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Dutasteride is a daily capsule that lowers DHT, the hormone involved in male pattern hair loss, by blocking both forms of the enzyme that makes it. In the EU it is authorised only for an enlarged prostate — using it for hair loss is off-label here, though it is approved specifically for male pattern hair loss in South Korea and Japan.
Dutasteride 0.5mg has no EU marketing authorisation for hair loss. No doctor in the EU — including ours — can prescribe it for this use. It may be authorised in another country, or for a different condition.

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Can I get it?

Not for hair loss. Dutasteride has no EU authorisation for that use, so it cannot be prescribed or dispensed here for it. It has an EU authorisation for a different condition: benign prostatic hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate).
What can I take instead? Finasteride is approved in the EU, has published peer-reviewed trial results, and can be prescribed today if a doctor decides it suits you. See the finasteride page.

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What it is

Dutasteride is contained in Avodart. It is a dual 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor, taken as a 0.5 mg soft capsule by mouth — one capsule a day, with or without food. Avodart holds national authorisations rather than a single centralised EU one. The wording used in the EU comes from the United Kingdom authorisation (MHRA, holder GlaxoSmithKline UK Limited, MA number PL 19494/0006). In Spain the same GlaxoSmithKline dutasteride 0.5 mg soft capsule is marketed as Avidart (AEMPS registration 65178) with identical indications. Neither authorisation covers hair loss. The authorised indications are:
  • Moderate to severe symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • Reducing the risk of acute urinary retention and of prostate surgery in men with moderate to severe BPH symptoms

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How it works

DHT shrinks scalp hair follicles

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is made from testosterone by 5-alpha-reductase and has approximately 5 times the affinity for the androgen receptor compared with testosterone itself. In the scalp follicle, DHT binding to the androgen receptor triggers a cascade that shortens the anagen (growing) phase and extends the telogen (resting) phase, reducing the anagen-to-telogen ratio. Over successive cycles, the follicle miniaturises and produces increasingly fine, short hairs — the hallmark of androgenetic alopecia.

Dutasteride blocks both enzyme types

There are two isoforms of 5-alpha-reductase — type I (predominant in sebaceous glands and skin) and type II (predominant in the prostate and hair follicle root sheath). Dutasteride is a competitive, non-selective dual inhibitor of both, whereas finasteride selectively inhibits only type II. Because both isoforms are blocked, serum DHT falls substantially further with dutasteride than with finasteride.

Less DHT reaches the follicle

With both enzyme routes blocked, serum DHT falls by more than 90% (compared with approximately 70% for finasteride’s type-II-only blockade — source-facts, AEMPS CIMA — Dutasterida ficha técnica, confirmed by web fetch) — which is why dutasteride is sometimes discussed as an option when finasteride hasn’t been sufficient, in jurisdictions where it is authorised for this use.

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What the studies reported

Every trial behind dutasteride for hair loss is listed here with its registry number and whether the results are peer-reviewed or a company readout.
One of the pivotal androgenetic-alopecia trials ran for 24 weeks entirely outside the EU and was never submitted to support an EU marketing authorisation for hair loss. No EU regulator has assessed dutasteride for this indication, and no long-term hair-loss outcome data exist.

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What has been reported

Dutasteride’s known side effects were measured in placebo-controlled phase III prostate trials in older men (n=2,167 on dutasteride at year 1), not in hair-loss trials: The EU product information states that these sexual adverse events are associated with dutasteride treatment, that they may persist after treatment is stopped, and that the role of dutasteride in that persistence is not known. Depression is listed with frequency not known. Following the EU Article 31 review concluded in 2025, information about the mood changes seen with finasteride is being added to dutasteride product information as a precaution, because dutasteride works the same way; a direct link between dutasteride and suicidal ideation was not established. Alopecia (mainly loss of body hair) and hypertrichosis are listed as uncommon in the EU product information.
Sexual side effects are common in the trials this evidence comes from, and may continue after you stop the capsules.

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Population specifics

Dutasteride is contraindicated in women who are or may become pregnant because DHT plays a critical role in the development of male external genitalia in the fetus; exposure in utero can inhibit this process. Women of childbearing potential should avoid handling damaged or leaking capsules. Dutasteride is not indicated for use in women or children. No dose adjustment is needed in renal impairment because the medicine is hepatically cleared. Dutasteride is extensively metabolised by CYP3A4; concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors may increase exposure, though no dose adjustment is specified in the EU product information. It has not been studied in severe hepatic impairment and is not recommended in that population (AEMPS CIMA — Dutasterida, ficha técnica, confirmed by web fetch).

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Common questions

No. Dutasteride has no EU marketing authorisation for hair loss, and no doctor in the EU can prescribe it for that use. It is authorised in the EU only for an enlarged prostate and is approved for hair loss in South Korea and Japan.
Finasteride is approved in the EU, has published peer-reviewed trial results, and can be prescribed today if a doctor decides it suits you. See the finasteride page.
The pivotal androgenetic-alopecia trial ran for 24 weeks entirely outside the EU and was never submitted to support an EU marketing authorisation for hair loss. No EU regulator has assessed dutasteride for this indication.
Yes. The EU product information states that sexual adverse events are associated with dutasteride treatment, that they may persist after treatment is stopped, and that the role of dutasteride in that persistence is not known.
Depression is listed with frequency not known in the EU product information. Following an EU Article 31 review concluded in 2025, information about mood changes seen with finasteride is being added to dutasteride’s product information as a precaution because dutasteride works the same way.
Avodart is the brand name for dutasteride 0.5 mg soft capsules. In Spain, the same GlaxoSmithKline product is marketed as Avidart. Generic dutasteride 0.5 mg capsules are also available with identical indications — all are authorised only for an enlarged prostate.

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How Hi-Doctor handles it

Because dutasteride has no EU authorisation for hair loss, it isn’t something our doctors can prescribe for that purpose. A licensed doctor still reviews your questionnaire and can prescribe an EU-authorised alternative, such as finasteride, if it suits your case. See how the consultation works and how we handle safety and eligibility. Pricing for hair-growth consultations is on the pricing page.

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Start a consultation

Hair-growth consultation

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 and how the review works.
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.