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Did you mean Oral Contraceptives?

Glossary Oral Contraceptives

medications taken orally to prevent pregnancy

Oral contraceptives, commonly known as "the pill," are medications taken by mouth to prevent pregnancy. They typically contain synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progestin, which work by inhibiting ovulation, thickening cervical mucus to block sperm, and altering the uterine lining to prevent implantation.

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Research

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research Non-Contraceptive Benefits of Oral Hormonal Contraceptives

83 citations , December 2012 in “International journal of endocrinology and metabolism/International journal of endocrinology and metabolism.”

This article reviews the diverse clinical applications of oral contraceptives beyond birth control, suggesting their effectiveness in treating various female health disorders and conditions.

research Leuprolide and estrogen versus oral contraceptive pills for the treatment of hirsutism: a prospective randomized study.

74 citations , December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

This study found that treatment with leuprolide plus cyclic estrogen/progestin may lead to a faster and greater improvement in hirsutism compared to a standard oral contraceptive regimen.

research Comparison of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and a low dose oral contraceptive given alone or together in the treatment of hirsutism.

62 citations , December 1995 in “The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism”

This study found that combining a GnRH agonist with a low-dose oral contraceptive was more effective in treating hirsutism than either agent alone and prevented hypoestrogenic side effects.

research The Role of Oral Contraceptives in the Treatment of Hyperandrogenic Disorders

57 citations , January 1995 in “The American journal of medicine”

This study discusses the use of oral contraceptives as a treatment for hyperandrogenism, showing improvement in hirsutism and acne for many women and possibly providing metabolic benefits with certain formulations.

research Efficacy of an oral contraceptive containing EE 0.03 mg and CMA 2 mg (Belara®) in moderate acne resolution: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III trial

42 citations , May 2009 in “Contraception”

This study found that the combined oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol and chlormadinone acetate was effective in reducing moderate papulopustular acne and other androgen-related skin disorders compared to placebo.

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Community Join

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community Female androgenetic alopecia (w/ PCOS) starting treatment

4 upvotes 1 year ago

A female with PCOS and androgenetic alopecia is starting treatment with oral Minoxidil, topical Minoxidil 5% with finasteride, and plans to add mesotherapy. She previously tried anti-androgenic contraceptive pills but couldn't tolerate them and is using Myo Inositol for weight management.

community SOS – The cure for women = PREGNANCY

2 upvotes 7 months ago

Pregnancy can temporarily reverse hair loss in women, but attempts to mimic pregnancy hormones with treatments like contraceptive pills, spironolactone, estradiol, progesterone, finasteride, and minoxidil have been ineffective. The discussion highlights the need for research into the hormonal mechanisms of pregnancy that affect hair regrowth.

community Request for advice, feedback...

in Chat 2 upvotes 1 year ago

The conversation discusses hair loss treatments for a woman experiencing androgenetic alopecia and seborrheic dermatitis, with suggestions including low-dose oral minoxidil, dutasteride, and hormone replacement therapy. The user is seeking advice due to intolerance to spironolactone and topical minoxidil, and concerns about low testosterone and DHT levels.

community 10 months treating MPB - I am happy with these results

in Progress Pictures 8 upvotes 1 year ago

A 26-year-old man shared his positive results after 10 months of treating male pattern baldness using a regimen that includes Estradiol Enanthate, DHPA, Bicalutamide, Dutasteride, oral and topical Minoxidil, and a dermaroller. He experienced mild gynecomastia and reduced body hair as side effects but was satisfied with the outcome.

community 18 months Dut - Shed after shed without any gains

in Update 115 upvotes 1 year ago

Dutasteride caused persistent hair shedding and no improvement for 18 months, leading to a switch back to finasteride. The user also uses oral minoxidil and plans to focus on better scalp health.

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Learn

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learn Ethinylestradiol

learn Neem Oil

Oil from the neem tree, used in traditional remedies

learn Vitis vinifera

Is Vitis vinifera more effective in oral supplements or topical products? Neither oral nor topical grape extract has been tested for hair loss in a human trial; topical use has only a theoretical, mouse-based rationale.

learn Finasteride

Topical or oral? Choosing between pills and lotions according to your case. In studies, topical finasteride gave much lower blood levels of the drug than tablets but still lowered blood DHT, and whether it causes fewer side effects has not been established. There is no FDA-approved topical finasteride, and the FDA warned about compounded versions in April 2025.

learn Metformin

Is metformin used topically for hair loss, or only as an oral tablet? Approved metformin products are oral tablets only; there is no approved topical metformin for hair loss. Published human reports of topical use are a handful of uncontrolled, pharmacy-compounded case reports in scarring alopecia, and the most-cited clinical series actually used the oral drug.

learn Sulforaphane

Is sulforaphane used in oral supplements or topical hair treatments? Sulforaphane is primarily used in oral supplements, not topical hair treatments.

learn white tea

Is white tea more effective in topical hair products or as an oral supplement for hair growth? Neither topical nor oral white tea has any human clinical trial behind it for hair growth. Topical use has a more direct mechanistic rationale, but the only verifiable studies are a cell-culture EGCG experiment and a pharmacokinetic study with no hair outcomes.

learn Ethynylestradiol

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