Taking Dutasteride After A Hair Transplant

Dutasteride will help prevent hair loss and can be considered after having a hair transplant to preserve your natural hair and ensure your result lasts longer.

What is Dutasteride?

Dutasteride is a synthetic compound that’s used mainly for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with enlarged prostate. The medication also helps to prevent hair loss, with a large body of research showing that it can be used to treat hair loss conditions like androgenic alopecia.

How does dutasteride work?

Dutasteride works by blocking the activity of an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. On a normal basis, the 5-alpha-reductase helps convert testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which plays important roles in the sexual development of males. When Dutasteride blocks the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, DHT levels in the body reduce.

DHT in the body has been linked to the most common form of hair loss among both men and women- androgenic alopecia. The hormone DHT causes hair on the scalp to thin and fall out over time. It affects as much as 50% of both males and females, and is characterised by gradual, permanent loss of hair from the scalp, which goes on to cause baldness.

Research into Dutasteride preventing hair loss

There is a good amount of evidence demonstrating Dutasteride’s effectiveness in treating hair loss. Certain countries like Japan have approved the use of Dutasteride in the treatment of androgenic alopecia, others like the United States and the UK are still yet to formally give it the green light. Therefore, doctors prescribe the drug as an off-label treatment.

• Research has shown that Dutasteride can improve hair growth. This can be seen in a study published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. In the study, male patients suffering from androgenic alopecia were given 0.5 mg of Dutasteride everyday, for a period of 6 months, after which their hair count was assessed. At the end of the clinical experiment, the results showed that subjects who took 0.5 mg of Dutasteride were able to increase their hair count by up to 12.2/cm². This increase was in fact more than double the amount seen in the placebo group (those who did not take Dutasteride).
• More findings published in Clinical Interventions in Aging Journal, found that Dutasteride as a drug, is more effective than finasteride in the treatment of hair loss in male patients suffering from androgenic alopecia.
• In another study published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, Dutasteride and finasteride’s efficacy in improving hair growth was tested in women with androgenic alopecia. At the end of the experiment, both drugs were found to be effective in increasing hair thickness. However, Dutasteride was found to be slightly more effective, as it was able to increase hair thickness in 83.3% of subjects, while finasteride followed suit at 81.7%.
• In another research published in the same Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, Dutasteride efficacy over finasteride in the treatment of androgenic alopecia was proven once again. Men who given Dutasteride drug showed more increase in total hair count per cm² than those who took only finasteride.

Dutasteride and having hair transplant

If you just had a hair transplant, there are various measures your doctor will recommend to aid your recovery. Included in this, Doctors also recommend medications that can prevent hair loss which will help preserve your hair transplant result. Medications like Dutasteride can therefore help with this.

Taking Dutasteride after a hair transplant

After having a hair transplant, new grafts or follicles will be transplanted into your scalp, which will grow over 6-12 months. However, doctors often prescribe Dutasteride after a hair transplant surgery mainly for two reasons:

• Increased hair growth

We have seen several scientific findings that have shown that Dutasteride can increase hair growth, improve its thickness, and increase general hair count. These are effects that can benefit patients who are suffering from hair loss and thinning and have just had a hair transplant.

Generally, after having a hair transplant, hairs tend to start growing only slowly. In fact, it can take anywhere between three to six months before your hair begins to grow. Since Dutasteride increases hair growth, your Doctor might prescribe some for you to help hasten your regrowth.

• Prevent hair loss

Dutasteride has been found by research to be effective in preventing the most common form of hair loss, androgenic alopecia. Androgenic alopecia is a long lasting condition which can cause hair loss after having a hair transplant. Therefore, preventing hair loss with Dutasteride is an important consideration for patients.

How much Dutasteride should you take after having a hair transplant?

Generally, Dutasteride comes in a 0.5 mg capsule, and should be taken only once a day. This is the most common dosage for Dutasteride.

When can you start Dutasteride after having your hair transplant?

If you are already on Dutasteride before having your hair transplant, we recommend stopping 1 week before surgery.

If you are starting Dutasteride after your hair transplant you can restart 2 weeks post surgery.

Are there side effects of consuming dutasteride?

Taking Dutasteride is also associated with side effects. Some of them include lowered sex drive, mood disturbance, dizziness, ejaculation disorder, increased breast size and tenderness and testicular swelling/ tenderness. You ought to consult with your Doctor before taking Dutasteride.

Summary

After having a hair transplant, Doctors can recommend drugs like Dutasteride to accelerate hair growth, and prevent hair loss. Dutasteride works by blocking the activity of the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, which is responsible for converting testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the main hormone causing hair loss and thinning.

REFERENCES

1. https://www.rxlist.com/consumer_dutasteride_avodart/drugs-condition.htm
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557634/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430924/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20605255/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388756/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25382509/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27549867/