Last Updated on June 8, 2020 by Robert Price

Hair Loss Daily Presents…

15 Things You Should Know Before You Jump on the RU58841 Bandwagon

It’s the new and trendy treatment pick on the hair loss forums.

Does RU58841 work?

Is it safe?

Is it more effective for hair loss than old faithful, finasteride?

I’ll cover all your questions shortly and then some, don’t worry.

This was an interesting case study for me. RU58841 sounds more like a Soviet-era submarine than a hair loss remedy. But who cares. If it can stop or dramatically slow the progression of hair loss, fantastic. It doesn’t need a catchy name or slogan.

Upon review, I suppose my overall thesis on RU58841 is this: If you don’t mind turning yourself or another “subject” into a science experiment, it may be worth a look — for research only, of course.

The anecdotal evidence is compelling. Some RU advocates claim it works better than finasteride without the systemic side effects.

Oh, those pesky side effects, from depression to man boobs to impotence. They’re rare, but they’re horrible — so I get it. If you’re like most men, you’d like to avoid that drug and its potential side effects if possible.

Having to take finasteride for the rest of your life just isn’t a great option. But is RU a better, safer alternative? In this post, I’ll present to you the facts — the good, the bad, and the ugly — so you can decide for yourself. Here we go.

15 Fast Facts About RU58841

1. For Research Only!

The disclaimer comes first. As I said in the intro, this is an experimental hair loss treatment. The companies that sell RU58841 online pretty much all sell it with a disclaimer of some kind attached. “Product is for research purposes only,” they’ll typically say in their product descriptions.

To be blunt, however, you and I both know that most people who purchase RU58841 aren’t conducting scientific research. RU58841 producers know this too. The whole charade irks me quite frankly.

But in the interest of protecting myself and you, you definitely should be aware that the product is not intended for personal use.

A non-steroidal anti androgen, RU58841 comes in powder form and is believed to work by inhibiting DHT production locally in the scalp.

2. Anecdotal Evidence is Promising

If you do a deep dive into the subject, you’ll undoubtedly find many happy RU users and favorable testimonials for the treatment. In this Hair Loss Talk feature, you can review some of the before-and-after pictures for yourself — and the results are quite impressive.

Excellent RU responder.

Ru58841 before and after. Another excellent responder. Source for both pictures: Hair Loss Talk.

For sure, these before-and-after photos are very compelling, and they’ve probably turned some RU skeptics into believers. The thing to keep in mind though is this: these are just dudes on the internet. They’ve achieved successful results, most likely, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will have a similar experience.

3. Only a Few Studies Have Been Done

Moreover, those studies are old, mostly going back to the late 90s. And they’re small. And they primarily tested the solution on animals, not people. Nevertheless, the studies did show that RU has some potential as a hair loss remedy. I’ll just do a quick review of those studies below, with links back to the sources.

RUs Effect on Human Hair via Testosterone-Treated Mice

That sounds a little bizarre I realize, but basically what scientists did here is transplant hair samples from 20 balding men onto bald, androgen-controlled, female mice. They then treated one group of 10 mice with the RU solution, the other, control group with plain ethanol.

Over the course of six months, researchers found the RU group produced 29 grafts vs. 28 in the control group. Not a huge difference.

But 28% of the hairs in the RU group yielded a second growth cycle, compared to only 7% in the control group. Additionally, the overall growth rate in the RU group was significantly better, leading the team to conclude that RU had a “positive action” in combating hair loss.

Additionally, no systemic (internal) side effects were observed. 

The Monkey Study – #1 

This is one of the most horrifically written studies I’ve ever come across. Reviewing it may well end up giving me nightmares.

But that’s okay, I’m willing to make sacrifices for you, my valued reader. I’m just going to give you the main takeaway: Researchers concluded that RU led to significant increases in hair density and length, with no systemic side effects observed.

