Topical Dutasteride for Hair Loss

Over the years, I have written numerous posts on topical finasteride for hair loss. However, when it comes to the stronger DHT inhibitor topical dutasteride, this is the only post. I try to update it every year.

Update: December 18, 2022

Interesting advice via Twitter from Dr. Kyle Gillett. He confirms that topical dutasteride will not absorb much systemically. However, I was a bit confused by his analysis of the faster half life of the topical formulation. The half life of oral finasteride is 6 hrs, and the half life of oral dutasteride is five weeks. He replied to me in that Tweet and explained his reasoning.

Also note that clinical trials for topical dutasteride started in Spain in October 2022 and will end in April 2024.

Update: September 2023 — Moogene Medi (also called Mujin Medi) signed a business agreement with AddPharma for the joint development of its topical dutasteride male pattern hair loss treatment (Hutera) that can be applied directly to the scalp. Thanks to “Theo” for the information. This unique topical product makes use of Moogene’s independently developed lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology. See further below.

Update: May 7, 2022

Topical Dutasteride from Moogene Medi

Topical Dutasteride Hutera.
Moogene Medi’s Hutera topical dutasteride. Microbubble ultrasound delivery.

A few days ago, there was another important new update from Naver in regards to a South Korea company. This time it is Moogene Medi and its highly unique ultrasound microbubble delivered topical dutasteride.

This new topical dutasteride product will be known as “Hutera”. Note that this brand name is not mentioned on the company’s website. Surprisingly, neither is the word dutasteride. The latter is also why I never took this company seriously till this week.

According this latest update, Hutera topical dutasteride will have:

“About 20 times higher dermal drug delivery efficiency than the existing oral dutasteride.”

This 20x seems hard to believe. However, I do not doubt that this topical will be significantly better than the oral at local scalp DHT inhibition.

Also of note, the likelihood of systemic side effects will be negligible since Hutera will have:

“A lower blood concentration of 1% compared to oral dutasteride.”

The original Korean study on this ultrasound activated mechanism also mentions a CRISPR-Cas9 based delivery mechanism. However, the latest Naver article does not mention CRISPR anywhere.

Make sure to also read the patent on this nanoliposome-microbubble encapsulated drug delivery for treating hair loss. Also make sure to keep track of Moogene’s official Naver page in case “Ben” takes a day off!

This is all very exciting and I have e-mailed the study authors for more information. It seems like the product will still have to undergo 6 month human clinical trials and will be released in 2023. Note that that normal 3-4 year duration trials are not required since this is an existing already approved drug. South Korea and Japan are the only two countries where oral dutasteride is approved to treat hair loss.

Update: January 22, 2022 — A great new video presentation from Dr. Rachita Dhurat and other doctors from India. Covers both topical and oral dutasteride. Includes before and after photos and Q&A session.

Update: Make sure to check out the great Topical Dutasteride Assessment (TDA) Discord Group run by “sonictemples”. Also see the Reddit thread on success stories.

Oral dutasteride (brand name Avodart) is significantly more effective than oral finasteride (brand name Propecia) in treating hair loss. I therefore assume that topical dutasteride is also more effective than topical finasteride in growing hair.

Update: July 2020 (Brazil): Novel iron oxide nanocarriers loading topical dutasteride for androgenetic alopecia.

Limited Interest in Topical Dutasteride

Dutasteride Capsule.
Dutasteride Capsule.

What surprises me is that there is so little interest in topical dutasteride in comparison to topical finasteride. Both on the part of hair loss sufferers as well as on the part of hair transplant surgeons, dermatologists and physicians.

Even mesotherapy and dutasteride treatments have not becoming as popular as I would have guessed last year. Surprising, when so many people are worried about the potential side effects from oral dutasteride.

Local compounding pharmacies will often make topical finasteride (cream, lotion, solution or gel) for hair loss sufferers. However, they rarely get requests to make topical dutasteride for hair loss.

In the private sector, Almirall (previously Polichem) will soon release a rigorously tested topical finasteride. They have worked on this product for more than five years. Unfortunately, no major pharmaceutical company is close to conducting clinical trials for topical dutasteride.

Some smaller companies do make topical dutasteride. However, I am not sure how effective their product is, nor whether they sell globally. I am guessing that none of these companies have conducted expensive clinical trials for their products. Several readers have posted links to such sellers in the comments to this post.

