What are dutasteride 0.5mg soft capsules?

Dutasteride is a prescription-only medicine that reduces the formation of dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. It may be prescribed to suitable adult men with male pattern hair loss, also called androgenetic alopecia, to help slow further thinning and support hair growth.³⁷

We supply generic dutasteride 0.5mg soft capsules. Avodart is a brand name for dutasteride, and the manufacturer may vary, so branded Avodart is not guaranteed on this page.¹ Visit our Avodart page if you specifically need the branded medicine.

Dutasteride 0.5mg is licensed in the UK for benign prostatic hyperplasia rather than hair loss, so using it for male pattern hair loss is off-label. That means a licensed medicine is being used outside its marketing authorisation because a qualified prescriber considers it clinically appropriate for that patient. It is a normal part of UK prescribing, not a loophole, and it is why supply here depends on an individual assessment rather than a click.³⁸

Does dutasteride 0.5mg work for hair loss?

Dutasteride blocks more of the DHT that shrinks a susceptible follicle than finasteride does, and in head-to-head measurement over 24 weeks it came out ahead. What that has never been shown to be is a better choice for every man, because the trials are short and the direct evidence base is thinner than finasteride's. It is usually considered when finasteride has not held the line, or when a prescriber judges the trade-off worth making from the start.

Here is the research that sits behind that, and what each study can and cannot tell you.

Research relevant to dutasteride 0.5mg for male pattern hair loss
Research	What was studied	Main finding	Important limitation
Gubelin Harcha and colleagues, 2014¹³	917 men were randomised to different dutasteride doses, finasteride 1mg or placebo for 24 weeks	Dutasteride 0.5mg produced greater measured improvements in hair count and width than finasteride 1mg and placebo at 24 weeks	Short follow-up in selected men aged 20 to 50; it cannot establish rare or long-term harms
Eun and colleagues, 2010¹²	153 men received dutasteride 0.5mg or placebo for six months	Hair-count and clinical-assessment outcomes favoured dutasteride	A relatively small Korean study with only six months of follow-up
Gupta and colleagues, 2022¹⁶	A network meta-analysis comparing 23 trials of oral and topical hair-loss treatments	Dutasteride 0.5mg ranked highest for the 24-week total-hair-count outcome	Many comparisons were indirect and the underlying studies and evidence quality varied
Tsunemi and colleagues, 2016¹⁴	120 Japanese men enrolled; 110 completed 52 weeks of dutasteride 0.5mg	Hair-count, width and photographic measures improved from baseline	Open-label study without a placebo or active comparison group

If you do start, photographs taken under similar lighting and from the same angles make it much easier to judge any changes in your hair.

Does dutasteride work on a receding hairline?

The hair counts in the dutasteride trials come from a marked target area at the vertex, which is the crown towards the back of the head.¹³ That is where the measurement was taken and where the evidence is strongest.

Recession at the temples is the least studied part of the scalp and tends to respond least to any DHT-reducing medicine.⁷ Dutasteride cannot bring back a follicle that has stopped producing hair. The sooner you start treatment, the better your chances of maintaining existing hair and achieving regrowth

How does dutasteride work for hair loss?

An enzyme called 5-alpha reductase converts some testosterone into DHT. In genetically susceptible scalp follicles, DHT contributes to progressive miniaturisation, producing shorter and finer hairs over time.⁷

Dutasteride inhibits both type I and type II 5-alpha reductase, which reduces DHT further than blocking type II alone. A larger fall in DHT is not the same thing as a larger amount of hair. The visible response depends on the diagnosis, how long the loss has been going on, how extensive it is and individual sensitivity.³

Buy dutasteride online in the UK

Dutasteride 0.5mg soft capsules start at £17.49 for 30 capsules, which is 58p a day, and the price covers the online consultation, the private prescription and discreet UK delivery. There is no separate prescription fee and no membership to join. Larger packs bring the daily cost down to 46p, and a subscription takes another 10% off and arrives automatically so you do not run out mid-course.

Hair loss treatment is not usually funded on the NHS, because pattern hair loss is treated as a cosmetic problem rather than a medical one.⁶ Dutasteride for hair loss is off-label as well, so an NHS prescription for it is very unlikely and paying privately is the normal route.

