Masteron is the steroid people reach for when they are already lean and want to look harder. It does not build much size and it is not a beginner compound. It has also been around a lot longer than most people realise: it started life as a breast cancer drug in the early 1960s.
Here is what Masteron actually is, the difference between the propionate and enanthate versions, what it does and does not do to your body, and where it stands legally in Canada.
What Masteron is
Masteron is a brand name for drostanolone. Chemically it is 2α-methyl-DHT, a modified form of dihydrotestosterone, the androgen your body makes from testosterone.
It was first described in 1959 and introduced as a medicine in the United States in 1961. It was prescribed, as an injection, to treat advanced breast cancer in women, sold under names like Drolban, Masteril and Masteron. It no longer appears to be on the market as a prescription drug anywhere. Everything sold today is made for the gym market.
“Masterone” with an e is the same thing. It is one of the old brand spellings and it gets searched almost as often.
Propionate vs enanthate
Drostanolone is attached to an ester, which controls how quickly it is released from the injection site. The two you will see are propionate and enanthate. Same drug, different release speed.
| Masteron Propionate | Masteron Enanthate | |
|---|---|---|
| Ester | Short | Long |
| Release | Fast in, fast out. Elimination half-life about 2 days | Slower and steadier |
| Injection frequency | Often, in small amounts | Less often |
| Why people pick it | Short runs, quick adjustments, clears quickly if you stop | Fewer pins over a longer run |
| Our strength | 100 mg/mL, 10 or 20 mL | 150 mg/mL, 10 or 20 mL |
| Price | From $80 | From $95 |
Drostanolone has almost no oral bioavailability, so there is no real oral Masteron. If you see “Masteron tablets”, be suspicious of what is in them.
What it does, and what it does not
It does not convert to estrogen. Drostanolone is not a substrate for aromatase, the enzyme that turns testosterone into estradiol. That means no estrogen-driven water retention and no gynecomastia from the Masteron itself. This is most of its reputation: a dry, hard look rather than a full, watery one.
It is not much of a mass builder. People use it to sharpen a physique that is already lean. If you are carrying a lot of fat, it will not show you much.
It does not replace testosterone. Like any anabolic steroid, it suppresses your own testosterone production. That is why it is almost always run alongside a testosterone base such as testosterone enanthate, and why “Masteron with TRT” is a common search. The testosterone in that stack can still aromatize even though the Masteron cannot.
It is not known to be liver toxic. It is injected and it is not a 17α-alkylated steroid, which is the structural feature behind most oral steroid liver strain.
Side effects
- Androgenic effects. Oily skin and acne are the common ones.
- Hair. It is a DHT derivative, and DHT is the hormone most tied to male-pattern hair loss. If baldness runs in your family, this is the compound most likely to speed it up.
- Cholesterol. Like other anabolic steroids, it can push HDL, the protective cholesterol, down. Bloodwork before and after is the only way to know where you stand.
- Suppression. Your own testosterone production shuts down while you use it and takes time to recover afterwards.
- In women, it was considered milder than testosterone at the doses used for cancer, but mild virilization still happened in that setting: acne, oily skin, deeper voice, body hair growth. With longer use, those changes can become permanent.
The medical dose, for context
When drostanolone propionate was a prescription drug for breast cancer, it was given at 100 mg, one to three times a week, by intramuscular injection. That is historical prescribing information, not a recommendation, and it was given to patients under medical supervision.
Masteron vs Winstrol
The two get compared because both are used for a dry, lean look. The main practical difference is how they are taken and what they do to your liver.
| Masteron | Winstrol | |
|---|---|---|
| Compound | Drostanolone | Stanozolol |
| Route | Injection only | Oral or injection |
| Liver | Not known to be liver toxic | 17α-alkylated, harder on the liver |
| Converts to estrogen | No | No |
Our Winstrol guide covers stanozolol in detail.
Is Masteron legal in Canada?
Drostanolone is a Schedule IV substance under Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the same schedule as other anabolic steroids. Possessing a Schedule IV substance for your own use is not an offence under that Act. Selling, importing and exporting it are. In the US it is Schedule III.
It is banned in tested sport, so if you compete in anything with drug testing, it is off the table.
Before you order
- Pick the ester that matches how often you are willing to inject. Propionate is more work, enanthate is less.
- Read up on injecting if you have not done it before. Our guide to how to pin steroids covers sites, needles and hygiene, and injectable steroids for beginners covers the basics.
- Get bloodwork, before and after. Lipids and hormones at minimum.
Both versions are on our injectable steroids page: Masteron Propionate and Masteron Enanthate.
Quick answers
What is Masteron used for?
Originally, advanced breast cancer in women. Today, mostly by lean bodybuilders who want a drier, harder look.
Does Masteron aromatize?
No. Drostanolone cannot be converted to estrogen.
Is Masteron hard on the liver?
It is not known to be. It is injected and not 17α-alkylated.
Can women use Masteron?
It caused virilization in women even at medical doses, and some of those changes can be permanent.
What is the difference between Masteron and Masterone?
None. Masterone is an older brand spelling of the same drug.
For adults only. Anabolic steroids carry real health risks, including to your heart, cholesterol, hormones and fertility. Nothing on this page is medical advice. Compound history and pharmacology from published references on drostanolone propionate; prices current October 2026.