Perhaps one reason for this lack of interest among all parties is due to the fact that dutasteride is much more expensive then finasteride. Both generic and brand name versions of the former are pricier than the latter.

It should also be noted that dutasteride has only been officially approved to treat hair loss in South Korea and Japan. In the US, the FDA has not approved its use for androgenetic alopecia (aka male pattern baldness). Doctors have to prescribe it off-label for patients with pattern hair loss.

Hair Transplant Surgeon Offerings

While I would like to see a private company manufacture topical dutasteride that has been clinically tested, this is not happening anytime soon.

However, during the past 2-3 years, some hair transplant surgeons have started prescribing and offering their version of topical dutasteride. Most such doctors will only prescribe topical dutasteride in person to their own patients. Or after at least doing a remote online video consultation.

I have talked with a couple of other hair transplant surgeons about the significant potential of making money by offering topical dutasteride. One of them might jump on board later this year, although the chances are slim at present.

Topical Dutasteride Buying Options

A number of relatively new online companies (or pharmacies) now sell topical dutasteride. These include:

  • Strut.
  • Happy Head.
  • XYON Health.

I will update this list each year. Hair loss product subscription based companies such as “Hims” and Keeps were not offering this product as of early 2022.

My Topical Dutasteride Experiment

Liquid Dutasteride in Capsule
Liquid Dutasteride in Capsule.

Over the years, I have read of many instances where people take oral hair loss medications and crudely convert them into topical ones. Warning: This type of experimentation can be dangerous, especially for pregnant women.

They first break open the capsules to get to the solution or material inside. In the case of tablets or pills, they grind them down into powder form. Then they rub the resulting liquid or gel or powder on to their scalps. Sometimes after mixing it with other hair growth promoting ingredients such as Retin-A.

Microneedling and Topical Dutasteride
Nada, Essam & Sharkawy, Reham & Abd Elmaged, Wafaa & Elmagd, Marwa. (2018). Topical dutasteride with microneedling in treatment of male androgenetic alopecia. Sohag Medical Journal. 22. 387-400.

Wet scalps possibly absorb the medication better than dry scalps. Topical hair loss products in combination with microneedling might also be more effective when it comes to absorption.

I have always been skeptical about this amateur method of converting oral drugs into topical drugs. Is it possible for the scalp to absorb any of the resulting topical ingredients? I assume that the molecule size has to be small enough for the scalp skin to absorb the medication. Do the ingredients get damaged upon exposure to the air?

Note: Since Rogaine Foam is easily absorbed by the scalp and also quite effective, I do not doubt that topical hair loss medications can work well. See how does Minoxidil (Rogaine) work?

Test Run and a Surprise

Last week, I decided to make my own crude version of topical dutasteride. Even if 20-30 percent of the medicine was absorbed by my scalp, it would be worth the effort and expense. Oral dutasteride was very effective for me in stopping my hair loss for several years. It possibly even regrew some crown hair. However, the effectiveness has worn of lately. So I am very keen on directly applying a topical version of dutasteride to my scalp. Especially on the crown.

When I split open my generic dutasteride capsule (see earlier photo) with scissors, I got a shock. There was almost nothing inside the capsule. Upon closer examination, I noticed a very small amount of thick transparent liquid on the scissors and on my finger. This fluid is not visible in the earlier photo I posted.

I hope that my Camber Pharmaceutical made generic dutasteride is legitimate. The transparent liquid type content was quite limited in volume, but perhaps this is normal for all capsules? In any case, I managed to put some of this thick liquid on my crown. Warning: It is dangerous if you get such medicine into your eyes or mouth.

I do not intend to continue this experiment on any kind of regular basis. I will pour the limited contents of oral dutasteride capsules onto my scalp once in a blue moon. It makes me feel like I am doing something useful. Hopefully, I get more than just a placebo effect when it comes to hair growth.

136 thoughts on “Topical Dutasteride for Hair Loss”

  1. Good luck admin.
    On another note, would you be able to write about what conpanies are still moving forward during this pandemic? Or, what companies have publicly stated they are delaying due to Covid? I would like to have something in particular to look forward to. Thanks for considering.

    1. Hey Tom, only the two I wrote about before officially announced delays when I last checked. But I would assume that everyone is delayed by at least 6 months.

      1. Admin,

        You should consider organizing a informal trial of topical Fin. Research ways to conduct a study and train participants. Even if you don’t use a placebo (control arm) you could still generate meaningful data about the effectiveness of topical Fin…it might even cause companies to perform their own, proper studies.

