> ## 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.

# Dutasteride 0.5mg (Avodart)

> Dutasteride lowers DHT and is authorised in the EU only for an enlarged prostate — using it for hair loss here is off-label, unlike in South Korea and Japan.

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.

<Warning>
  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.
</Warning>

## 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).

<Tip>
  **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](/library/medicines/finasteride).
</Tip>

## 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

## How it works

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="DHT shrinks scalp hair follicles" icon="atom">
    DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is made from testosterone by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase, and it is linked to both male pattern hair loss and prostate enlargement.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dutasteride blocks both enzyme types" icon="lock">
    There are two forms of the enzyme — type I and type II. Dutasteride is a dual blocker: it inhibits both, whereas finasteride blocks only type II.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Less DHT reaches the follicle" icon="seedling">
    With both enzyme routes blocked, DHT levels fall further than with a type-II-only blocker — which is why dutasteride is sometimes discussed as an option when finasteride isn't enough, in jurisdictions where it is authorised for this.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## 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.

| Source                                                                            | What it covers                                                                                              |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| ClinicalTrials.gov · [NCT01231607](https://clinicaltrials.gov/)                   | Dutasteride vs. placebo and finasteride in men with androgenetic alopecia (posted results)                  |
| ClinicalTrials.gov · NCT00441116                                                  | Registered dutasteride trial                                                                                |
| Gubelin Harcha et al., *J Am Acad Dermatol* 2014 (PMID 24411083)                  | Peer-reviewed                                                                                               |
| Eun et al., *J Am Acad Dermatol* 2010;63(2):252-258 (PMID 20605255)               | Peer-reviewed                                                                                               |
| Ding Y, Wang C, Bi L, et al., *Dermatology* 2024;240(5-6):833-843 (PMID 39278205) | Updated review — states only South Korea and Japan have approved dutasteride for male androgenetic alopecia |

<Note>
  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.
</Note>

## What has been reported

Dutasteride's known side effects were measured in placebo-controlled phase III prostate trials in older men, not in hair-loss trials:

| Effect                                                | Year 1         | Year 2         |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------- | -------------- |
| Impotence                                             | 6.0% (n=2,167) | 1.7% (n=1,744) |
| Decreased libido                                      | 3.7%           | 0.6%           |
| Ejaculation disorders, including reduced semen volume | 1.8%           | 0.5%           |
| Breast disorders (tenderness and enlargement)         | 1.3%           | 1.3%           |

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.

<Warning>
  Sexual side effects are common in the trials this evidence comes from, and may continue after you stop the capsules.
</Warning>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I get dutasteride prescribed for hair loss in the EU?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What can I take instead of dutasteride for hair loss?">
    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](/library/medicines/finasteride).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is dutasteride not authorised for hair loss in Europe?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can sexual side effects persist after stopping dutasteride?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does dutasteride cause depression or mood changes?">
    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.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is Avodart different from generic dutasteride?">
    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.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## 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](/essentials/how-it-works) and [how we handle safety and eligibility](/essentials/safety). Pricing for hair-growth consultations is on [the pricing page](/essentials/pricing).

## 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>