Second Monkey Study (Oral Finasteride vs. RU58841)

In this six-month, 1995 study, once again using monkeys, scientists compared the effectiveness of oral finasteride vs. RU58841. Hairs in the growth (anagen) phase increased by 103% in the RU group, vs. only 88% in the finasteride group. The researchers also found serum (blood) DHT levels were unchanged among the RU users. In the finasteride group, serum DHT levels were reduced by 70%.

RU 58841 5% solution, top. Middle, RU .05% solution. Bottom: Control.

4. Trials Were Done on Humans. The Results Weren’t Published.

In 2002, a company called ProStrakan acquired compound rights to produce RU58841. After branding their formula as PSK 3841, their goal at one point was to produce an RU58841 medication to treat conditions like hair loss and acne.

During phase 1 of their trials, 30 patients were given a 5% RU58841 topical solution twice daily for four weeks. In phase 2, which included 120 participants, they reportedly compared the effectiveness of  5% and 2.5% solutions over the course of six months. While the results were never published, the company did release a statement at the end of the trials, in which they concluded the following:

“Six months of therapy with PSK-3481 demonstrated equivalent or better web hair growth compared with finasteride.”

This left me with many questions…

Why didn’t they release the full results? Why was PSK 3841 never made available to the public?

Apparently the company merged with another company shortly after these trials; PSK 3841 was then shelved for unknown reasons. I also read unsubstantiated reports that their exclusive rights to manufacture the drug may have been limited, leading to profitability concerns. Others have speculated that stability was a problem with the medication.

We ultimately don’t know why PSK 3841 was abandoned by ProStrakan. And it surprises me that no extensive human studies have been conducted, given the promising preliminary research and anecdotal case studies.

5. Advocated by Some Weightlifters/Body Builders

As I’ve noted in previous posts, some bodybuilders refuse to take finasteride and other oral DHT blockers because they believe doing so may negatively affect their training/ability to retain muscle. Whether that’s true or not is debatable, but there are popular supplements (and steroids) that are designed to boost DHT levels, not lower them.

So, the fact that some people in the fitness community look to finasteride alternatives like RU, minoxidil, and even topical finasteride shouldn’t be that surprising.

6. RU58841 Side Effects – Risks Unknown

While no systemic effects were reported in the studies above, there’s still a chance you may experience side effects. One study of topical finasteride showed that it reduced systemic (internal) DHT levels by anywhere from 24-47%. Oral finasteride, comparatively, reduced DHT levels by around 75%.

Given the drug’s anti-androgenic properties, sexual side effects are certainly possible if it’s absorbed, such as low libido, decreased ejaculation volume, impotence, etc. Not surprisingly, those side effects have been reported anecdotally. Since it’s a DHT-lowering medication, the following additional side effects are also possible:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Gynecomastia
• Depression
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Fatigue

7. Cardiovascular Effects Reported

If you really dive into the anecdotal side effects — and that’s really all we have here, unfortunately — other users have reported scarier, heart-related complications as well, from palpitations to general discomfort and more. Plenty of people also report taking the drug without issue.

But its long-term and short-term side effects are still unknown at this point.

8. Dosage Recommendations May Vary

• 5% seems to be the most common dosage.
• 8% is sometimes used in more severe cases.
• 5% was the dosage in the monkey study above, where no systemic side effects were reported.
• 5% twice per day was administered in phase 1 of the human trials (never published).
• In phase 2 of the human trials, one group was given a 2.5% RU solution once per day, the other a 5% solution.

Once or twice per day? 

While once per day seems to be the most popular dosage, some users apply RU58841 twice per day in their research experiments.

Short Half Life

A half life is the amount of time it takes for a medication to reach a concentration of 50%.

RU58841 reportedly has a short half life of only 1 hour, which is perhaps a reason why no systemic side effects were reported in the studies listed above. That’s also why some users prefer to use the treatment twice per day.

Comparatively, finasteride’s half life is about 5 to 7 hours. Dutasteride, the DHT destroyer, has a half life of 5 weeks.

