FAQ

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If you are a current patient and wish to switch your prescription to Locklab + Dutasteride, you can do so in your Locklab Portal by selecting Treatment > Change plan > Change treatment

What is dutasteride?

Dutasteride treats hair loss by blocking a hormone called DHT—the main cause of male pattern baldness. Your body primarily makes DHT using two types of 5AR enzymes: Type 1 and Type 2. Finasteride blocks Type 2, while dutasteride blocks both Type 1 and 2. Think of Type 2 as the main engine driving hair loss—and Type 1 as the backup generator. Finasteride shuts off the engine. Dutasteride shuts off the generator.

‍Does dutasteride grow hair better?‍

Not really. Your primary hair regrowth comes from minoxidil, that’s why Locklab + Dutasteride is a 4-in-1 pill, because different ingredients do different things better. The purpose of both dutasteride and finasteride is the same—to stop further hair loss. Dutasteride is stronger at stopping hair loss (it blocks 90% of DHT) while finasteride blocks about 65% of DHT. However, research shows dutasteride is not statistically superior to finasteride for regrowing thick (terminal) hairs. What you need for visually striking hair regrowth is the combination of ingredients in Locklab + Dutasteride.

Who is dutasteride best for?‍

We recommend starting with Locklab and switching to Locklab + Dutasteride if you need something stronger to stop hair loss. Locklab + Dutasteride is stronger, but it is only necessary for the minority—if you believe you are still losing hair while taking standard Locklab, or if finasteride alone has not been effective for you in the past.
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Why don't you recommend dutasteride for everyone?‍

At Locklab, we always recommend the minimum effective dose—meaning the lowest dose that gives you the results you expect. It’s always best to only take as much medication as you actually need. If you have successfully stopped hair loss with Finasteride, there’s little to no reason to add in Dutasteride.

What makes this combo different?

Locklab + Dutasteride is a regrowth-forward medication. Your primary hair regrowth comes from oral minoxidil, that’s why Locklab + Dutasteride is a 4-in-1 pill—because different ingredients improve your hair in different ways. Dutasteride’s role is to stop hair loss by fighting off DHT—the hormone that is otherwise constantly attacking your hair follicles. Since dutasteride blocks more DHT than other treatments, it is the best medication in the world at what it does. In conjunction, finasteride is the most widely researched and trusted hair loss medication available so it’s the perfect base for stopping hair loss. Finasteride shifts the medication toward blocking more of the Type 2 5AR enzyme—the main culprit for hair loss. Biotin has a cult-like following for improving hair health and is ideal for helping bind the other ingredients together.
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How will I know if it’s NOT working?

If you're here to regrow hair and have not seen regrowth after 13 months of using any version of Locklab, it's no longer possible. If you're here to stop further balding, and you're still losing hair after 6 months of switching to Locklab + Dutasteride, please message your provider to increase the dose of dutasteride. Increasing the dose is the final step you can take—after this, no prescription medication currently on the market can give improved results. But please reach out to our Care Team—it would be our pleasure to consult with you on non-drug-related options. We provide this service for free and do not receive a commission.‍
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Why does this 4-in-1 also contain finasteride?‍

Finasteride (along with Minoxidil) are the only FDA approved medications to treat hair loss. Finasteride is the most widely researched and frequently prescribed hair loss treatment on the market—blocking 65-70% of DHT. Since we know Finasteride is safe and highly effective, it’s the perfect base for stopping hair loss.
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Why this unique dosage?

You may be wondering why we start with a 0.1mg dose of dutasteride. The short answer is, it's safer and has the same effect as a higher dose for most men. Let's break it down:
First, some men may be considering a 0.5mg dose—we usually advise against it—because 0.5mg of dutasteride is the only dose of any drug prescribed for hair loss that has been found to decrease sperm count after 1 year (Amory et al, 2007)*. Since we know it’s the strength of the dose that causes this, our 0.1mg dose will likely have no negative affects on sperm count.
Second, The 0.5mg dose of dutasteride was designed to treat a condition called BPH (which shrinks your prostate). This means you will see a larger decrease in prostatic/ejaculate fluid (liquid surrounding sperm) from the 0.5mg dose. Again, this is not nearly as much of an issue with the 0.1mg dose.
Third, According to the largest study on taking dutasteride for hair loss (Harcha et al., 2014)**, the 0.1mg dose by itself is 70% as effective as the 0.5mg dose. When you combine this with finasteride (which already stops hair loss for nearly everyone) you have the ideal balance of stopping hair loss effectively while taking a safer combination of medication.
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*Amory JK, Wang C, Swerdloff RS, Anawalt BD, Matsumoto AM, Bremner WJ, Walker SE, Haberer LJ, Clark RV. The effect of 5alpha-reductase inhibition with dutasteride and finasteride on semen parameters and serum hormones in healthy men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007

**Gubelin Harcha W, Barboza Martínez J, Tsai TF, Katsuoka K, Kawashima M, Tsuboi R, Barnes A, Ferron-Brady G, Chetty D. A randomized, active- and placebo-controlled study of the efficacy and safety of different doses of dutasteride versus placebo and finasteride in the treatment of male subjects with androgenetic alopecia. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014

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Get Help Anytime

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