When it comes to the best steroids for women, the first question that arises is ― how bad exactly will it mess with your hormonal levels, and will it lead to virilization at minimal dosages?

If you aren’t ready to accept the risk of virilization, you can always opt for non-androgenic compounds (for example, peptides, fat-burners, or supplements). They won’t cause any masculinizing effects, but might promote muscle growth, even if it’s going to be less notable than it is with steroids. Another option is to go for steroids with a low androgenic index and gain +5-10 lbs of lean muscle mass per cycle, though with an increased virilization risk.

Should you take peptides and SARMs or steroids? Both of these choices are valid and safe if you approach it the smart way.

We don’t want to dictate to you what you should do with your body. We’d like to make sure that your decision is informed, and your steroid cycle is safe & productive, though.

What is virilization, and how to deal with it?

Testosterone is present in female bodies. It’s an essential hormone, after all. But test levels in women are significantly lower than in men. What happens when it gets higher than it should be? Virilization. 

Virilization in women is the development of masculine traits due to increased androgen exposure.

Anabolic steroids shift the natural hormone balance and can definitely cause virilization. 

Here are the signs to watch out for:

• Body and facial hair growth;
• Adam’s apple growth;
• Acne and oily skin;
• Thickening of the voice cords and deepening of the voice;
• Clitoral enlargement;
• Decreased breast size;
• Irregular menstruation cycle;
• Hair thinning (aka male pattern baldness).

If you’ve decided to go on a steroid cycle (even a female-friendly one), you need to monitor your health closely. Should the virilization signs appear, you can cut the cycle short to avoid irreversible effects.

Can virilization be reversed?

Most virilization effects are reversible if you’ve noticed them early on. Just stop steroid administration ― or, at the very least, lower the dosage.

The hardest part is monitoring for virilization. It doesn’t happen overnight: the process is slow and cumulative. For example, voice deepening can start as a sore throat, and it doesn’t usually raise suspicions.

Also, virilization denial is a thing. Some women have missed the first signs, and their appearance has become more masculine, but they simply don’t see it. You’ve got to keep an eye on it as well.

Are there steroids that don’t cause virilization?

All anabolic steroids can cause virilization if used in high dosages or for too long. 

DHT-derived steroids (based on dihydrotestosterone instead of the testosterone molecule) usually have a lower androgenic index, and they can’t be reduced to DHT, so some steroids are OK for women to use in minimal doses.

The most popular options are Anavar and Winstrol. They won’t increase your testosterone levels. On the contrary, they’ll suppress testosterone production. But they still can cause virilization effects in high doses. 

All women are androgen-sensitive, and some are more than others, so there’s no guarantee that you are not among EXTREMELY sensitive individuals. Androgen receptor (AR) density is one of the crucial factors. If you have more androgen receptors in a specific area, it will be more prone to virilization.

The best steroid cycle for women in 2025?

We’ll go into detail and look at every compound that can be safe for women to use, but we’ll start with the most versatile one ― Anavar. A mild, low-dose, short Anavar cycle is the best steroid cycle for women in 2025.

The best part about Anavar is — it’s flexible & versatile. It can be used for bulking, recomposition, cutting, or strength-focused cycles. Practically all of the possible goals. 

You can control the results and define the effects of the Anavar cycle with dietary and training adjustments:

• Anavar for cutting: you’ll preserve your muscle gains due to its anabolic effects, increase muscle definition and fullness, maybe even add a few pounds of lean muscle mass;
• Anavar for recomposition: during a recomposition cycle, you should stay in your calorie maintenance range. You’ll be able to reduce body fat content and increase your lean muscle mass;
• Anavar for bulking: in this case, you should eat at a surplus (200-300 calories over maintenance). As a female athlete, with this cycle you can boost your muscle growth and add 5-15 lbs of pure muscle.

Also — if you’d like to go on a strength-focused Anavar cycle, you can eat at your maintenance level or a slight surplus. You’ll feel stronger (expect it to transpire in the first week), break through plateaus, and set new PRs.

Female Anavar cycle dosage

The recommended dosage of Anavar for women can vary between 5-15 mg/day, with a cycle length of 4-5 weeks. Doses on the higher end (around 15 mg/day) are generally not OK for female bodybuilders: 5-10 mg/day is more than enough for most.

Anavar beginner cycle for women protocol

If you haven’t used Anavar before, start with 2.5-5 mg/day and gradually increase the dosage after 2-3 weeks. You can split the dose into halves to keep the serum levels of the compound more stable. Here’s how you can approach it:

You don’t need PCT after the cycle (only male athletes do), though your body will require time to recover. One of the signs that you’re fine is the return to your normal menstrual cycle, as it can be disrupted during steroid use.