Dutasteride is a prescription-only medicine, so we cannot sell it over the counter. Here is what happens instead:

Choose your pack and answer the consultation. Be straight with the answers, particularly on mood, sexual function, fertility plans and any other medicines, because that is what the prescriber is reading.
Our prescriber reviews it. They look at your pattern of hair loss, your health and your medicines, and decide whether dutasteride is appropriate for you off-label.
We dispense and send it. Orders approved before 3pm are dispatched the same working day, in plain packaging with nothing on the outside to say what is inside.

Not every consultation ends in a prescription. Our prescriber may come back with questions, suggest finasteride instead, or decide dutasteride is not right for you. If treatment is not approved, the pending charge on your card is cancelled and you are refunded in full. You are never charged for a medicine you do not receive.

Who can use our dutasteride service?

This service is for men aged 18 or over whose hair loss follows the usual male pattern, such as gradual recession at the temples or thinning around the crown. We do not supply dutasteride for hair loss to women or to anyone under 18.

This service may be suitable if

You are an adult man with gradual, pattern-type hair loss.
Your scalp otherwise appears healthy.
You understand that use for hair loss is off-label and results are not guaranteed.
You will follow the pharmacy label and any follow-up advice from the prescriber.

Tell our prescriber before treatment if

You have liver disease, prostate symptoms or are having PSA tests.
You have experienced depression, suicidal thoughts or troublesome sexual symptoms.
You are trying to conceive or your partner is or may be pregnant.
You take prescription medicines, non-prescription treatments, supplements or herbal remedies.

Sudden, patchy, inflamed, painful or scarring hair loss can have another cause and needs a different assessment. See the NHS guidance on hair loss and speak to your GP if the cause is uncertain.⁶

Dutasteride results: when can changes appear?

Hair grows in cycles so this medication will not work overnight. Trials measured changes from 24 weeks, and we use around 6 to 12 months as the point where there is enough to judge fairly. That is an assessment window rather than a promise of a finished result at a fixed date.¹²¹³¹⁴

First few months: too early to see a difference, and nothing visible yet does not mean it is not working.
From around 24 weeks: the point at which you should start seeing a change.¹²¹³
Around 6 to 12 months: You should start seeing a reduction in hair loss and a possible increase in hair thickness, diameter, and overall coverage.¹⁴

Any benefit depends on continuing treatment.⁷ Dutasteride has a terminal half-life of about three to five weeks, so it leaves the body far more slowly than finasteride does.³ Hair benefits fade after stopping, but there is no reliable month at which that happens for everyone. Message our prescriber if you are thinking of stopping.

We highly suggest you take pictures before starting treatment and then take them monthly during treatement to assess your response. Take them in the same lighting, from multiple angles and with roughly the same hair length. Judging results by eye can be hard due to how long the treatment takes to work.

Does dutasteride cause shedding?

Some men notice more loose hairs than usual in the first weeks or months. It gets talked about a lot online, where it is usually called a shed. It is not listed as a side effect in the UK leaflet for dutasteride, and there is no trial evidence that dutasteride causes it or that it predicts how well you will respond.²

Increased shedding is better understood with minoxidil, which can push resting hairs out early so a new growth cycle can begin. If you started minoxidil at the same time as dutasteride, that is the more likely explanation.

Everyone loses some hair daily and it is normal for that amount to vary. A modest, short-lived increase early on is not a reason to panic, but it is also not proof that treatment is working and should not be a reason to ignore a change that looks different from your usual pattern.

Ask our pharmacy team for advice if hair loss is sudden or heavy, comes out in patches, affects your beard, eyebrows or body hair, or comes with an itchy, painful, red, scaly or scarred scalp. These are not features of male pattern hair loss and may point to another cause that needs assessing.⁶⁷

How to take dutasteride 0.5mg soft capsules

If treatment is approved, take one 0.5mg soft capsule once daily, following the pharmacy label and your prescriber's instructions.²³

Swallow the capsule whole with water, with or without food.
Do not chew, crush or open the capsule, because the contents can irritate the mouth and throat and can be absorbed through the skin.
If you miss a dose and it is nearly time for the next one, skip the missed dose. Do not take two doses together.
Do not change the dose or stop treatment without speaking to our prescriber first.

Always read the patient information leaflet supplied with your particular manufacturer's pack.

