What is Avodart 0.5mg?
Avodart is the branded GlaxoSmithKline UK version of dutasteride 0.5mg. Each opaque yellow soft capsule contains 0.5mg dutasteride and is marked GX CE2.12
Avodart is a prescription-only medicine. It is licensed in the UK to treat symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, not hair loss. A qualified prescriber may nevertheless prescribe it off-label to a suitable adult man with male pattern hair loss after an individual assessment.27
Results vary and treatment does not work for everyone. Gradual recession at the temples or thinning around the crown can fit the usual male pattern, while sudden, patchy, inflamed or unexplained hair loss needs a different assessment.56
Buy Avodart online in the UK
Hightown's displayed price includes the confidential clinical assessment and private prescription. Complete the consultation accurately and a qualified prescriber will decide whether Avodart is appropriate for you.
- Select your preferred pack and complete the online hair-loss consultation.
- A prescriber reviews your health, medicines and pattern of hair loss.
- If approved, Hightown dispenses genuine Avodart for discreet UK delivery.
Ordering does not guarantee supply. The prescriber may request further information, recommend another option or decline treatment when that is safer.
Who may be suitable for Avodart?
Hightown's Avodart hair-loss service is for men aged 18 or over whose history and pattern of thinning are consistent with male pattern hair loss.
This service may be suitable if
- You are an adult man with gradual pattern-type hair loss.
- Your scalp is otherwise healthy and the cause is reasonably clear.
- You understand that use for hair loss is off-label and results are not guaranteed.
- You will follow the pharmacy label and attend follow-up when advised.
Avodart must not be used, or needs review, if
- You are a woman, child or adolescent.
- You have severe liver disease.
- You are allergic to dutasteride, another 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, soya, peanut or another capsule ingredient.
- Your hair loss is sudden, patchy, associated with scalp inflammation or otherwise unexplained.
The current Avodart product information lists women, children and adolescents, severe hepatic impairment, and relevant hypersensitivity among its contraindications.2
Avodart or generic dutasteride?
Avodart and the generic product supplied on our Dutasteride 0.5mg capsules page contain the same active ingredient and strength. Avodart is the branded GSK product; a generic may have a different manufacturer, appearance or inactive ingredients.12
Choose this item after your consultation if you specifically want branded Avodart. If the brand is not important to you, generic dutasteride is normally the lower-cost option. Your prescriber still needs to confirm that dutasteride itself is suitable.
For a broader explanation, read our guide to branded and generic medicines.
Where does finasteride fit?
Finasteride 1mg tablets are licensed in the UK for male pattern hair loss and currently cost less at Hightown.9 Avodart is an off-label dutasteride option, not an automatic upgrade. Suitability depends on your assessment, previous treatment and preferences. For a detailed evidence comparison, read Dutasteride vs Finasteride for hair loss.
What does off-label prescribing mean?
Off-label means a licensed medicine is being used for a condition outside the terms of its UK marketing authorisation. It does not mean the medicine is unregulated. The prescriber must be satisfied that its use is appropriate for the individual patient and should explain relevant evidence, limitations and risks.7
Avodart's UK licence covers benign prostatic hyperplasia. The hair-loss studies below support the prescriber's consideration of dutasteride, but they do not change Avodart's licensed indication.2
How does Avodart work?
Dutasteride inhibits type I and type II 5-alpha reductase, reducing the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT contributes to progressive follicle miniaturisation in male pattern hair loss. Reducing DHT may slow further thinning and support regrowth, but it does not predict an individual result.
The dual-enzyme mechanism is a pharmacological difference, not proof that Avodart is the best choice for every patient.2 Treatment should be selected on clinical suitability rather than being described simply as stronger.
Does Avodart work for male pattern hair loss?
Research has found improvements in measured hair outcomes with dutasteride 0.5mg in selected men with androgenetic alopecia. Avodart remains off-label for hair loss, results vary and trial measurements do not guarantee a visible benefit for an individual.
| Evidence | What it found | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 placebo-controlled study | Dutasteride 0.5mg improved investigator-assessed hair growth and hair count over 24 weeks compared with placebo.10 | The study was relatively short and enrolled selected men rather than every type of hair-loss patient. |
| 2014 randomised comparison | In 917 men aged 20–50, dutasteride 0.5mg produced greater measured hair-count and width changes at 24 weeks than finasteride 1mg and placebo.11 | Twenty-four weeks cannot establish uncommon or long-term harms, and superiority in a trial does not decide which treatment is suitable for one person. |
| 2016 52-week study | Among 120 Japanese men enrolled, with 110 completing 52 weeks, measured hair outcomes improved during dutasteride 0.5mg treatment.12 | This was an open-label extension without a placebo or active comparison group. |
| 2022 network meta-analysis | The analysis ranked oral dutasteride 0.5mg highly for several short-term efficacy outcomes.13 | Many comparisons were indirect, follow-up was limited and the quality of evidence varied. |
How to take Avodart
- Take one 0.5mg capsule once daily if this is the dose on your pharmacy label.
