Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), also known as Androstanolone is a male sex hormone, a steroid similar to androstenedione and testosterone. DHT is responsible for the development of all male primary and most male secondary sex characteristics during puberty.1 The molecular formula is C19H30O2. It is about three times more potent than testosterone.1 Two conditions that are related to higher levels of DHT are male pattern baldness and benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is an increase in the size of the prostate.2 It has been used to increase phallic size by female-to-male transsexuals and males born with microphallus.
Some surgeons recommend that FTMs use DHT cream before SRS, however there have not been any clinical trials done to confirm that it does increase phallic size. Based on hearsay and the results of the males born with micropenis, it is very possible that it does in fact do so.
Following are some interesting articles that might help to determine safety precautions and dosage. Also, a blog post and YouTube videos from a trans man who used DHT cream.
Articles: (I have access to all except the first one, if you can’t access them e-mail me and I can send them to you. And if you have the first one, please e-mail it to me, I’d like to read it, as it is the most relevant article apparently.)
Choi, SK. 1993. Transdermal Dihydrotestosterone Therapy and Its Effects on the Microphallus.
Wang, C. 1998. Comparative Pharmacokinetics of Three Doses of Percutaneous Dihydrotestosterone Gel in Healthy Elderly Men - A Clinical Research Center Study.
Chamandari, E. 2001. Kinetics and Effect of Percutaneous Administration of Dihydrotestosterone in Children.
Hussmann. 1994. Microphallus - Eventual Phallic Size is Dependent on the Timing of Androgen Administration.
Wang, C. 2000. Pharmacokinetics of Transdermal Testosterone Gel in Hypogonadal Men - Application of Gel at One Site Versus Four Sites - A General Clinical Research Center Study.
Arisaka, O. 2001. Systemic Effects of Transdermal Testosterone for the Treatment of Microphallus in Children.
Kunelius, P. 2002. The Effects of Transdermal Dihydrotestosterone in the Aging Male - A Prospective, Randomized, Double Blind Study.
Lam, P. 2001. A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial of Transdermal Dihydrotestosterone Gel on Muscular Strength, Mobility, and Quality of Life in Older Men with Partial Androgen Deficiency.
Swerdloff. 1998. Dihydrotestosterone: A Rationale for Its Use as a Non-Aromatizable Androgen Replacement Therapeutic Agent.
Blog Posts and YouTube Videos (all from the same guy):
DHT for Transgender Men. http://transguys.com/features/dht-transgender-men.
The comments of this one are especially informative.
DHT Cream and Pumping for FTM Genital Growth. http://genderoutlaw.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/dht-cream-pumping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e2GUe3K9zs
Second Round of DHT Cream. http://genderoutlaw.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/dht-cream/
Okay, that’s just about all the info I had/could find. Most everything else was just repetitions of what is contained within these articles and blog posts.
“Dihydrotestosterone”. NCI Drug Dictionary. National Cancer Institute. <http://www.cancer.gov/drugdictionary?cdrid=511037>.
Nordqvist, Christian. “What is DHT? What is DHT’s Role in Baldness?”. Medical News Today. 23 February 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68082.php>.
