Research index — tracking every query, draft, webapp page, and gap across the weight-cycling and appearance-optimization project.
These are the searchable/filterable HTML pages generated from research sessions. Each answers a distinct set of questions.
Deep evidence map on androgenetic alopecia: genetics (heritability, AR/EDA2R, 20p11, Hamilton), DHT paradox and 5α-reductase isoforms, and detailed dose-response / effect-size / concern breakdowns for finasteride, dutasteride, topical finasteride, minoxidil (topical + SULT1A1 + LDOM with pericardial-effusion signal), ketoconazole, topical 17α-estradiol, spironolactone, bicalutamide, PRP, microneedling, LLLT, botox, scalp massage, prostaglandin analogs, and hair transplant (with shock-loss + donor-depletion framing). Full pipeline (clascoterone, PP405, GT20029, HMI-115, pyrilutamide, AMP-303, exosomes, cell therapies) plus drug graveyard (FOL-005, Histogen). Separate sections on alopecia areata (three JAK inhibitors), telogen effluvium, scarring alopecias, lifestyle modifiers (smoking OR 1.82), and practical stacked regimens. Honest concerns: PFS, LDOM pericardial effusion, depression/suicide signal, fertility, compounding variability, transplant complications.
Window-by-window biology of what changes with time, and what HRT can still move once a given window closes. Epiphyseal fusion tables (long bones, pelvis, medial clavicle ~22-26, cranial sutures, frontal sinus, hyoid, thyroid cartilage), laryngeal cartilage + voice F0 curves (Stoicheff / Hollien / Pegoraro-Krook), dermal thickness & sebum vs age × androgen (Shuster, Brincat, Pochi), ongoing terminal-hair recruitment into the 40s-60s, body composition trajectories (Klaver ENIGI), facial bone vs soft tissue atlas, genital / reproductive time courses, breast Tanner ceiling by age of initiation. Age-differential matrix — 12-14 / 14-17 / 17-20 / 20-23 / 23-26 / 26-30 / 30-35 / 35-40 / 40+ with reversibility tiers per system.
Selective photothermolysis by wavelength (alex 755 / diode 810 / Nd:YAG 1064 / IPL), electrolysis modalities (galvanic / thermolysis / blend / multi-probe), eflornithine, systemic pharmacology for hirsutism (spiro / cyproterone / 5-ARIs / COCs / GnRH agonists), transgender peri-op clearance, PFB / AKN / HS populations, paradoxical hypertrichosis, ocular safety, and the Salibian 2022 vaginoplasty head-to-head. Now expanded with community-knowledge layer (r/Powers, Susan's Place, hairtell) on practitioner selection, session operations, cost/insurance, and pitfalls.
Standalone deep reference on electrolysis as its own discipline rather than a subcard under hair removal: galvanic Faraday-law chemistry, thermolysis RF heating, blend kinetics, multi-probe parallel galvanic, Apilus / Instantron / Clareblend / Silhouet-Tone machine lineages, probe families, insertion craft, operating parameters, comparative evidence, trans workflows, home-device and electric-tweezer debunking, licensing variability, aftercare, and cost logic.
Topical anaesthetics (EMLA / LMX / Pliaglis / BLT / OTC lido 4%), compounded high-concentration danger zone (Kubicek 2004, Berg 2005, FDA 2007 PHA), nerve blocks (infraorbital, mental, spermatic cord, pudendal), inhaled analgesia (Pro-Nox / N2O), systemic adjuncts (NSAID, benzodiazepine, gabapentin, cannabis), cooling, cycle timing, behavioural tools, and modality-by-modality pain ranking. Populations: pre-vaginoplasty genital, pre-phalloplasty donor, Fitz V-VI Nd:YAG, PCOS chronic courses. Explicit LAST / methaemoglobinaemia recognition and Intralipid rescue.
Texture-focused slice of the full skin-research corpus. Condition menu (KP, milia, sebaceous hyperplasia, pores, orange-peel photoaging, strawberry legs, atrophic / hypertrophic scars, rosacea PPR, perioral dermatitis, striae, crepe-paper aging) with first-line answers, intervention × condition matrix, and Fitzpatrick-separated safety. At-home topicals (retinoids, AHA/BHA/PHA, urea, niacinamide, azelaic) separated from in-clinic procedures (microneedling, RFMN, fractional non-ablative/ablative, Picosecond, peels, TCA CROSS, subcision, punch, filler, PDL, intralesional, biostimulators). Honest hype list.