        1. If hair loss blog and forum owners were allowed to conduct cheap human trials with no government monitoring, we would have had a cure 10 years ago!

          1. You don’t have to conduct it…just provide people with guidelines and let them have at it. It can’t be a rigorous double blind study, but it can provide enough evidence to get big pharma interested in the idea…

            And then you’d go down in history as one of the great hair restoration pioneers :-D

  2. I was chatting with a physician friend of mine about the fact that there are no serious studies being done when it comes to topical finasteride or dutasteride. He says the reason is simple, there is no financial incentive. If one finds out that the topical product is effective, any company or compound pharmacy can start making it too. The same logic goes to any study regarding the effect of natural products on hair loss, there is no advantage in scientifically finding out that lettuce juice completely halts hair loss (I wish it did) because anyone can make it.

    And btw, he also said in Italy, in a pharmacy called Parati, it’s quite common to prescribe topical finasteride already.

    1. Yes, but, Sad part is why glaxo didn’t try topical in 2000s when they had the patent. The tried oral, great results, but , obviously , they knew about the side effects and had more moral than Merk.

      1. Hi James, please leave URL field blank when commenting. Your comment initially went to spam due to the spammy URL.

  3. I have purchased topical dutasteride from regrowth labs D5a it is very thick once apply to the scalp. I have used it for a few months now and I can’t see any regrowth yet might add dermarolling to see if it helps absorption

    1. Interesting. He is now an advisor at Organ Tech. But still the head at Riken. Hope it’s just a minor organizational change.

      1. What could this mean for their operation, in terms of the timeline? And what could it mean in general, as far as the treatment goes?

      2. Hi admin – I even think it is a very good sign and great news! The research is definitely over, and development, if not yet finished, should be more of an engineering issue and fine tuning.

        Tsuji is a sientist and not a businessman, he might want to go back to basic academic research.

        There was also a change on the executive board in 2019 with 2 new directors, one of which is a lawyer and new to OrganTech – his position is called “Outside Director”. 3 out of the 4 positions have an economic background, 1 is scientific.

        All in all these changes are strong indications towards marketing and would not be made if the alleged 2019-trials were unsuccessful – at least that is what I think.

        This is a usual shift from R&D to commercialization in my humble opinion.

    2. @tom thanks for sharing. Think it’s not too bad news since his role as adviser still includes him in the business and at least it means the company is still alive, we didn’t hear news quite a while.

  4. Could it be as simple as ordering Dutasteride from Alibaba and adding it to our minoxidil flacs?
    i’m taking 0,5mg daily now, i probably won’t need that much when applied topical. That Belgium doctor mentioned, uses 1% of it in their mixture. I’m guessing that’s about 0,6 grams. Which is not expensive at all.
    There are blood tests available for DHT, I just don’t know if they are also willing to take a blood sample from the scalp. Because with those results it’s instantly known whether or not it’s working right?

  5. The lack of interest is down to the fact that it does not work. The burden of proof is on those that believe it somehow does and anything less than a video (not suspicious still images) is unacceptable.
    What you are promoting is home-,made have-a-go chemistry. While appreciating that necessity is the mother of all inventions, this is not the right thing to do for something that is just cosmetic.

      1. Exactly. Lots of studies show topical finasteride to work. Dr. Hasson even told me that the topical worked significantly better than the oral for many patients in the past.

        And by now, there must be 100 plus studies that show oral dutasteride to be much better than oral finasteride at growing hair (albeit with higher rates of side effects).

        My experiment is clearly labeled as a crude at-home experiment, whose science is unproven. Nothing misleading. I would probably never have tried it if oral dutasteride was continuing to work well for me.

      2. Dut’s molecule is considerably bigger and quite impractical for epidermis penetration. Needs a good carrier (possibly liposomal)

  6. @admin, anything about microneedling / minox planned? It seems that there is alot of interest in this and alot of ppl experimenting whos getting really good results.

  7. I haven’t been following as closely of late so someone may have posted already but I did notice that Puretech has updated their Follica pipeline page. Nothing really new but they are obviously moving forward and still pursuing proprietary amplification compounds to increase effectiveness. There is a very good before and after pic (the same one we have seen before) and it is very good clear pic. On the downside, it is captioned as an “above the average” representation of results.

