Is Dutasteride successful in re-growing thinning hair all over but predominantly front hairline/temples?

Question

Hi I'd like to know the doctors/experts think about prescribing Dutasteride for female hair loss. Specifically does it increase the risk of breast cancer & what is the general consensus amongst doctors who prescribe it off-label for female patients. Is it successful in re-growing thinning hair all over but predominantly front hairline/temples? Any help appreciated. Thank you :)

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

The decision on what treatment to use will depend entirely on the precise diagnosis. If the temple changes are from hairline maturation, or a mild effluvium or traction alopecia then an antiandrogen of any kind won’t help. You should see an expert in hair disorders to get a full evaluation if there is any doubt about the diagnosis. If the diagnosis is androgenetic hair loss, the use of dutasteride is still not first line in young women. Topical minoxidil, oral minoxidil and spironolactone would be well ahead of dutasteride. I don’t typically prescribe dutasteride to young women given the drug’s long long half life and the need to stop 9 months or more prior to becoming pregnant if a patient wishes to become pregnant. All treatments for androgenetic alopecia are lifelong (forever) treatments so stopping will lead to hair loss again. Dutasteride is simply not a good option for women who are considering pregnancy in the future. As for cancer, we don’t have any good evidence dutasteride causes cancer in women but this continues to be studied. There is no study to date in women that has ever been published that suggests dutasteride causes breast cancer in women using this drug. Dutasteride can be a good option for androgenetic alopecia in post menopausal women. All in all, the general consensus among experts is that there are other options to consider for young women with androgenetic alopecia.

Is Dutasteride successful in re-growing thinning hair all over but predominantly front hairline/temples?

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Is Dutasteride successful in re-growing thinning hair all over but predominantly front hairline/temples?

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Everything you need to know about Hair Loss Treatment

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