Does HRT actually make hair on your head come alive?

[bamar86]

Hi everyone! I'm curious if this is actually a thing or even possible? I have slight widows peaks and it would be amazing if more hair started growing as I'm terrified of going bald... but I find it difficult to believe it's possible. . I mean isn't the hair that gone dead already?  Or did it just go into hibernation?

[melanie maritz]

I've read that some users on here say it made their hair softer and thicker.

my hair seems to be on the unlucky side, I started with thick hair and it got thinner. it's still soft though

I would think that finasteride would help more for male pattern baldness than estrogen, since my endo prescribed it for me and said it's used for men with male pattern baldness
but in my case it will be used to inhibit testosterone

[allisonsteph]

I did get some regrowth at my temples, not a huge amount, but it is noticeable. I honestly hadn't noticed that it was receding until I started getting regrowth.

[Blush]

I'd say from my experience there's a definite possibility - as always YMMV. I'm 24, and experienced a bit of MPB (a cm or two of recession), and that's completely reversed now - mind you this is over 6 years of HRT, not only does it take time for the onset of changes from HRT, hair takes a long time to grow! My HRT included Finasteride. tl;dr, finasteride is mainly prescribed to mitigate MPB in men, but I think perhaps in combination with estrogen it may indeed reverse hair loss to an extent, rather than only slow/stop it.

Hibernation is a good point - the follicles are still there, they're just not active. Keep in mind (this is from my experience) when the hairs start growing back they'll be extremely virgin hairs, almost like a baby's first hairs; very soft, fine, light, gentle. It's not a good idea to go through dramatic things like bleaching, dying, etc., use gentle shampoos and conditions, let your new hair grow big and strong!

[mfox]

Hibernation is a good point - the follicles are still there, they're just not active. Keep in mind (this is from my experience) when the hairs start growing back they'll be extremely virgin hairs, almost like a baby's first hairs; very soft, fine, light, gentle.

Part of my HRT was starting full dose Finasteride about 5 months before Estradiol (Proscar, not Propecia).  I totally agree with the hibernation idea.  I had some MPB at my temples and a noticeable amount came back, most of it finer than my other hair.  To me it seems like DHT was slowly strangling or starving the hair so it stayed dormant, and eventually started to die off.  So now the hairs that weren't totally killed are free to grow like normal.

If anyone is losing their hair they need to start Finasteride ASAP in my opinion, don't wait until it's noticeable.  You don't have to go full HRT and anyone Trans or not should be able to get it prescribed from a GP on the basis of MPB.

[bamar86]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! Just curious, if um already taking Spiro.  Would it be necessary for me to take any other drug to prevent hair recession?

[DrummerGirl]

For myself, on just E and spiro for the past 3 months, all my bald spots have filled in and my hairline is almost back to normal.  I was worried that I would need something else, but it looks like what I'm taking is good enough.  I do highly suspect that some other medications that I was taking were larger contributors to my hair loss than DHT, so things might be different for you.

[Lady_Oracle]

I had the typical receding hair line at 21 but when I started hrt I completely gained all of it back.. Its taken a long time but its still getting thicker everyday. Ensuring that your hair/scalp is in a healthy state is key. Your hair won't get better if you don't give it a chance to be able to.

[jessical]

I have had some regrowth at the front, but mostly at the temples.  Not that drastic, but something.  I was lucky enough to have very little hair loss before hand.  It did make it softer, but it takes a long time, because only the growth at the roots after starting HRT is softer.  It will take a while for me before the ends of my hair are HRT hair.  I did have one small very unexpected thing happen.  I found one hair growing in the middle of my forehead.  A bit bizarre.  Something that has never happened before.

Someone on here in a different thread reported that they had thinning at first, and then thicker.  Something about the shock the body goes through starting HRT.

[melanie maritz]

do you girls think my hair will get thicker again? I'm on estrofem qnd spiractin. and soon finasteride too.

Maybe it's stress that made my hair thinner, but my hair also falls out a lot, like when I move my hand through my hair , sometimes there are a lot if hairs on my hand that came out

[Lady_Oracle]

Well its natural for your hair to shed, however it varies from person to person. Stress can definitely affect your hair health. If you're already on a good hair routine and you're still seeing more than average shedding then the stress might be it. If you haven't been on hrt for very long, give it time cause it does get better hair wise. Genetics also play a role in this of course so keep that in mind too.

[bamar86]

Wow it sounds like the HRT has a great affect on head hair which is awesome.  I'm content if I don't loose anymore hair. But a bit of regrowth would be pleasantly welcome!

[ToniB]

When I stopped producing testosterone My hair which was pure grey started to get its old colour back and it now grows faster and thicker than it has for many years 

[jeni]

Random question, I've been using minoxidil since shortly beginning HRT (spiro + estradiol) and was wondering whether the general rule that you must continue minoxidil to keep the hair still applies. Does anyone happen to know? I'm hoping that maybe the absence of testosterone will supplant the need for continued scalp rubbing.

[ellysant]

I was wondering during that too. I've just started HRT and I've been using Minoxidil for a while... Will the hair I've gotten back stay?

[mfox]

I was wondering during that too. I've just started HRT and I've been using Minoxidil for a while... Will the hair I've gotten back stay?

I understand that you don't need Minoxidil if you're blocking DHT in some way (like Finasteride, or enough E or a T-Blocker to suppress T in general).