  8. Admin, you are never considering that topical can give you the same side effects than oral. IN fact, the Italy company, didn’t show the before and after DHT systemic level, so, it is really a none sense.
    Anyway, it surprise me that not a single person test it, but simple check their DHT before and after use dutasteride or finasteride topical.

    1. I used topical fin for just over a month. I had testicle pain, foggyness, and a couple of panic attacks. Decided to quit that sh*t. Now I’m going bald and I’ve pretty much given up hope. But going bald is better than messing around with your hormones I think.

      1. You can use topical minoxidil plus tretinoin . PLus everyday Ketoconazole 2% shampoo ( living at last 10 minutes ) . That really works.

  9. It is strange that topical dutasteride is not more popular. I suffer sides on topical finasteride and was very much wanting to try it myself – I’ve heard from reputable hair transplant clinics that sometimes patients who experience sides on finasteride can take dutasteride without any problems. This is strange, given that dutasteride is stronger, but seems to be borne out by clinical practice. However, taking dutasteride orally is a step too far for me at this stags. I actually had an appointment booked in with Dr Lupanzula which was cancelled due to the coronavirus lockdown, so it may be a few months before I can get hold of it.

    1. It isn’t that strange that Dut has less sides as it inhibits type 2 Alpha reductase more, the type found in the scalp whereas Fin reduces more type 1 which is found in the prostate and actually has use in the body, hence the side effects

        1. Yeah, obviously there is a chance I could get hit with even worse sides, but I’ve no reason to disbelieve that sometimes the opposite can happen.

          1. Mutruk is wrong. It’s actually Dut that inhibits both 5AR1 and 5AR2. Finasteride’s effect on 5AR1 is negligible.

  10. Hello Admin, you mentioned that Dr. Hasson told you that the topical worked significantly better than the oral in the past.

    I’ve been on oral finasteride (1mg) for the past 3 years, and although I initially had great results (stopped hair loss and regained density in the vertex) recently my hairline has been receding and I’m exploring new options.

    Now I don’t have any finasteride-related side effects, so is it worth making the switch to topical finasteride/dutasteride?

    1. Probably best to consult with a doctor first before trying to switch. I have not talked to Dr. Hasson in several years, but will try to get his latest feedback on this issue.

  11. Admin and others, I’m currently using a homemade topical finasteride which I make at a much high concentration than what my compounding pharmacy will make, but I’m still not getting any results. Should I switch over to oral? Could it be that I’m not applying it correctly or that my genetics are just too strong? Thanks

    1. There was another person who had emailed the company. He got no response. Now, from a first glance it might look negative but Dr Tsuji is still with the company, just taking a different position. He gave a lecture in Jan 2020 on next generation regenerative medicine. Hair follicle regeneration was mentioned in that lecture. It would be strange to give that lecture and then call it quits after all this time. There was an article late last year talking about Organ Technologies in Beyond Health and they had mentioned Human trails were to begin in 2019 (who knows if this happened). Everything is very under the radar with news bad or good. We will just have to wait and see.

  12. Admin, sorry if I missed this , but is there a conclusive study comparing the difference in side effects between oral and topical finasteride ?
    Thanks

    1. Thanks Mike! I can’t imagine how there would be no delay this year, especially for a US company. But I would be glad to be proven wrong of course.

        1. Added a few updates in the November post, but will republish with a few minor updates later this month most likely. For now, best is to follow David DiMuzio channel and Bald Truth channel.

      1. It’s probably worth noting that they say so far nothing has impacted their plans but are keeping a close eye on the situation so that could change of course. Also the fact that they have done trials outside the US in the past would indicate they could always test in a country where the virus is under control/ or has relaxed lockdown measures.

        Positive news for the time being.

  13. Questions for admin and anyone else who is interested in Tsuji:

    What stage are we at? What is the next step? What specifically are we waiting on?

    I’ve read conflicting reports about human trials. Are we waiting to hear if they have started? Or to hear the results? Do we have any sort of timeline at all?

    1. No-one knows for sure. Some indications were that human trials started in late 2019 or early 2020. All speculation till we hear from the horse’s mouth unfortunately.

