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Anagen formulation · 2 activesAThe cleanest evidence in the catalog

The Basics

Anagen's most-evidence-backed formulation — the two highest-graded AGA actives in a single daily topical. If you only ever try one combination product, this is the one with the cleanest defense from the published literature.

What's in it

Every active in The Basics

Each active in this formulation, scored against its own standalone evidence for AGA. Click any active for the full claim-by-claim breakdown.

ActiveGradeWhy it's in this formula
Finasteride0.1%→DHT suppressionA

Topical finasteride at 0.1% achieves meaningful local DHT reduction with substantially lower systemic exposure than the 1 mg oral dose. The Piraccini 2022 phase III trial (n=458) established that topical finasteride spray is non-inferior to oral 1 mg on hair count at 24 weeks.

Minoxidil5%→Follicular activatorA

The most-studied topical hair regrowth agent in existence. 35+ years of RCT data; the foundation of every AGA combination protocol.

The case for this stack

Why we paired these actives

Finasteride + minoxidil is the most-replicated combination in AGA

These two actives address androgenetic alopecia through orthogonal mechanisms: finasteride suppresses the DHT that drives miniaturization, while minoxidil acts as a vasodilator and follicular activator independent of androgens. Combining them produces additive density gains — a finding replicated across multiple RCTs and confirmed by network meta-analysis. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis of seven RCTs (n=396) comparing topical minoxidil-finasteride combination against minoxidil alone found that the combination produced clinically meaningful improvements: hair density mean difference +9.22 hairs/cm² (p=0.04), hair diameter mean difference +2.26 µm (p=0.005), and global photographic assessment mean difference +0.79 (p<0.00001). A 2025 network meta-analysis ranked finasteride + minoxidil as the most effective regimen in men (SUCRA = 80.18%). The Basics uses 0.1% topical finasteride rather than 1 mg oral — this dose-route choice is anchored in Piraccini's 2022 phase III data showing topical 0.25% spray is non-inferior to oral 1 mg with measurably lower systemic DHT impact.
Cited literature
  • Li Y, Huang Q, Zhou Z, Zhang Y (2025). Comparing minoxidil-finasteride mixed solution with minoxidil solution alone for male androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Medicine PMID 41127390
  • Piraccini BM, Blume-Peytavi U, Scarci F, et al. (2022). Efficacy and safety of topical finasteride spray solution for male androgenetic alopecia: a phase III, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
  • 2025 network meta-analysis (2025). Relative efficacy of minoxidil in combination with other treatments for androgenic alopecia. Frontiers in Medicine ↗
What's been studied

The studies behind the combination

The Basics has no proprietary RCT of its exact formulation — but the active pairing itself is the most-replicated combination protocol in androgenetic alopecia. Here's what the published evidence shows.

Li 2025 — Topical minoxidil-finasteride combination vs. monotherapy systematic review
Frontiers in Medicine · PMID 41127390
META
Design

Meta-analysis of 7 RCTs

N

396

Duration

Variable across included RCTs

Combination produced clinically meaningful improvements over minoxidil alone: hair density MD +9.22/cm² (p=0.04), hair diameter MD +2.26 µm (p=0.005), global photographic assessment MD +0.79 (p<0.00001). Findings followed PRISMA 2020 methodology; risk of bias assessed with Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0.

Piraccini 2022 — Topical finasteride spray non-inferiority RCT
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
RCT
Design

Phase III randomized controlled

N

458

Duration

24 weeks

Topical finasteride 0.25% spray was non-inferior to oral finasteride 1 mg on hair count at 24 weeks, with measurably lower systemic DHT suppression. Establishes that topical fin can reach scalp efficacy without the full oral systemic exposure.

2025 network meta-analysis — Minoxidil combination ranking
Frontiers in Medicine · Source ↗
META
Design

Network meta-analysis

N

Pooled across multiple RCTs

Duration

Variable

Finasteride + minoxidil ranked as the most effective combination regimen for male AGA (SUCRA = 80.18%) across all evaluated minoxidil-based protocols.

Honest limits

What the science doesn't yet answer

  • No head-to-head RCT comparing topical fin 0.1% + topical min 5% (The Basics' exact concentrations) against oral fin 1 mg + topical min 5%. The non-inferiority data is from the 0.25% topical fin dose; whether 0.1% retains full equivalence is a reasonable inference but not directly tested.
  • Long-term (>2 year) data on this specific topical-only protocol is limited compared to the oral finasteride literature.
  • Whether the lower systemic DHT impact of topical finasteride meaningfully reduces sexual side-effect rates in real-world use is debated — the trials show lower rates but the populations are smaller than the oral trials.
Bottom line

Our verdict on The Basics

Most defensible formulation
The Basics is the formulation we'd defend most aggressively on pure evidence grounds. It pairs the two highest-graded AGA actives in their most-studied combination, with a dose-route choice (topical 0.1% finasteride) anchored in non-inferiority RCT data against oral 1 mg. The meta-analytic evidence is unambiguous: combination > minoxidil alone, across hair density, hair diameter, and global photographic assessment. The 2025 network meta-analysis ranks this combination first in male AGA. Where The Basics diverges from the classic protocol is using topical rather than oral finasteride — which retains scalp efficacy while reducing systemic exposure. If you want a single product that does the most evidence-supported work, this is it.
The two highest-evidence actives in AGA, in their most-replicated combination, at a dose-route choice backed by phase III non-inferiority data. Grade A across the board.
The product

The Basics

Your hair growth starter pack, delivering straightforward hair growth support.

See the product →From $30.00 / mo with a 12-month plan
Compare

How does The Basics compare to its closest Anagen siblings?

Growth MaxiB

Strong pairwise evidence, novel combination

Read the evidence →
Budget Growth MaxiB

Growth Maxi without the lightest-evidence active

Read the evidence →
Mr. MiddlegroundB

Designed for the systemic-side-effect-averse

Read the evidence →

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