Side effects of dutasteride

The UK patient leaflet lists reduced interest in sex, difficulty getting or maintaining an erection, changes to ejaculation, breast tenderness or enlargement, and allergic reactions including rash or swelling.²

The published frequencies come from men treated for prostate enlargement, who are typically older than the men using dutasteride for hair loss. Those numbers do not translate cleanly to a younger man taking it off-label, which is the honest reason this page does not put a percentage next to each effect.²³

Ask our pharmacy team for advice if sexual symptoms occur or concern you.
Report a breast lump, nipple discharge, tenderness, enlargement or another breast change promptly. Breast tenderness and enlargement are recognised effects, and breast cancer in men has also been reported. The frequency cannot be estimated from the available data, which is why any breast change should be checked rather than watched.²³

Seek urgent medical help for swelling of the face, tongue or throat, significant difficulty breathing or another severe allergic reaction. Call 999 for severe or life-threatening symptoms.

Suspected side effects can be reported through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.⁵

Mental health and sexual function: current MHRA advice

The MHRA updated its advice in May 2026 after reviewing psychiatric and sexual side effects with finasteride and dutasteride.⁴ The UK leaflet updated in July 2026 carries a precaution that depressed mood, depression and, less frequently, suicidal thoughts have been reported with finasteride, which reduces DHT in the same way. The MHRA notes that dutasteride-specific evidence is very limited, so the warning is precautionary rather than a finding about dutasteride itself.²⁴

Tell our prescriber about any history of depression or suicidal thoughts before starting.⁴

Stop dutasteride and contact our prescriber as soon as possible if you develop depression or suicidal thoughts. If you feel at immediate risk of harming yourself or somebody else, call 999, 111, the Samaritans on 116 123 or go to A&E.⁴

Ask our pharmacy team for advice if sexual dysfunction develops. Read and keep the leaflet supplied with your pack.²⁴

Fertility, pregnancy, capsule handling and blood donation

Fertility and pregnancy precautions

The UK patient leaflet says dutasteride can reduce sperm count, semen volume and sperm movement, so reduced male fertility cannot be excluded. Tell our prescriber if you are trying to conceive or have fertility concerns.²

Dutasteride has been found in semen. Use a condom if your partner is or may be pregnant, following the advice in the leaflet supplied with your medicine. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant must not handle leaking capsules, because dutasteride can be absorbed through the skin and may affect the development of a male baby. Wash exposed skin immediately with soap and water and seek medical advice.²³

Blood donation

Do not donate blood while taking dutasteride or for six months after the last dose. The wait is six months rather than the four weeks that applies to finasteride, because dutasteride stays in the body far longer, and it protects any pregnant recipient of donated blood.⁹

PSA tests, liver conditions and medicine interactions

PSA and prostate assessment

Dutasteride reduces mean serum prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, by approximately 50% after six months in men treated for benign prostate enlargement.³ A result that looks reassuring can therefore understate the true level, which matters if you are being checked for a prostate problem. Always tell the doctor or nurse arranging or interpreting a PSA test that you take dutasteride so they can allow for it. Do not double or otherwise adjust a result yourself.

Dutasteride is not a treatment for prostate cancer. Report breast changes, urinary symptoms or other new concerns to your GP rather than assuming they relate to hair-loss treatment. The NHS page on PSA testing explains what the test does and does not show.¹¹

Liver conditions and other medicines

Dutasteride must not be used in severe liver impairment, and other liver problems may need additional assessment. Tell our prescriber about every medicine and supplement you use. Relevant interactions can include verapamil, diltiazem, ritonavir, indinavir, itraconazole, ketoconazole, nefazodone and alpha blockers, but this is not a complete list. Check the leaflet supplied with your pack and do not start or stop another medicine without advice.²³

Dutasteride versus finasteride for hair loss

Both reduce DHT, but they are not interchangeable and the choice should not come down to a DHT percentage. Finasteride 1mg is licensed in the UK for male pattern hair loss; dutasteride is used off-label for it.³¹⁰