  14. Ultimately, this is a delivery and logistics issue. I already use Minoxodil foam, and it is far superior to the liquid. I remember the days of having to use a dropper to apply the sticky, itchy liquid to my head – it was quite inconvenient. The foam changed everything; not only did it make application easier, it doubled as a styling and thickening gel. I wouldn’t give it up for topical fin or dut, because the application of them would be so onerous and cosmetically cumbersome (foam aids in the styling of my hair – liquids detract from it). And where would it fit in my day? I’m using minox foam 2x a day, and I doubt it would be advisable to apply both minox and finish/dut at the same time, so when do I apply it? Middle of the day at work? It’s unmanageable. If it were available as a foam and showed SIGNIFICANT improved efficacy over Minoxodil, sure, but as a liquid? No thanks.

  15. I miss the days of the medical items of interest posts, and posts like this. Not “Hey look some guy got made fun of on tiger king for being bald”, or “this celebrity has a great hair transplant”.

    1. Celebrity has a great hair transplant or toupee has been written about since the blog started :-( Tiger King was new.

        1. Sadly I have not watched it. Sounds like a pretty popular polarizing opinion though. I guess my main point is I like posts like these that look at a more scientific way to move past hair loss.

      1. I just think they should make a come back. I enjoyed reading those blog posts the most, even if everything wasn’t directly related to hair loss (but you found a way to indirectly speculate that it could be). It made the search for new treatments seem like an ongoing process, and gave me hope in science. Vs the few press releases we get from companies.

        1. Thanks. Unfortunately, the Brief Items of Interest posts took up way too much of my time, as I had to collect links to stories almost daily. I agree that the scientific posts are always better, but the blog would become a bit too dry. And I would get tired of always doing scientific research. BTW the posts on Trump and Ashton Kutcher are far more popular than most of the scientific posts. Most regular drive by readers do not want too much scientific information to digest :-)

  16. For me, dutasteride is actually cheaper than finasteride (generic in both cases). I made the switch to dutasteride after using finasteride for about a year.

    I’m fairly certain my dutasteride is legit. I accidentally punctured one of the capsules one time, and got the liquid in my mouth. It tastes HORRIFIC. So that could be a way to test your dutasteride if you’re feeling brave.

  17. Fda putting hold on all non covid19 clinical trials until further notice. So looks like follica wont be entering phase 3 this year or any other trial. Im sure histogen will use this as an excuse in 8 years for being delayed for phase 2 haha

  18. You can buy dutasteride powder and mix it with minox. I just started applying this mixture for about 2 weeks now. Don’t waste your time with dutasteride pills. The liquid amount is minuscule, and you’ll waste most of it trying to get it out of the pill. Plus, it would take 60 dutasteride capsules at 0.5mg’s to make a 0.05% dutasteride solution at 60ml or 120 dutasteride capsules at 0.5mg’s to make a 0.1% dutasteride solution at 60ml.

      1. Does the FDA check that these companies that make dut and fin don’t purposely our inadvertently add any additional chemicals to our pills (purity)?

  19. In other news; unregulated wet markets are open again. Great news for animal suffering and future pandemics. By then the world economy will be on its knees and any hope of a bailout will be left up to aliens. On a brighter note Mjones…Histogen should be to market after the world ends.

  20. Is anyone having issues with HLT forum? Ever time I visit that site it takes forever to load up.

    Sorry admin for mentioning your competition site. Your site is always the best and accessible:)

    I like hlt to check out before after fue

    1. Not just you, been having this issue for a few mo this myself. Tried accessing it today and it didnt load for me. Not sure what’s going on.

  21. hairloss is depressing as hell. I dont care what anyone says, “Maning up and shaving it” is not an option for alot of people. I really hope a cure comes out this year

  22. There is a liquid dutasteride (30 ml, 0.5 mg dut/ml) on peptidepros.com. What do you guys think about that? Is that page legit or fake as the kaneshop?

  23. Hey Admin-

    I am almost in the same boat as you- as in I am starting a topical duta experiment- the idea is to try mixing it in a carrier like DMSO (and maybe also mix this solution with minox form) and try it on a twice a week cadence. Some dude on Hairlosstalk seems to have had good response on topical duta sans the side effects.

    In the past, I have had painful sides from oral versions of duta & fin. Plus Minox also gave me mighty sides (intestinal issues & definite liver issues)

    Do you have any advice regarding the duta-dmso combo?

      1. Nice theoretical experiment.But i read that if you apply pure (100%) it’s absortion efficacy decreased.You must use it 70% or 90% pure.But if you will use it in this form(70 or 90%) for (let’s say) minox solution it will give minox 0 efficacy because of the water dmso will have.
        just posting my thoughts.no judging

        1. I did not understand your comment fully, but it does make sense to mix the “topical” Dutasteride with something else. A lot of people seem to mix with Minoxidil.

