Ok, I have a question and I'm unsure of where to ask it. I am an ftm. I have not taken any testosterone, but I have a condition that causes me to have naturally high T levels. I also grow hair like crazy. A few years ago after I started shaving/plucking my facial hair, I began getting lots of painful ingrown hairs along my jawline. Then I started getting them on my neck. I dealt with them for awhile.
At the time, the shaving and five o clock shadowish thing were hard to cope with as I was deadset on passing as female due to pressure from family and my faith community. This determination combined with the ingrown hair issue led me to decide to have my facial hair lasered away. It was hard for me to go through and there were times where I backed out and didn't go that month. The past few months my rate of hair growth has slowed significantly and I no longer grow anything noticeable.
I enjoy not having to shave. I don't miss the ingrown hairs either. But I'm concerned that I won't be able to grow facial hair in the future due to having made this decision. I've did some google research (highly dubious at best) and I've found that laser hair removal isn't permanent like electrolysis and that in certain populations, hair regrowth does occur. I'm thinking that increased levels of T could trigger some facial hair growth, although it is unlikely that I will ever grow a full beard or anything now.
I'm still pretty hairy everywhere else, without having started T...so I'm thinking that it isn't out of the question that I would re-grow facial hair. Plus I still have very fine hairs on my face, even after treatment...
My last laser treatment is in a few days and I'm seriously considering stopping. I am satisfied with my results and really don't want to continue, lest I damage the few remaining patches I do have.
Anyone else in the same situation? Or have anything to add?
I've found that LHR isn't permanent. What it does is make the hair grow slower and come in finer. I am ok with being a babyface for awhile. I'm sure that if I boost my T levels for awhile and when I start HRT, I will eventually grow some of it back.
Meh, there are some bio guys that can't grow facial hair. There's a lot of variety among bio guys, so it stands to reason that there is going to be variety among ftms in this department as well. I already know that I'm going to be a bear everywhere else, lol. Hell, I'm not even on T and I already have a hairy chest, hairy backside, hairy inner thighs, and a blossoming happy trail coming out of a forest of lower abdomen hair. And hair on the back of my hands, knuckles, and toes. :o
I recently (as in, after I got out of the shower this morning) discovered some new hairs on the underside of my lower arms and the back of my arms above my elbows. It's not all pube-y and manly but it is dark and noticeable. :)
Guess I will enjoy my baby face and not having to shave for awhile. And the lack of nasty painful ingrown hairs. :icon_geekdance:
You are seeing a medic for your condition?
Yes. Currently only seeing my regular doctor. I am unwilling to take the medications (other than the one that I must take for my diabetes) that they prescribe. The hormones (estrogen, progesterone) make me terribly ill and unable to function, which is why I have weaned off of them over the past 4 years. I decided to let my body do what it will. I do have complications from my condition (diabetes, severe PCOS) so I don't take any of these decisions lightly.
I don't want to go too deeply into my condition here, since it is actually an intersex condition and not just a matter of transition.
Thanks for your concern, though. Sometimes it is good to be reminded that our health should always be the utmost priority. :)
I don't know if this helps but when I was a guy the only place hair really grew on my face was on my neck below my chin. Had I grown that out it would have looked like I had a tribble hanging off of my jaw. Everywhere else was pretty barren so full beard wasn't going to happen for me.
Figured that I should post an update on what happened since my last appointment was yesterday afternoon.
I ended up going and decided that I don't really care one way or the other about the facial hair issues. One of the main reasons why I decided to get my hair lasered in the first place was due to the large number of ingrown hairs I was getting. I still have some minor scarring under my jawline and on my neck from those. I still get them, but nowhere near as bad as I used to when I was growing facial hair like crazy.
I did speak with my tech + head honcho who runs the clinic. They told me that if and when I started HRT, there is a good chance that some of it may grow back. I'm not too worried. My hair still grows, just not like it used to.
QuoteI don't know if this helps but when I was a guy the only place hair really grew on my face was on my neck below my chin. Had I grown that out it would have looked like I had a tribble hanging off of my jaw. Everywhere else was pretty barren so full beard wasn't going to happen for me.
It is what it is. I realized that perhaps I should have posted this on the mtf board because some of you ladies would probably be able to give better advice on this issue.