04 — Build Your Protocol
The Stack.
Most men run dutasteride to stop the loss and oral minoxidil to drive regrowth. The topical combines both at the scalp. Every protocol on this page links to the right product below.
Every Mane & Steel protocol is built on the dose-response science of 5-alpha reductase inhibition and low-dose oral minoxidil. Dutasteride always begins at 0.5mg, and every dose is held for one full steady-state cycle — about 90 days — before climbing. Same pace for everyone. Your background only changes where you start.
DHT gets suppressed in two places: in your blood (serum) and at the scalp, where the follicle lives. The scalp number is the one that tracks real-world regrowth — and it's where the two drugs separate hard.
Finasteride crushes serum DHT but barely touches the scalp, and it makes almost no difference whether you take 1mg or 5mg. Dutasteride blocks both enzymes — so its scalp suppression keeps climbing as the dose rises, from 51% at 0.5mg to 79% at 2.5mg. That rising blue line is the entire reason higher dutasteride doses keep delivering more.
Dutasteride vs. Finasteride · Serum & Scalp · Olsen et al., J Am Acad Dermatol 2006
Values from Olsen et al. 2006: finasteride reduces scalp DHT by roughly half and plateaus there — raising the dose from 1mg to 5mg adds essentially nothing at the scalp (measured ~50% vs ~41%, a flat response within measurement range). Serum values: finasteride 1mg ≈ 65%, 5mg ≈ 73%; dutasteride 0.5mg = 92% serum / 51% scalp, rising to 96% serum / 79% scalp at 2.5mg. Dutasteride 1.5mg scalp value is estimated from the published dose-response curve. The scalp line is the one that tracks real-world regrowth.
The right starting strength isn't one-size-fits-all. It depends on your age and how much hair you've already lost — because those two things predict where your hair loss is headed. Here's how we think about it.
The short version: we raise your dose one step at a time, and we hold each step for about 90 days before going higher. Here's why that number isn't random.
Dutasteride is a slow-building medication. When you take a dose, it doesn't hit full strength that day — it climbs in your system over several weeks and reaches its full, stable effect at right around 90 days. That 90-day mark is the first honest moment to answer two questions: Is it working? And do I feel good on it? If the answer to both is yes, you've earned the next step up. If something feels off, we hold or step back. Simple.
Why does the starting point change but not the pace? Because the 90-day clock is the same for everyone — it's just how the drug works. What changes is which rung you're already standing on. If you've never taken a DHT blocker, you start at the bottom (0.5mg) and climb. If you've been on dutasteride 0.5mg for a while, you're already past that first rung — you've lived the full cycle — so you start your climb from 1.0mg instead, after confirming you've been stable. Nobody climbs faster; some people just start higher.
Being straight with you: some men have chosen to jump up faster on their own, and many do fine. But after looking at the science and our own experience, this steady, one-step-at-a-time approach is what we've concluded is the safest and most reliable for the most people — so it's what we recommend. You're always in control: if you reach a dose that's working and you feel great, you can stay there for good. There's no requirement to climb to the top.
This is general education, not a substitute for your physician's guidance. Your prescribing physician makes the final call on your dose and pace based on your health history. Doses, capsule counts, and timing are managed through your Mane & Steel account.
The short version: hold, don't drop. If you notice mild side effects after moving up a dose, the move is not to immediately step back down. Stay at your current dose and give your body time to adjust.
Why holding beats dropping. Mild side effects often settle on their own within a few weeks as your system adapts to the new level of DHT suppression. Dropping your dose the moment something appears can actually backfire — it makes your hormones swing again, which can prolong or even restart the very symptoms you're trying to shake. Holding steady lets things level out.
Loop in your physician. Let your Mane & Steel physician know you're holding and observing. From there, you stay in the driver's seat: once things settle, you decide whether you want to continue climbing toward your target or stay right where you are. There is never any pressure to go higher — a dose that's working and feels good is a great place to stay.
When to step down. If symptoms are significant, persistent, or getting worse rather than better, your physician may step you down — but only by one level at a time, never stopping cold. Abruptly quitting causes its own rebound. Everything is gradual, in both directions.
Always contact your physician about any side effect that concerns you, and seek immediate care for anything severe. This guidance is general education and does not replace your physician's individualized direction.
Organized by where you're starting and your target dose. Dutasteride always begins at 0.5mg and climbs through every dose in between — 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5mg — holding each for about 90 days (one steady-state cycle). Same pace for everyone. Experienced patients simply start higher on the ladder after confirming their history.
Take the protocol quiz. Two minutes, and a US-licensed physician maps your exact starting dose and titration pathway based on your age, history, and goals.
Take The Protocol QuizMost men run dutasteride to stop the loss and oral minoxidil to drive regrowth. The topical combines both at the scalp. Every protocol on this page links to the right product below.