          I would guess that adding Retin-A would also help with the absorption. Have not done much research into DMSO.

  24. Hi Admin,

    How has your experience with topical Duta gone? I am currently trying a topical that contains duta and hoping it can maintain my hair!

    1. Hi Mike V, I have just been breaking a generic Dutasteride pill and putting the small amount of transparent liquid in there onto my crown. Usually once every two weeks. Not sure if it has helped :-(

  25. Admin,

    Ive been using dutas for 9 years now, its been a godsend drug for me. I have wig like thickness in my hair. I’ve noticed recently though that dutas are starting to wane in effect. Im experiencing minituarization and thinning temples. kinda sad after 9 years of success. I feel like my receptors are probably more sensitive now to androgens and that my current dose of dut (500mcg) is not enough. Instead of adding or doubling my oral dose of dut (doing 1mg dut and 2.5 mg fin orally) im thinking of going the topical route.Yes even if i double doses of both dut and fin i experience 0 side effects. I believe after 9 years my body has somehow adjusted to the effects and now most likely not efficient in inhibiting DHT. I believe topical is the way to go for me while still keeping a regular oral dose. Wondering if you had any formulas to share for compounding a topical dut or topical fin and dut.

    Was thinking of using Dut with minox 5% 30ml solution but dut molecule is large may need liposomal level. many suggest DMSO as a carrier with minox. Wanted to hear your thoughts or formulations.

    1. Thanks Jesus! I am not experienced in using carriers or trying out any topical concoctions, but glad you do not get side effects after so many years of using Dutasteride.

      1. What a quick response admin i like that.

        Ive settled with microneedling, Minox diluted with DMSO and or PG. Im still doing the calculations. Would you like me to keep you posted on my results on the coming months? Also, I will be adding Fin to the topical as there are some studies online (apocryphal at best) that state that certain genotypes respond better to fin then dut. Lets see. haha

  26. If the topical finasteride works in EU
    How long admin do you think will it take for us to get a legitimate dutasteride topical version
    And can these topical version be applied with minoxidil?

  27. Admin, Early in 2021 we launched Topical Dutasteride 82D aka Dutoxidil after completing our internal testing beginning in 2019. 82D contains dutasteride, minoxidil, tretinoin, fluocinolone in a non-greasy, quick-dry, fast-absorbing vehicle (which HairScience’s “82” products are famous for). You can find PubMed references on the page linked below, usage info, expectations, as well as how it blocks type I and type II 5AR pathways to DHT, etc.
    Patients have been pleased with it so far. As expected, it works better in areas of early hair loss. Some patients have commented that it also has made their scalp less greasy/less oily in general (I assume that’s a sebaceous gland effect). We don’t know how much better topical dutasteride is vs topical finasteride at this time. Stay tuned for more info.
    https://www.baumanmedical.com/topical-dutasteride-formula-82d/
    Sincerely,
    Alan J Bauman MD ABHRS

  28. I might give it a go (if it ever comes out and doesn’t cost hundreds per tincey bottle). Does sound too good to be true IMO. Time will tell I guess…

  29. 20 times?! Hard to believe. But I’m with SummyKim. I might give it a try if it’s not too expensive (and it actually reaches market).

  30. Admin (or others) – do you know if they are targeting a 2023 release in the US or Korea (or both)? Thanks!

  31. From the image of the vial it gives the impression that this might be administered in a clinic as opposed to being an at home treatment. If so, might be quite a while before it becomes available in the US and other global markets. :-(

  32. “Unique microbubble ultrasound delivery” also lends itself being administered by clinics with the proper equipment, wouldn’t you think?

    1. If so than its fate is sealed. You just cannot go to a clinic twice a week, that’s not a sustainable model.

      I still think it is an at-home-treatment.

      But questions remain.

  33. If it’s acting systemically, then you will get all the same side effects as oral. If it’s NOT acting systemically (which is what they claim), then you also will not suppress DHT blood levels, which means DHT is getting to your follicles without anything to block the effects. The only thing this will do is block the conversion in the skin. There is some evidence that the locally produced DHT is a big part of the effect.

  34. I’ve read some “horror stories” about topical dutasteride. Does anyone know what the whole thing is? I have read that some report increased thinning (even after several months) and increased hair loss over months and that the shedding (which is normal at first) has not stopped.

