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Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: Nicky on September 08, 2009, 03:58:53 PM

Title: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 08, 2009, 03:58:53 PM
Does it? Do you get some grow back?
Just interested in hearing of your experiences.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Steffi on September 08, 2009, 05:14:18 PM
Can do - if you put "Dutasteride+Hair loss" into Google, you'll find lots of sites where people talk about this - I read a lot before self-medding with Dutasteride prior to CX prescribing    :)
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 08, 2009, 05:32:15 PM
Finasteride seems to work well too,

I guess more specifically I was wondering about Spiro. In theory it should work.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Flan on September 08, 2009, 05:45:44 PM
Spiro would work because it reduces total androgens in turn preventing the eventual conversion into DHT (which has the thing with killing hair follicles on the head)

I've had some hair regrowth on AA's, but it's not a whole lot coming back, i still have a sort of "male" hairline, but it's a whole lot better then it used to be
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Bombi on September 08, 2009, 05:46:22 PM
 For hair loss you would specifically want to block DHT. Low dose finesteride is the usual remedy.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 08, 2009, 09:22:51 PM
I read that, interestingly, taking Finasteride actually incleases the amount of testosterone in your body as it stops it converting to DHT. I also read that DHT is an estrogen antagonist so taking finasteride can result in more estrogen which is probably why some people get gynomastatia on finasteride.  Hormones are weird.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: aurora17 on September 08, 2009, 11:05:38 PM
Probably not...
The very few male pattern hair loss I had did not grow back since I began Cyproterone, so I guess even if it stops balding (which I don't know for sure), it doesn't help growth.
I will get a small scalp advancement as part of my FFS next year, anyway.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Hannah on September 09, 2009, 12:04:26 AM
I had a fair amount. My hair is really thick, and I didn't realise it had started to thin. However, consistently all through my scalp I have "old" hair and shorter, post hrt ala dutasteride "new hair". My hair grows at about 1/2-3/4 an inch a month, so the length is right for the amount of time I've been on dutas.  For a while it was two different colors and that was quite a show. If you decide to use it, get a fresh dye job first so you can see if it's working!
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 09, 2009, 06:42:31 PM
All the new stuff will probably end up looking white for me, damn kids are making my hair go white  :D
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Myself on September 10, 2009, 03:11:35 AM
I remember hearing that if you are 10 years or less from starting to bald you have a good chance of recovering everything with dutas.
if I remember correctly, some people reported to up to 40 years, but androgens levels needed to be quite low I think.. which is not a problem because you are trying to get rid of them anyways.

DHT is apparently the key, removing total androgens and dht with avodart/dutas + androcur should do it
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 10, 2009, 03:53:09 PM
Just wondering. I am seeing the dermatologist next week about the hair loss and will probably get something like finasteride ( I don't think advodart is available here yet).
I'm also sorting out an appointment with the endo with my counsellor, but she says it often takes 3 months before they can see you. Finasteride is expensive in my country (unless you can get Proscar and cut it yourself but that is risky with women of childbearing age in the house) where the HRT meds are not so much. So just wondering if I will have to pay for propecia (finasteride) all my life. Plus for curiosity sake.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Myself on September 10, 2009, 03:56:59 PM
Are you an ftm? mtf?
I'd imagine after a while on antiandrogens your dht levels will drop a lot.. probably enough not to need anti-dht medicine.
I think same applies to post-op.

You must be sure it's mbp, and that if you need more than simple antiandrogens ..

Otherwise, it's for as long as you want to keep dht at bay
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 10, 2009, 04:10:06 PM
The dermatologist will work out what the hair loss is caused by. My GP ordered a bunch of blood tests to check a bunch of other potential causes and they all came back 'normal'. I would be surprised if it is not male pattern balness - it definitly is coming in the male pattern. My GP said I needed to see the specialist before we could consider something like propecia.

I'm neither ftm or mtf (non-binary transgender) - though I am in the mtf direction. (thanks for asking, that made my day!). We have a good endo here in my city who is very open to treating non-binaries. I'll talk to him about the hair too - throw that into the mix.  I have no idea what my hormone plan will include, I will let the endo worry about that one.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Myself on September 10, 2009, 04:23:25 PM
I am not sure what you mean by non-binary please explain.
Also what it means "treating non-binaries"?

If you are on high dose androcur you might not need dutas (although it might help hasting the progress).
Personally my total testosterone dropped to 0.21 ng/ml which is 21 ng/dl, which apparently is quite lower than most women, and dht probably dropped quite a lot too
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Darlene on September 10, 2009, 04:43:17 PM
Why don't you buy proscar and cut it up away from home and store it in your car ?
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Nicky on September 10, 2009, 04:58:56 PM
I guess that is an option Daine. Just being cautious. I'll as the doc about it and follow their advice. I could keep it at work.

