Avodart or Propecia

[kenny57028]

I was gonna get some propecia however I was reading up on different articles and I found many saying that the .5mg avodart was much better at growing hair back. Does anyone have comments on this?

[KeepTheHair]

It blocks more DHT and is more effective, yes.

But there are no long term safety studies on it's use and side effects are more common.



Definitely start out with finasteride. Finasteride should always be your first choice. It has been proven to be safe. Same can't be said for avodart/dutasteride.


Some users choose to take dutasteride if they see finasteride is not doing the job for them. But that is only after a year or 2. Other users take dutasteride once weekly since it has such a long half life.


I personally don't think it is a good idea to start out with it. But it may be an option down the line.

[kenny57028]

Ya I was thinking about doing propecia first, but the fact of the matter is im only 18 and i got the hair of a 30 year old it seems like. I wanna get back as much hair as possible. Also I was looking on propecias website and it shows that once the DHT is blocked your hairs on your head now return back to a normal size, is this correct?

[KeepTheHair]

It is possible for hair that has miniaturized to gain back some of their original size, yes. But this is not always the case. Most of the time...it's not.


I am 20 years old. My hair looks terrible, I gaurantee you this. I also want to take dutasteride since it will definitely give me better results. But the side effects - though rare and over hyped - ARE a reality. So, try propecia for a few months and if you don't have side effects then reconsider. Perhaps go on propecia for a full year before you decide.

What I am doing currently is using topical antiandrogens. You can use things like a shampoo with ketoconazole in it, which helps the fight against male pattern baldness because it is a weak antiandrogen but it in combination with other treatments, works quiet well. It also has both antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects. Thus it helps a lot in to keep your scalp healthy and create a better environment for the growth of hair. A popular shampoo containing this ingredient is Nizoral shampoo. You can get the 1% keto over the counter and 2% from your doctor.

You can also try topical Spironolactone which is also an antiandrogen.


I am no expert and this is only my opinion.

[kenny57028]

I remember seeing in an interview one time they said that rogaine and propecia can not regrow hair if the follicule is already gone. If this is true how does the regrowth take place? I jsut figured they ment like your own hairs would regrow into thicker hairs... if the hairs on my head went back to terminal hairs I think id have pretty nice coverage.

[kenny57028]

Also on the propecia website it shows someone goin from about a norwood 5 to a full head of hair. Where do those hair follicules come from?

[KeepTheHair]

Where does it show that??? No way.


A lot of follicles are too small to be seen by camera.

[Scientist]

I do not know if this is true, but I heard the active ingredient in avodart (Dut) did pass some phases of FDA testing, but not the final one due to safety concerns....but nothing about efficacy. I think its clinically proven to regrow hair, but the safety remains a concern.
What would a doctor have to monitor if one wants to try it? I think dut should be taken if propecia does not do it for an individual after at least a year.

I think as long as one is monitored by a doctor, taking dut should be an individual choice. Some people will tolerate it better than others.

At least its not one of those snake oil products that has no clinical backing.