I just noticed abnormal hair growth.

[Rena-san]

I just started HRT and prior to that the only place that I had facial hair was my upper lip and chin. The chin area grew like a thin goatee if left unshaven and the upper lip was similar to that of women that struggle with facial hair, only it had a few darker ones. I just started electrolysis to have the chin area hairs removed, but I was looking in the mirror today and noticed all these strange black specks up around my eye. All along the upper cheek bone and up into the brow bone. At first, I thought it was dirt, but then I realized it was black hair! I don't even have black hair. My hair is red/blonde. What do I do? I'm worried that either the hormones are causing it or that I will soon develop some weird looking full black beard.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Have your electrologist look at them, and consult your doctor.

[A]

If your HRT is correctly dosed, you shouldn't be actually developing more of a beard. Now your blood levels might not be very good, but if they are, there's no worry, really.

I have them too. My mother does, as well. ^^' The annoying thing with those is that due to proximity to the eye and thinness, you can't really laser them. Extra electro for you, maybe, eh.

So, make sure your testosterone is dead and not coming back. If that's all right, don't worry; you'll just have to take care of it.

[peky]

are you using lattisse?

[Rena-san]

No, I do not use lattisse; I had to look that up actually to figure out what it was.

[Elsa]

Don't panic ... women get that all the time.

I know it's annoying my mom used to get it and so did a few others including me even while on HRT - I got a few tiny ones, on my nose and I was like WTF!!!.

Thant's what makeup is for. Also too much makeup can cause something like that to happen so make sure to remove it before you go off to sleep.

Just check your T levels just to be sure.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Do you exfoliate?  It can help remove surface hairs.

[Rena-san]

I will try exfoliation.

And my next blood test isn't till February. Is there anyway to get a test before that? And what form of Testosterone is the one that should be checked anyway? Free or total? Last time my doctor checked my total only and it was still in the low 400 hundreds. She assured me that everything was fine though and that that number can only really be lowered by high amounts of estrogen or an orchiectomy. Does that sound right? Cause it didn't to me. But I mean she is the doctor. IDK.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Are you on any anti-androgens?  Those lower testosterone.

[Rena-san]

Yep. Spironolactone. Of course I can't tell you the dose. But I think it would be considered a medium dose. Same thing for the estradiol. I'm pretty sure I'm right in the middle now of the low starter dose and the highest dose recommended. And I know that stuffs happening cause my boobs are bigger than they were when I started. LOL. And my emotions make me happy now. But this facial hair stuff is bringing me down. Not the hair I've always had. I don't care about that. Its every time I see a new hair. Especially these new hairs in wierd places where I didn't even think people got hairs.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

OK.  That should lower the testosterone levels.  When you have your brows done, or if you do yourself, just remove them.  Many women have those odd hairs.

[Rena-san]

I pry will just tweeze them. Though my electrologist would pry tell me not to. I'm just hoping I don't sprout a full beard all of a sudden.

[A]

Uhm, my testosterone is at about 0.3 nmol/L and my cyproterone dose isn't even maximal. Of course, spiro isn't cypro, but it should be able to have more of an effect than that. Be it normal or American measuring units, that sounds pretty huge... Normal/target values : http://applecustardpie.wordpress.com/category/information/http://applecustardpie.wordpress.com/category/information/

If you're from the US, convert it to your own units. Google "pmol/l to pg/ml".