By non-binary I mean my gender identity is not male or female - also my desired body is not completely female either. I'm not a transexual, but I am not a boy either and I suffer from dysphoria. I fit in with the androgynes.  If there is a spectrum I am towards the female end. This endo is open to creating hormone plans which achieve more 'androgynous' results and works with the client to find what is best for their mental health.

Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Suzy on September 10, 2009, 10:56:28 PM
I think you have to remember that no medication will do much for your hairline.  What will come back with the meds is your crown.  They did great stuff back there, but it took about 16 months and the last 4 I added Minoxodil to the mix.  The two together seem to work quite well.  For the front, well there's always transplants!

Kristi
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Myself on September 10, 2009, 11:09:40 PM
Kristi, how long ago did your front hairs fall?
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: FairyGirl on September 11, 2009, 01:05:56 AM
I don't know about the MPB, but I know that spiro has made my hair grow more- it seems to be getting longer faster and thickening up with a lot of new shorter ones in there like Becca was describing, which causes the frizzies from hell. :( I think anything that blocks T is going to at least put a halt to any hair loss.

Kristi, I heard that Rogaine will even grow hair on your fingertips and that's why they recommend wearing gloves when applying it! Maybe that's an old husband's tale?
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Chrissty on September 11, 2009, 02:09:33 AM
Quote from: FairyGirl on September 11, 2009, 01:05:56 AM
Kristi, I heard that Rogaine will even grow hair on your fingertips and that's why they recommend wearing gloves when applying it! Maybe that's an old husband's tale?

I like that.... "an old husband's tale" is about right..if the stuff cannot make the velus hairs on your front hairline grow, then it's not going to do much for finger tips.. ;D ;D

The availabilty of 1% finasteride specifically for hair-loss seems to very from country to country, with it being OTC like Minoxodil in a number of places. I know it is legal to buy it off the web in the UK and US. Finepecia seems to be the most common generic name. ;)

Chrissty
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Hannah on September 11, 2009, 04:47:17 AM
Quote from: FairyGirl on September 11, 2009, 01:05:56 AM
which causes the frizzies from hell.

Yeah, frikin irritating isn't it. The novelty has certainly worn off.
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Suzy on September 11, 2009, 06:37:24 AM
Quote from: Myself on September 10, 2009, 11:09:40 PM
Kristi, how long ago did your front hairs fall?

Well now that is a difficult question to answer.  It happens so very slowly over so many years that you don't really realize it is happening.  For comparison, I looked at a pic of me 6 years ago.  There was a slight improvement, which surprised me.  Occasionally it happens.  But I still had a long way to go.  So now I am in that awkward stage of excitedly waiting for the transplants to begin growing in.  But that's another story.

Fairygirl, LOL! 

Interesting to hear that I am not the only one who has had Spiro cause a general drying out of the hair. 

Kristi
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Myself on September 11, 2009, 06:43:23 AM
If they are growing back it's a good sign.
I heard that it is pretty much sure that you get all back over the course of few years if it's only been about 20 years since they fell. but you really need to eliminate testosterone and dht for it to happen.

Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Suzy on September 11, 2009, 06:49:41 AM
Quote from: Myself on September 11, 2009, 06:43:23 AM
If they are growing back it's a good sign.
I heard that it is pretty much sure that you get all back over the course of few years if it's only been about 20 years since they fell. but you really need to eliminate testosterone and dht for it to happen.

Well, it certainly was not a bad sign I agree.  But the noticeable gains I had were on top.  Around the front, when I say slight, I totally mean it.  That's a whole lot better than more loss.  But it was not enough for me, as I wanted a female hairline.  I also need to say that most people who know me in my "other" life do not think I have anything to worry about as far as hair loss.  Perhaps, but it would never have been passable, which is my goal.

Kristi

P.S. If you want to see how much I had receded, look a the bottom pic on this link.  But better hurry because I was about to remove it.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,10208.msg418865.html#msg418865 (https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,10208.msg418865.html#msg418865)
Title: Re: Do androgen blockers stop hair loss from male pattern baldness?
Post by: Korlee on September 16, 2009, 04:12:15 AM
I had actually started to get some major hair loss in the past year or so.  However even what many of you would call little time I have been on everything?  I had seen my hair thicken and some of that loss start growing again.  Even my mother noticed the thickening hair and I learned I have natural curls as I let it grow. 

I had always cut it because it was the thing to do and expected.  Now?  I also learned from my mother that as a baby?  I had very feminine natural curls which she had cut off when I was little for my first haircut and such.  I think my mother had many signs about things and ignored them.  She even made me a pink blanket before I was born and then got rid of it when she found out.  Maybe god did toss her signs and she chose to ignore them.  Either way... I look forward to seeing the curls in full down the road.