Hair typing (Andre Walker 1a-4c) × porosity (LOIS) × density as the substrate. Wash cadence, clarify/chelate, protein-moisture balance, bond-builders (Olaplex / K18 / Acidic Bonding). Heat-styling rules with McMullen 2011 caveat (air-drying is not automatically gentle). Wet-set / no-heat. Product category matrix (gel / cream / mousse / pomade / wax / clay / paste / fiber / sea-salt / texturising / dry shampoo / edge control). Technique by type 1-4. Protective styling with traction-alopecia warning. Wigs / toppers (lace types, adhesion, customisation). Tools. Trans-specific styling (MtF softening + AGA integration, FtM masculinising). Damage recognition.
How to bias where new fat goes during an MtF upcycle. Covers HRT primacy, anti-androgen choice, diet/surplus protocol, sleep/behavioral levers, exercise, pioglitazone (with safety caveats), topical agents (with evidence honesty), supplements, peptides/GH, surgical fat transfer, and danger bin. Answers: What actually works for gaining fat in target areas? What's speculative? What's dangerous?
Evidence comparison of diets, anti-obesity medications, and supplements for maintaining a calorie deficit. Answers: Which diets beat others? Which meds change the game? Which supplements are just modest helpers?
MtF weight-gain research: estradiol fat-bias, HRT body-composition shifts, defensible surplus protocol, peptides and supplements for gain phase. Answers: Does estradiol change fat deposition? Is deliberate MtF weight cycling validated? What protocol is defensible?
19-method searchable atlas for local fat-targeting with evidence tiers, effect-size anchors, and safety corrections. Answers: Which methods permanently destroy adipocytes? What are the real risks of cryolipolysis? Is spot reduction real?
Companion to the Evidence Atlas: 18 methods organized two ways (by function: adipocyte death / lipolysis / hype) and (by adversarial evidence rank). Answers: What kills fat cells vs. what merely claims to?
Full evidence review of the abandoned pro-apoptotic peptide: primate data, terminated human trial (4 patients), self-experimenter outcomes (including Bostin Loyd CKD case), and why vendors still sell it. Answers: Why does adipotide keep circulating despite being abandoned?
Structured claim-by-claim research with confidence tiers (C1 verified — C5 unknown). Each track feeds into one or more webapp pages and blog posts.
| Track | Claims | Status | Feeds into |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight-Gain Methods _summary.md |
c001–c025 | Verified | Upcycle webapp, draft-15-apr-v2 |
| GLP-1 / Anti-Obesity Meds _summary.md |
c001–c007 | Verified | Downcycle webapp, blog post 13 |
| Selective Fat Redistribution claims/ |
c001–c016+ | Verified | Evidence Atlas, Methods List, blog post 14 |
| Supplements for Downcycle _summary.md |
c001–c005 | Verified | Downcycle webapp |
| Diet Patterns for Downcycle _summary.md |
~8 patterns | Verified | Downcycle webapp, blog post 13 |
| Downcycle Maintenance _summary.md |
~10 claims | Verified | Downcycle webapp |
| Hair Loss _summary.md |
~25 entries | Verified | Hair Loss Evidence Map |
| Hair Removal _summary.md + community-*.md |
Detail: laser / electrolysis / temporary-and-topicals / emerging / community (×5) | Verified | Hair Removal Evidence Map |
| Hair Removal — Electrolysis Deep Dive _summary.md |
physics / modalities / machines / probes / insertion / parameters / evidence / matching / trans / home systems / licensing / aftercare | Draft complete | Electrolysis Deep Dive |
| Hair Removal — Pain Reduction _summary.md |
topicals / blocks / inhaled / behavioural / modality / populations / fatal cases | Draft complete | Pain Reduction webapp |
| Skin Texture _summary.md |
pulls /workspace/skin-research/ primer + condition-level files |
Draft complete | Skin Texture Evidence Map |
| Hair Styling _summary.md |
typing / wash / heat / wet-set / products / technique / protective / wigs / tools / trans / damage | Draft complete | Hair Styling webapp |
| HRT Timing × Body Maturation _summary.md |
bone / voice / skin / hair / body-comp / face / genital / age-windows | In progress | HRT Timing webapp |
The current working draft is about intentional weight gain for MtF body composition (the "upcycle" phase). Below is the evolution from first draft through current version.
