Medical compounds for skin, hair and ageing.
This section explains how selected drugs work and how robust the evidence for them is. It does not replace a medical consultation and deliberately contains no dosing or usage instructions.
Compounds applied to the skin.
Some of the most effective substances in skin medicine are prescription-only — which sets them fundamentally apart from cosmetic products.
Tretinoin and related retinoids
Prescription-only vitamin A acid. The best-supported compound for acne and photoageing. Strictly contraindicated in pregnancy.
Level of evidence: Strong
Azelaic acid
Anti-inflammatory and brightening. Used for rosacea, acne and pigmentation. Well tolerated and often possible in pregnancy — that decision rests with the treating physician.
Level of evidence: Moderate
Agents for pigmentation disorders
Substances such as hydroquinone or tranexamic acid can reduce pigmentation disorders. In the EU some are prescription-only, with limited duration of use and regular medical review.
Level of evidence: Moderate
Compounds taken orally.
Systemic medicines act throughout the body. Benefit and risk therefore have to be weighed individually — which is not possible without a medical examination.
Isotretinoin
Highly effective in severe acne. Strongly teratogenic and therefore tied to a mandatory pregnancy prevention programme and close monitoring.
Level of evidence: Strong
Medicines for hair loss
Minoxidil and finasteride are the best studied for hereditary hair loss. Finasteride is not suitable for women of childbearing potential; possible side effects belong in the consultation.
Level of evidence: Strong
Hormonally active therapies
Where acne or hair loss is partly hormonally driven, hormonally active preparations may be an option. Selection and suitability depend heavily on the individual situation.
Level of evidence: Moderate
This rating is a deliberately simplified orientation. It describes how robust the published evidence is for the main indication — not how well a treatment will work in an individual case. Details are given in the corresponding article.
What is deliberately not written here.
This page gives no dosages, no treatment schedules and no recommendations for individual cases. Such information cannot responsibly be given without knowing pre-existing conditions, other medications, laboratory values and personal circumstances.
The aim is a different one: to help you understand what is being discussed in a medical consultation — and which questions are worth asking. The decision itself belongs in the consulting room.
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