An off-cycle period should be equal to the cycle duration. However, we don’t recommend doing more than three blasts (steroid administration in high, performance-enhancing doses) per year for beginners.

Anavar cycle for experienced female athletes

You can start at the higher dosage once your body has adapted to Anavar. You’ll know how you react to a certain dose and how high you can go before the first virilization signs appear (if they appear at all).

If you have the opportunity to taper the dosage up at the beginning of the cycle and down at the end, you can do it:

Some female bodybuilders use Anavar for cruising at 2.5-5 mg/day and do 3-4 blasts per year, increasing the compound’s dosage up to 10 mg/day. We believe it’s a questionable practice, specifically because of Anavar’s effects on your liver health:

Anavar is a 17-alpha-alkylated oral steroid, meaning it’s hepatotoxic. Prolonged administration can lead to elevated liver enzymes, jaundice, abdominal pain, nausea, and fatigue.

Best stacks with Anavar for women in 2025

You can stack Anavar with fat-burners and some of the SARMs (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators). 

For example, you can add the following compounds to your cycle:

• T3 ―12-50 mcg/day, 4-5 weeks;
• Cardarine, or GW-501516 ― 5 to 20 mg/day, 4-6 weeks;
• S4, or Andarine ― 5 to 10 mg/day, 4-6 weeks;
• MK-2866, or Ostarine ― 5 to 10 mg/day, 5-6 week; 
• Clenbuterol ― 20-100 mcg/day (tapering is needed), 4-6 weeks, 2 weeks “on”, 2 weeks “off” (can stack it with Ketotifen for longer use with no tolerance)

You can also use Anavar during an HGH cycle or with recovery-focused compounds (peptides). But you CAN’T stack Anavar with Winstrol (or any other oral for that matter), as it will put too much stress & pressure on your liver.

T3 and Anavar cycle for female bodybuilders

T3, aka Cytomel, is a potent fat burner, helpful in body recomposition or contest prep cycles. There’s one drawback, though: it doesn’t have any anti-catabolic properties. If you’re on a T3 cutting cycle, you’ll lose not just fat but muscle mass as well, guaranteed.

You can’t use T3 solo, but it works wonders when stacked with Anavar:

Anavar and Clenbuterol stack for women

If you’d like to use Anavar with an anti-catabolic fat burner, you can choose Clenbuterol. To avoid Clen’s adverse effects (mostly jitteriness) and quick tolerance development, you can add Ketotifen to the cycle (1 mg per 100 mcg of Clenbuterol).

Winstrol for women

Winstrol is another DHT derivative steroid, suitable for women in minimal dosage. However, it’s slightly more androgenic than Anavar and poses higher risks of virilization. 

Most female bodybuilders do not develop any masculine features and use Winstrol for cutting cycles or aesthetic purposes.

Winstrol isn’t the best choice for a female-friendly bulking cycle, but it can enhance your muscle definition and vascularity. Overall, it’s a great contest prep compound that dries you out and gives you a shredded physique, fast:

• Recommended dosage: 5-15 mg/day, but it’s best to stay in 5-10 mg/day range;
• Starting dosage: 5 mg/day, gradually increase up to 10 mg/day;
• Cycle length: 4-5 weeks (can be potentially extended up to 6-8 weeks, but isn’t recommended due to virilization and hepatic risks).

Here’s what an optimal Winstrol cycle for women looks like:

If you opt for injectable Winstrol, the recommended dosage will be 10-15 mg/EOD, with a cycle length of 4-6 weeks. It’s generally easier to adjust the dosage and keep your liver enzyme levels in check with injectables.

HGH cycle for women

HGH (aka human growth hormone) is a more expensive option, and it’s not a quick fix: the cycle should last at least 4-6 months. However, the price you pay with HGH as a female athlete is justified. HGH has a number of unique benefits: 

1. No virilization;
2. Healthier weight loss & body recomposition;
3. Powerful healing properties;
4. Skin condition improvement (elasticity, no crow’s feet, color)
5. Hair health and color improvement (it slows down greying);
6. Prevents brittle nail syndrome, improves nail health & condition;
7. Lowers & helps you to manage acne outbreaks;
8. Improves the way you feel (it’s not dubbed “youth in a vial” for nothing, after all).

Before starting the HGH cycle, you should go through a full-scale check-up and make sure that you don’t have any contraindications. They include:

• Cancer;
• Diabetes or prediabetes;
• Cardiovascular disorders.

Here’s the female HGH dosage guideline for you:

If you haven’t used HGH before, you should start with 1-2 IU/day and give your body time to adjust. You can always increase the dosage gradually.