First pass on selective fat redistribution during weight cycling. Covers liposuction, cryolipolysis, adipotide, aminophylline, caffeine, glycyrrhetinic acid, spot reduction, ALCAR, RF.
Revised redistribution draft. Adds emphasis on HRT primacy ("single biggest factor is having your hormones correct"), expanded appendix of methods not worth pursuing.
Shifts focus to weight gain methods. HRT primacy, exercise, surgical fat grafting (BBL/FTBA), pioglitazone as "single most effective tool", topical peptides (Adifyline, Silusyne, Volufiline), and a "(todo.)" for peptides/GH.
Same content as draft-wed-15-apr but formatted as the v2 clean copy. This is what needs expansion using the weight-gain-methods research track (c001–c025).
Detailed claim file on autologous fat grafting: Coleman protocol, BBL mortality (pre/post-2018 guidelines), breast grafting retention, 360° contouring, SVF enrichment. 20 discrete claims with confidence levels.
What the current working draft (draft-15-apr-v2) covers vs. what the research tracks have evidence for. Green = covered, yellow = mentioned but thin, red = gap.
| Topic | Draft says | Research says | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRT primacy | "most important aspect" | +1.8 kg BW, +3.0 kg fat, +38% hip/thigh subq at 12 mo (Klaver 2017, Elbers 1999) | Thin |
| Anti-androgen choice effects | Not mentioned | CPA: weight-gainer. Spiro: neutral. Bical/GnRH: neutral. DMPA: +5-6 kg/2yr | Gap |
| Pioglitazone | "single most effective tool" | ~2-4 kg/6-12 mo, visceral-to-subq shift. But: fluid retention, HF signal, bone loss | Needs safety caveats |
| Surgical fat transfer | Mentioned (BBL, FTBA, implants) | c025: mortality ~1:3000 pre-2018, improved post-guidelines; 50-70% retention; 20 claims | Thin |
| Exercise | Lower body focus, "2x/wk, 3 sets" | 10-20 sets/muscle/wk, 2x freq, progressive overload (c003) | Could expand |
| Calorie surplus protocol | Not detailed | +10-20% TDEE, 0.25-0.5% BW/wk, protein 1.6 g/kg/d (c001, c012) | Gap |
| Sleep | Not mentioned | Short sleep on surplus shifts gain toward fat; 5.5h vs 8.5h dramatic (Nedeltcheva 2010) | Gap |
| Protein target | Not mentioned | ~1.6 g/kg/day (Morton 2018 meta-analysis) | Gap |
| Topical creams (Adifyline, Volufiline) | "reports hit-or-miss", forum anecdotes | No independent human imaging RCT. Traces to manufacturer brochures. DIY pio shows systemic signs | Needs evidence caveat |
| Peptides & GH | "(todo.)" | MK-677: +2.7 kg mostly water, CHF signal. Anamorelin: no handgrip benefit. CJC/ipa: no RCT data. Tesamorelin: reduces fat | Gap (todo) |
| Creatine | Not mentioned | ~1 kg lean + 1-2 kg water; cheapest, best-evidenced bulking supplement (c013) | Gap |
| Alcohol avoidance | "avoid alcohol" | Visceral fat bias + raises androgens in women; better-supported than diet-composition heuristics | Thin |
| GLP-1 interactions with upcycle | Not mentioned | Appetite suppression opposes weight gain; discontinuation regain is unpredictable | Gap |
| Anabolic steroids / SARMs | Not mentioned | Actively oppose feminization for MtF. Must not stack with estradiol (c008) | Gap (needs "don't" section) |
| Dangerous / hype methods | Not mentioned | Insulin abuse, clenbuterol, Apetamin, DNP recovery, home NG-tube, SARM counterfeits (c015) | Gap (needs danger bin) |
Saved source pages in wikiofdark.art/docs/sources/. These are locally-cached copies of web pages used as evidence across all research tracks.
| Source | Type |
|---|