    Since I have strong side effects on Fin, even at low doses, I hardly have any alternatives. So far I have been looking at topical fin and topical Dut.

  35. Nothing has ever really worked for me. I’ve tried it all. All the topicals (which you can pretty much already get in nearly any % you want). It’s all overblown. They make it out to be a game changer. It isn’t. None of it is, imo. It may slow things down some but it can’t stop the process entirely. We’re losing our hair and to stop this, or better yet reverse it, we’ll need a lot more then topical fin or dut.

    Lots of potential “cures” out there but I don’t see us much farther than we were two decades ago, sad as that is. I honestly don’t see an actual cure coming in my lifetime, unfortunately. Medical science isn’t nearly as advanced as we like to think it is (and I have several very serious medical issues so I know from experience, we’re mostly still using drugs and fixes that were discovered 50 plus years ago).

    1. Agree that there’s a lot of hype to treatments, nothing can 100% stop hair loss or regrow lost hair. What some current treatments have the potential to do is dramatically slow down the loss and/or thicken up miniaturized follicles which gives one a better looking head of hair. The results vary from person to person. As far as sides from topical Dut, I wouldn’t believe everything you read on the internet. Again, this can vary from person to person. I never had appreciable sides from oral or topical anything. There are some that seem to get sides from everything.

  36. @James1 – How did Happy Head go for you? How long were you on it? I think Kintor’s drug will at least get us off the pills. It should be at least as good as fin.

    1. I used it for several months (maybe 5 in total?). It was okay. Very oily (for me anyway – didn’t love the way it made my hair feel but using it at night vs day helped that some). Did it help? I don’t know. I didn’t notice a difference but perhaps it was helping maintain. That’s part of the problem with a lot of these products….the change is so slight it’s often hard to say what impact it’s having.

  37. @James1 – thanks. I’m experimenting with something new – I’ll post if it works in a few months.

  38. IDK I think topical dut with a better delivery method then a spray/cream and gets much better penetration if the molecule is small enough could have amazing results.
    There is a lot of potential, and dutasteride if it could delivered safely, could potentially prevent MPB.
    MPB is all about prevention now not regrowth. That might not ever happen for many decades. Its just sad we cant safely prevent MPB knowing T/DHT is a huge huge factor.

  39. Do we know if topical fin / dut reduces scalp DHT more than oral fin / dut? The only information I can find regarding scalp DHT levels from studies is that 0.5 mg oral dut reduces scalp DHT by 51% and 5mg fin reduces it by 41%. Do we know if topicals reduce these by more?

  40. Hi, the topical dutasteride trial in Spain that you mention in this post had finished. Would you mind reaching out to them to ask when they are planning on releasing the data? Many of us are eagerly waiting for an oral 5ari alternative haha…
    Thanks a lot in advance.

    1. Hi Tom,

      It says the study complete date is 2024-04-29. We should give them several months to see if they release any news item. Thanks.

      1. This need for companies to have months to report on results is something that has always baffled me. How difficult is it to count the numbers of hairs in a target area and report on that? I would have been fired from from every job I ever had if I couldn’t perform better.

  41. Is there any news for Addpharma AD-205 (or AD-106) and for Hutera?
    Addpharma completed Phase 3 for AD-205 a year ago now. And for AD-106 there was no iupdate for years.

    1. I wouldn‘t rely on Moogene tbh – they are Korean after all. Let’s hope for the best.

      I couldn’t find anything in the report you linked – are they using Finasteride?

      1. Hi Ben, as far as I know SMLTOP09 is topical Dutasteride.

        For Moogene you can also check their Youtube channel. They have some interesting videos about the drug delivery and show coming Cosmetics.

      2. Ben, I have mentioned Moogene in this post FYI. Have been delaying writing an entire post on them. So many people seem interested.

        1. I‘ve been following them for 4+ years, and as always with Korean companies: they put out an incredible amount of interviews, collaborations, press and news releases.

          But there’s always sth in the way: Corona and financial difficulties, an international lawsuit regarding LNP, a new tech (Crispr) that couldn’t be used. Last time I checked they wanted to release HUTERA in Q2 2023. Well here we are in Q3 2024 lol.

          Don’t get me wrong, I root for them – the idea is great! But I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a big bust, South Korea is just not reliable (where‘s Epibiotech btw).

          But I like how many topical Dut options are under development – I actually lost the overview.

          Btw Olix is the only candidate from SK to take serious (Sinclair AUS did the trials).

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