For female athletes who want to increase their muscle mass, it’s a great option to run HGH with other compounds, preferably Anavar.

Anabolic steroids and women: all other options

If you want to progress further, have tried cycling Winstrol, Anavar, or non-androgenic compounds, and aren’t prone to virilization, you can try to use other DHT derivatives. 

A note of caution: other compounds aren’t that popular among women, and for a very good reason. The risks of virilization will increase, so carefully weigh the pros and cons before you go for it. Once again, some virilization effects can be irreversible (for example, voice deepening).

Let’s start with anabolic steroids that CAN’T be safely used by women in any dosage. Here’s a NO-NO list:

• Trenbolone;
• Dianabol;
• Deca Durabolin;
• Halotestin;
• Testosterone Enanthate, Cypionate, or any other long-esters.

On Forums and female steroid user communities (like Reddit’s r/steroidsxx) you may find anecdotal reports of women using Masteron, Primobolan, EQ, and Testosterone Propionate. 

SOME female athletes online claim to have experience with compounds as powerful as Anadrol, Dianabol, NPP, and Deca ― which are some of the most virilizing options on the market today. 

The important thing to remember here is that if nothing bad has happened to them, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work out for you.

Other steroid cycles and (relatively) safe female doses

• Masteron ― 5-15 mg/EOD, 4-5 weeks;
• Boldenone ― 50-60 mg/week, 4-5 weeks;
• Primobolan, injectable ―50-70 mg/week, 4-6 weeks;
• Primobolan, oral ― 50-65 mg/day, 4-5 weeks;
• Testosterone Propionate ― 3-5 mg/EOD, 4-6 weeks (HIGH risks of virilization).

These compounds are for advanced female bodybuilders only. You shouldn’t take Masteron or EQ lightly, it’s a major risk. But, at the end of the day, the decision is up to you.

HRT for women

HRT for women has become more popular in the last 20 years. If your testosterone levels are too low, your libido and energy are in the gutter, you recover slowly and get exhausted fast — you may have Low T. And it doesn't matter if you’re a male or a female (the difference is in the normal range) — everyone can get a deficiency.

Women can get prescribed HRT, even if they’re premenopausal. Normal dosage of Test Propionate will vary between 1-2 mg/EOD. The side effects may include cardiovascular disorders, hypertension, mood swings, acne, fluid retention, and, of course, virilization.

Can postmenopausal women take HRT?

Yes, if they have a diagnosed testosterone deficiency. It doesn’t matter if you're pre- or postmenopausal when it comes to your well-being and health.

When should women consider HRT?

If you have noticed that you’re constantly tired, your libido is low, and life is not so bright, you should check your testosterone levels. As long as there are no contraindications to HRT and you follow the guidelines, you’ll be fine.

Conclusion

Virilization — as you might’ve noticed — is a major factor when it comes to steroid cycles for women. It may occur due to high dosages or prolonged cycles, compounds with a high androgenic index, or your individual reaction to gear. It’s important to prioritize your health over muscle and strength gains, and cut the cycle short if needed. 

To put your health first AND benefit from performance boosters, you should opt for the safest and not just “most effective” steroid cycles.

Here’s a short list of the best steroids for women (and other safe-for-female-hormonal-system PEDs):

• Anavar;
• Winstrol;
• S4;
• GW-501516;
• MK-2866;
• LGD-4033;
• HGH;
• Clen;
• T3.

As a side note — you should have ABSOLUTE confidence in the quality of your gear. You don’t want to find out that your Anavar is actually Dianabol mid-cycle. We don’t mean to brag, but if you’re looking for a reliable source… Well, we've been in business since 2012 and have a specially curated product category for you.

Women and anabolic steroids — the FAQ

Can anabolic steroids interact with birth control?

There are no known interactions between birth control pills and anabolic steroids. However, it’s important to note that steroids can mess with your menstrual cycle. You shouldn’t stop BCP (birth control pills) administration.

When should you start taking steroids?

It’s recommended to reach your peak natural potential before going on a steroid cycle. Generally, it takes around 3-4 years of training (if your nutrition is on point).

Can steroids cause UTI in women?

Unfortunately, yes. Urinary tract infections can be one of the side effects of steroid usage. High doses of steroids (even non-anabolic ones, like Prednisone) suppress your immune system, and if you’re prone to it, UTIs can occur. It's best to stop the cycle immediately if it gets out of control.

Do steroids affect libido in women?

Yes, steroids can raise libido in women. Not to the same degree as in men, but they do. There are numerous anecdotal reports of increased libido in women — especially on Anavar and Winstrol cycles.

If your libido is consistently low, you might want to check on that with your healthcare professional. There’s a chance it could be due to low testosterone levels.