a synthetic anti-androgen and weak progestogen that inhibits DHT binding to androgen receptor
a potent but unapproved and potentially problematic topical anti-androgen
a topical anti-androgen with less systemic involvement
highly targeted anti-androgen that might have minimal systemic effects
- Can bicalutamide stop DHT from shrinking your hair follicles? Bicalutamide blocks androgens at the receptor rather than lowering DHT, and some dermatologists prescribe it off-label for women with pattern hair loss. The published evidence is retrospective case series and one small pilot study, with no randomized trial; it is a prescription drug that requires liver monitoring and is contraindicated in pregnancy.
- Alfatradiol: What does a form of estrogen have to do with hair loss in men? Alfatradiol (17α-estradiol) is a prescription topical hormone, licensed for androgenetic alopecia in Germany but not FDA-approved. The controlled trial evidence is in women, where it produced stabilisation rather than regrowth and was outperformed by minoxidil; no comparable placebo-controlled trial in men appears to have been published.