Comparison of dutasteride 0.5mg and finasteride 1mg for male pattern hair loss
Feature	Dutasteride 0.5mg	Finasteride 1mg
UK hair-loss licence	Off-label	Licensed for male pattern hair loss
Enzyme action	Inhibits type I and type II 5-alpha reductase³	Inhibits type II 5-alpha reductase¹⁰
Evidence base	Short-term direct trials and a smaller longer-term base¹²¹³¹⁴	Longer-established, with licensed product information¹⁰
Time to leave the body	Terminal half-life of about three to five weeks³	Terminal half-life of about five to six hours in men aged 18 to 60¹⁰
Blood donation wait	Six months after the last dose⁹	Four weeks after the last dose⁹
Price from	£17.49 for 30 capsules	£10.99 for 28 tablets

The half-life is the practical difference most men underestimate and is why we recommend if you have never taken a DHT blocker before you start with Finasteride. Finasteride is largely gone within a day of stopping; dutasteride takes weeks, so if a side effect appears it takes longer to settle. That is a real consideration when choosing between them, alongside licensing, medical history, how you responded to previous treatment and expected benefit.

Read our detailed dutasteride versus finasteride guide or view the finasteride product page. Do not switch or combine these medicines without advice from our prescriber.

Can dutasteride be used with minoxidil or finasteride?

Minoxidil supports hair growth through a separate mechanism that is not fully understood, and unlike dutasteride and finasteride it is not a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. Because they work differently, a prescriber may consider using them together when each medicine is suitable for you. ³¹⁶

Where we consider a combination, it pairs minoxidil with one DHT-reducing medicine, either dutasteride or finasteride, not both. Minoxidil or dutasteride alone can remain appropriate depending on the diagnosis, previous treatment, expected benefit and possible side effects.

We do not recommend taking finasteride and dutasteride together. Both are 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, and current finasteride 1mg product information says it should not be taken with another medicine in this class.¹⁰ If you are moving from one to the other, our prescriber will tell you how. Do not overlap, switch, start or stop either medicine on your own.

What the evidence shows

Most published trials of combination treatment studied finasteride with minoxidil rather than dutasteride. A 2020 systematic review of five randomised controlled trials found better global photographic outcomes for finasteride combined with topical minoxidil than with minoxidil alone, though only two of the five trials also compared the combination with finasteride alone.¹⁵ A 2024 three-arm randomised trial in 42 men reported better photographic outcomes for combined topical minoxidil and topical finasteride than for either topical treatment alone.¹⁷

Direct evidence is limited, but the pharmacology, finasteride-combination evidence and dutasteride monotherapy evidence provide a reasonable basis for expecting a benefit. A retrospective study presented at the British Association of Dermatologists Annual Meeting in 2026 followed 621 men taking dutasteride 0.5mg with oral minoxidil 2.5mg as a single daily capsule and showed hair loss stabilization (stable or improved hair density) was achieved in 95.8% of patients at month 3, rising to 98.5% by month 6.¹⁸

Minoxidil is available from us as minoxidil tablets, which are prescription-only and off-label for hair loss, or as a topical scalp solution.

Support after you start

Dutasteride is a long-term, off-label treatment with a medicine that clears slowly, so the order is the start of it rather than the end. Our pharmacy team is here for the questions that come up months later, and asking costs nothing.

If a side effect appears and you are weighing up whether to stop, message us before you do. Dutasteride takes weeks to clear, so stopping is a decision worth taking properly.
If you are booked in for a PSA test, or your GP adds a new medicine, tell us so we can check it against your treatment.
If you want to add minoxidil, move across to finasteride, or come off treatment altogether, our prescriber will tell you how to do it rather than leaving you to work it out from a forum.
If you are planning to try for a baby, or to donate blood, speak to us first so the timing works.

