Dutasteride for hair loss

Why it's more potent

Finasteride blocks only the type 2 enzyme; dutasteride blocks type 1 and type 2 alike, cutting DHT by around 98% versus roughly 71% for finasteride.

Better hair?

Usually. A recent network meta-analysis placed dutasteride 0.5 mg/day first for male-pattern loss, and head-to-head data has it beating finasteride on count and thickness.

The trade-offs

• In the US it's used off-label for hair (only a few countries approve it for AGA).
• Its longer half-life and harder suppression can raise side-effect risk for some men.
• Prescription-only, and not for women who may become pregnant.

A common approach is starting with finasteride and moving up only if progress stalls — a physician can weigh the benefit against the risk.