nipple discharge appears, or if
    sexual effects are concerning.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## How Hi-Doctor handles it

A questionnaire covering hair-loss pattern and history, scalp condition,
allergies and medical history is reviewed by an EU-licensed doctor — see how
[eligibility works](/essentials/how-it-works). Hair growth is available as a
one-off consultation or an ongoing plan; the cost is set out on
[pricing](/essentials/pricing). See [safety](/essentials/safety) for how
eligibility checks run. Related guides include the [oral dutasteride + minoxidil
guide](/library/guides/oral-dutasteride-minoxidil) for the combination approach,
and the [minoxidil treatment guide](/library/guides/hair-growth-minoxidil).

## Start a consultation

<Card title="Hair-growth consultation" icon="stethoscope" href="https://hi-doctor.ai/consultation/hair-growth/1">
  Answer the hair-growth questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
  They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
  and declining is a normal outcome. See [what it costs](/essentials/pricing)
  and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-works).
</Card>

<Warning>
  This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription.
  Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor
  after reviewing your consultation.
</Warning>