Dutasteride FAQs

No. Dutasteride 0.5mg is licensed for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Its use for male pattern hair loss is off-label and requires an individual prescriber assessment.³⁸
Very unlikely. Pattern hair loss is generally treated as a cosmetic problem rather than a medical one, and dutasteride is off-label for it, so men in the UK normally pay for treatment privately.⁶⁸
Avodart is a brand name for a medicine containing dutasteride 0.5mg. Our generic soft capsules contain the same active ingredient and strength, but the manufacturer and inactive ingredients may differ. Branded Avodart is not guaranteed on this page.¹
Trials measured changes from 24 weeks, and we use around 6 to 12 months as a practical review window. Results and timing vary, so these are assessment points rather than a guarantee.¹²¹³¹⁴
It blocks two types of 5-alpha reductase rather than one, and reduces serum DHT further. A 24-week trial found greater measured hair-count and width changes with dutasteride 0.5mg than finasteride 1mg, but that does not make it the right or safest choice for everyone. Dutasteride is off-label for hair loss and stays in the body for weeks rather than hours.³¹⁰¹³
The trial hair counts were taken from a marked target area at the vertex, or crown, so that is where the measured evidence sits.¹³ Recession at the temples is the least studied area and tends to respond least, so expect less there than at the crown.⁷
No. We supply dutasteride for hair loss only to suitable adult men. Women who are pregnant or may become pregnant must not handle leaking capsules.²
No. Dutasteride blocks the conversion of testosterone into DHT rather than reducing testosterone itself, and serum testosterone tends to rise rather than fall. Sexual side effects, where they occur, are not explained by low testosterone.³
The UK leaflet does not list an interaction between dutasteride and alcohol, so you do not need to avoid drinking while taking it. Tell our prescriber about any liver problems, since dutasteride is not suitable in severe liver impairment.²³
Any hair benefit depends on continued treatment and fades after stopping.⁷ Dutasteride leaves the body slowly, over weeks rather than hours, and there is no fixed month at which benefits go for everyone.³ Message our prescriber before stopping.
It may be prescribed with topical or oral minoxidil after our prescriber confirms that each medicine is suitable. Direct evidence for the oral combination is observational and does not prove it is best or safe for everyone.¹⁸
We do not recommend routinely taking them together. Use one DHT-reducing medicine unless our prescriber gives specific instructions as part of a managed treatment change. Do not overlap or switch them on your own.¹⁰
Yes. It reduces mean PSA by approximately 50% after six months in men treated for prostate enlargement, so a normal-looking figure can understate the true level. Tell the clinician arranging or interpreting the test that you take dutasteride, and do not adjust the result yourself.³
Take it when you remember unless it is nearly time for the next dose. If it is, skip the missed dose and continue normally. Do not take two doses together.²
No. UK donor guidance requires you to wait until six months after your last dose, which is longer than the four weeks that applies to finasteride because dutasteride stays in the body longer.⁹

Clinical sources and further information

This page is a treatment overview and does not replace the leaflet supplied with your pack or individual advice from a prescriber.

Regulatory and clinical guidance

eMC: dutasteride medicine and manufacturer directory (accessed 18 August 2026)
eMC: current example dutasteride 0.5mg patient leaflet (accessed 18 August 2026)
eMC: current example dutasteride 0.5mg professional information (accessed 18 August 2026)
MHRA: May 2026 dutasteride and finasteride safety update (accessed 18 August 2026)
MHRA: Yellow Card scheme for reporting side effects (accessed 18 August 2026)
NHS: hair loss (accessed 18 August 2026)
British Association of Dermatologists: male pattern hair loss (accessed 18 August 2026)
MHRA: off-label or unlicensed use of medicines and prescribers' responsibilities (accessed 18 August 2026)
JPAC: UK blood-donation guidance (accessed 18 August 2026)
eMC: current example finasteride 1mg professional information (accessed 18 August 2026)
NHS: PSA testing (accessed 18 August 2026)

Published studies and conference abstracts

2010 placebo-controlled dutasteride 0.5mg study (accessed 18 August 2026)
2014 randomised dutasteride dose and finasteride comparison (accessed 18 August 2026)
2016 52-week dutasteride study (accessed 18 August 2026)
2020 review of finasteride combined with topical minoxidil (accessed 18 August 2026)
2022 network meta-analysis of hair-loss medicines (accessed 18 August 2026)
2024 randomised trial of topical minoxidil with topical finasteride, alone and combined (accessed 18 August 2026)
2026 conference abstract: dutasteride with oral minoxidil, single-arm cohort (accessed 18 August 2026)

Quantity	Per capsule	Price
30 capsules	£0.58 per capsule	£17.49
60 capsules Save 3 %	£0.57 per capsule	£33.99
90 capsules Save 6 %	£0.55 per capsule	£49.49
120 capsules Save 8 %	£0.54 per capsule	£64.29
150 capsules Save 15 %	£0.50 per capsule	£74.49
180 capsules Save 20 %	£0.46 per capsule	£83.49

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