Hair loss
Hair loss is mediated primarely by DHT. A hormone that is synthesized naturally by the 5-alpha reduction of testosterone.
To keep it short, nuking DHT will make your hair loss stop or even reverse in most cases.
Unlike popular belief DHT doesn't play any important physiological role in the body, nuking it can be done freely after puberty.
During puberty it causes penile growth, afterwards it doesn't have any significant impact on the body. Neither bones, muscles nor any other tissue is affected as 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deactivates the enzyme 5-AR in most cases anyway.
Solution:
- Finasteride: Inferior as it blocks less types of 5AR thus meaning it reduces DHT less than other 5ARIs. Typical dosages range between 1 to 5mg.
- Dutasteride: The current epitome of 5ARIs, reduces DHT up to 98% at a dosage of 2.5mg.
- RU58841: Reduces DHT and scalp testosterone locally mostly not due to the receptor affinity, but by outcompeting all other ligands of the androgen receptor.
Skin quality
Same as with the hair follicles, DHT plays a role in upregulating the sebum production. Reducing it causes less local inflammation and will drastically reduce acne even on higher dosages of TRT.
Alternatively you can use isotretinoin which permanently reduces sebum production drastically depending on dosage and treatment duration.
Solution:
- Finasteride: Works, but gets mogged by Dutasteride like mentioned before.
- Dutasteride: The holy grail to reduce sebum production and hair loss.
- Isotretinoin: Mogs if you have any type of acne, will significantly reduce your sebum production long-term.
Stretch marks
You won't have any from loosing weight too fast if not too fat, but if you are bulking heavily (which is a meme itself) you would get them at some point. Keeping collagen up is crucial to combat any stretch marks from developing.
Solution:
- GHK-Cu: One of the best compounds to increase collagen synthesis drastically. 1-2mg a day is enough.
- Collagen peptides: Simple OTC solution, there are multiple studies backing up its efficacy.
- Not gaining too much weight in the first place: Like mentioned previously, bulking heavily is a meme.