- Swallow the capsule whole. Do not chew, crush or open it.
- It can be taken with or without food, at a consistent time that helps you remember.
- If you miss a dose, take it when remembered unless it is nearly time for the next one. Do not take two doses together.
Follow the directions supplied with your prescription, which take priority over general page information.1 Do not change the dose or stop treatment without speaking to a healthcare professional.
When might I notice results?
Hair grows slowly, so treatment should be assessed over months rather than days or weeks. Trials measured changes from 24 weeks, while a practical review may take place around 6 to 12 months.101112
Photographs taken in similar lighting and from the same angles can make change easier to assess. Continued treatment is generally needed to maintain any benefit, and the British Association of Dermatologists notes that medical treatments for male pattern hair loss work only while they are used.6
Side effects and mental health
Possible effects include erectile difficulty, reduced sex drive, ejaculation changes, breast tenderness or enlargement, testicular pain or swelling, and allergic reactions. Sexual effects may persist after stopping in some reports; the role of dutasteride in that persistence is not known.12
May 2026 mental-health precaution: the MHRA states that evidence specific to dutasteride is very limited and a direct causal link with suicidal ideation has not been established. Product information nevertheless carries a precaution because a class effect from 5-alpha reductase inhibitors may be possible.3
If you develop depressed mood, depression or thoughts of suicide while taking Avodart, contact a doctor as soon as possible. If you may act on thoughts of harming yourself, call 999 or go to A&E. You can also call NHS 111 or Samaritans free on 116 123.
Tell Hightown or your doctor about suspected side effects. You can also report them directly through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.4
Fertility, pregnancy handling, PSA and blood donation
- Fertility: dutasteride can reduce sperm count, semen volume and sperm movement. Reduced male fertility cannot be excluded.12
- Pregnancy: when a partner is or may be pregnant, the leaflet recommends using a condom to avoid exposure to semen.1
- Leaking capsules: women and children must avoid contact. Wash the area immediately with soap and water if contact occurs.1
- PSA tests: Avodart lowers average serum PSA by approximately 50% after six months. Tell the clinician interpreting a PSA result that you take it; do not adjust the result yourself.2
- Blood donation: UK donor guidance requires a six-month wait after the last dutasteride dose.8
Using Avodart with other hair-loss treatments
Hightown does not recommend routinely taking Avodart and finasteride together. They both reduce DHT through 5-alpha reductase inhibition, and you should use one DHT-reducing medicine unless a prescriber gives specific managed-switch instructions.
Topical or oral minoxidil tablets may sometimes be considered alongside a DHT-reducing treatment, but each medicine needs its own suitability assessment. Avodart or minoxidil alone can also remain an appropriate treatment plan. Do not add, overlap or switch prescription medicines without clinical advice.
Frequently asked questions about Avodart
-
Avodart is the branded GSK product. Generic dutasteride contains the same active ingredient and strength but is normally available at a lower price. Choose the branded page only when you specifically want Avodart.
-
They contain the same active ingredient and strength, but check the pack and pharmacy label and speak to the pharmacy if you have ingredient allergies or are unsure. Do not take both products together.
-
Hightown does not recommend routinely combining them. Use one DHT-reducing medicine unless a prescriber gives specific instructions for a managed change. Do not overlap or switch them yourself.
-
Women must not take Avodart. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant must not handle leaking capsules because dutasteride can be absorbed through the skin. Wash exposed skin immediately with soap and water.1
-
Yes. It can lower PSA results. Tell the clinician arranging or interpreting the test that you take Avodart, and do not try to adjust the result yourself.2
Clinical sources and further information
This overview does not replace the patient leaflet supplied with your pack or individual advice from your prescriber.
Regulatory and clinical guidance
- eMC: Avodart 0.5mg patient information leaflet (accessed 19 August 2026)
- eMC: Avodart 0.5mg professional information (accessed 19 August 2026)
- MHRA: May 2026 dutasteride and finasteride safety update (accessed 19 August 2026)
- MHRA: Yellow Card scheme for reporting side effects (accessed 19 August 2026)
- NHS: hair loss (accessed 19 August 2026)
- British Association of Dermatologists: male pattern hair loss (accessed 19 August 2026)
- MHRA: off-label or unlicensed use of medicines and prescribers' responsibilities (accessed 19 August 2026)
- JPAC: UK blood-donation guidance for anti-androgens (accessed 19 August 2026)
- eMC: finasteride 1mg professional information (accessed 19 August 2026)
Published studies
- 2010 placebo-controlled dutasteride 0.5mg study (accessed 19 August 2026)
- 2014 randomised dutasteride dose and finasteride comparison (accessed 19 August 2026)
- 2016 52-week dutasteride study (accessed 19 August 2026)
- 2022 network meta-analysis of hair-loss monotherapies (accessed 19 August 2026)
