DHT and Hair Loss Treatment

Clinical Considerations

The American Urological Association notes that finasteride reduces serum PSA by approximately 50% after 1 year; when screening for prostate cancer, the measured PSA value should be doubled to accurately gauge disease progression 1
Patients should be aware that visible improvement from finasteride treatment requires months of continuous treatment, and discontinuation results in return of DHT levels to pretreatment values within approximately 2 weeks, as noted by medical guidelines 2
The British Association of Dermatologists distinguishes between androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition, which requires different treatments such as intralesional corticosteroids or contact immunotherapy, whereas DHT-related hair loss specifically refers to androgenetic alopecia 3

The European Association of Urology notes that dutasteride inhibits both Type I and Type II 5α-reductase, reducing serum DHT by 95% versus 70% with finasteride, though it is not FDA-approved for hair loss 1