9. Requires a “Vehicle” Delivery System

Most likely this vehicle will consist of some type of alcohol, such as ethanol, and propylene glycol. Some users have also reported favorable results using minoxidil as a delivery agent. You’ll also need the following to make RU58841 for research:

• Accurate Digital Scale
• Measuring spoon
• 20 ml glass bottle
• Your RU powder
• Vehicle (if you’re not using minoxidil or another agent). You can purchase ethanol and propylene glycol yourself and make your own vehicle if desired.

Here’s an easy-to-follow video I found online (not mine) of an individual mixing an RU batch for research:

10. Kane and Chemyo are Two of the More Popular Suppliers

Kane claims 99% purity of their RU products. Prices start around $50 for the 5% solution. They say their RU products are stable for at least 6 months at room temperature.

Chemyo has a test report on their website as of today, 5/19/20. An independent quality-control company reviewed one of their batches. It found 99.7% purity.

On their website, RU58841 starts at around $70 for 5 gram bags.

11. Be Wary of Scams/Super Cheap Products

Sure, you can buy the product quite cheaply if you purchase it via some Chinese brokers. But be careful.

You have no guarantee that these products have been tested for purity or tested at all. The hair loss forums should be helpful here. Even if you purchase through a known RU distributor, you could still end up purchasing a low-quality product, because I can pretty much guarantee that all their batches aren’t tested for purity. Most probably aren’t tested…

More:

Safe to say the majority of RU distributors are buying their supplies from China.

And if this Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that China is not necessarily a reliable source…of information, etc.

12. Not Recommended by Hair Loss Specialists

No hair loss specialists that I’m aware of recommends RU to their patients.

Most will advise you to stay away, just due to the experimental nature of the treatment.

It certainly isn’t endorsed by the American Hair Loss association or other industry organizations either.

13. Topical Finasteride is Probably the Closest “Alternative”

That’s just my opinion. Assuming you’re looking to reduce DHT locally in the scalp and (mostly) maintain your serum DHT levels, then topical finasteride could be an option worth exploring as an alternative.

It has a more established track record than RU5884; the early research indicates it may be just about as effective as oral finasteride with less side effects.

There are other options available such as minoxidil and laser therapy, but none of these products are necessarily alternatives to RU58841.

14. It’s Not “Better” Than Oral Finasteride

Finasteride, or brand-name Propecia, has been helping men avoid premature baldness for over 20 years.

It can stop or dramatically slow the progression of AGA in 90% of patients.

There have been 5 and 10 year studies of finasteride that demonstrates its (relative) safety and efficacy. RU has many advocates online for sure, including some who claim it works better than finasteride. But remember the evidence they’re presenting is anecdotal, and your individual results will vary.

Also, some of the users who reported outstanding gains with RU58841 were also using other treatments like finasteride simultaneously. In those cases, overall gains are hard to quantify because they could be a result of either the finasteride, the RU, or both.

15. Approved for Use in India

India’s the only country I’m aware of that reportedly sells various RU-58841 products over the counter.

Whether or not that indicates it’s a potentially safe and viable hair loss treatment, well…I’ll let that up to you. Dutasteride is another medication that’s approved in certain countries for hair loss, but not the US.

RU58841 for Hair Loss – My Take

The overall, unregulated nature of this treatment makes me uncomfortable. The purity of any given RU product can’t be guaranteed. The long-term side effects aren’t known.

Just because the treatment didn’t affect serum DHT levels in monkeys, doesn’t mean it won’t affect your serum DHT levels and give you side effects. Too many unknowns for me.

Undoubtedly, the before-after pictures are impressive. And I do believe this is a treatment that works for some people — and even may work extremely well in some cases. Is it inherently riskier than finasteride? I guess that’s ultimately up to you.

Robert Price

Robert Price is a writer, consumer advocate, and hair loss researcher with thousands of hours of experience in the field. His goal is to keep you out of the hair loss rabbit hole, underworld, or whatever you want to call it. He founded Hair Loss Daily, the unbiased hair loss blog, in 2016. You can learn more about Robert in the my story section of this website.