Will I See a Difference Between Avodart and Propecia?

I’m 24 and for the past year I’ve noticed some light thinning near the front of my scalp. I wanted to start taking Propecia or Avodart to prevent further hair loss and hopefully regrow some hair. I’ve read Avodart is more effective than Propecia. Do you think someone my age with moderate hair loss will notice much of difference between the two?

I realize there are many sources of information on the internet about both Avodart and Propecia. I generally do not recommend Avodart in my regular practice (although I have prescribed it on an individual basis) because of its very long half life (the time it takes for half of the drug to be out of your blood stream — which is in the order of many days). Propecia on the other hand has a half life of a few hours. Propecia (finasteride 1mg) is the only FDA approved medication for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. I would not therefore recommend Avodart over Propecia until you go through a trial on Propecia for a minimum of 12 months. The rest is up to you and your doctor.

Remember, before starting any medication you should first consult with a medical doctor to quantitatively record your current miniaturization hair loss pattern with a hair densitometer so you can follow-up up in 6 to 8 months to see the effects of the medication.