i wanna grow a beard.

[Wil Najera]

is there anything that boosts facial hair growth? obviously taking T... but i know tribulus terrestris helps, anything else? not asking for a perscription or for any dangerous things that would defy doctors. just normal healthy things. like, what do non-trans guys take to boost hair growth?

[RyGuy]

not to burst your bubble man but no matter what anyone says, without having male hormones in your body, you're just NOT going to grow acceptable facial hair. some "women" can manage a light mustache or overgrown sideburns but that's usually with some incredible southern european genes and it never passes as male anyways.

i know that it's something you really want, but it's not worth the crazy pills and creams that won't help and will probably harm you instead.

[Nygeel]

I've used TT but it didn't help for me. I guess it would depend on your genes, current T levels and what sort of face fuzz you have now. I've heard that rogaine or or off brand versions can help fill in hairless patches on the face but I don't know what it will do for somebody without that ability yet. Mascara helps if you already have some sort of peach fuzz and want to make it thicker. Crepe wool works as a decent fake beard but that's not something you grow yourself.

[Adio]

The only methods I'm aware of have side effects: Rogaine (applied to the face) and DHEA.  Also, having PCOS can contribute to facial hair growth, but it's not something you can really cause (nor would I suggest it if you could).

I know it really sucks not to have facial hair, but sometimes you've just got to wait for it (if you plan to get on T).  I wanted a beard so badly, and I did the tricks that Nygeel suggested.  Looks decent in pictures and on stage (sometimes), but not up close and in person.

[Wil Najera]

it was worth ah try asking...

[driven]

DHEA has turned me into a hairy beast in a little over 2 months. Facial hair growth was one of the first changes I noticed. It's not as thick as a male's facial hair, though. I don't think I could grow a real beard yet, just a bunch of really long peach fuzz. Granted, I'm 36 and was already growing a lot more peach fuzz in the last few years anyway, so my results probably aren't typical.

And I keep reading all this stuff about the horrible side effects, but I spent an hour reading low dose studies on PubMed and didn't come across anything other than the masculinization effects. Some of the studies ran for six months to a year. I'm guessing it can't be that dangerous if they were able to get approval to use human subjects in those long-term studies.

[Wil Najera]

DHEA has turned me into a hairy beast in a little over 2 months. Facial hair growth was one of the first changes I noticed.

definetly gunna try this.

[Adio]

DHEA has turned me into a hairy beast in a little over 2 months. Facial hair growth was one of the first changes I noticed. It's not as thick as a male's facial hair, though. I don't think I could grow a real beard yet, just a bunch of really long peach fuzz. Granted, I'm 36 and was already growing a lot more peach fuzz in the last few years anyway, so my results probably aren't typical.

And I keep reading all this stuff about the horrible side effects, but I spent an hour reading low dose studies on PubMed and didn't come across anything other than the masculinization effects. Some of the studies ran for six months to a year. I'm guessing it can't be that dangerous if they were able to get approval to use human subjects in those long-term studies.

I'm glad it worked for you and that you're happy with the results.  However...the articles you read were about low dose studies.  Most trans men who take DHEA do it in higher doses.  Just because a drug is being tested on humans doesn't mean it's safe.

Here's some further reading about DHEA from the NIH:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/331.html

[LordKAT]

That article repeatedly says it raises estrogen in the body. How is that conducive to growing facial hair?

[Silas]

From what I've read, it can convert to either testosterone or estrogen, so I would figure taking some type of inhibitor or "promoter" for one would help sway the results.

From Wikipedia:
DHEA has been implicated in a broad range of biological effects in humans and other mammals. It acts on the androgen receptor both directly and through its metabolites, which include androstenediol and androstenedione, which can undergo further conversion to produce the androgen testosterone and the estrogens, including estrone, estradiol, and estriol. DHEA is also a potent sigma-1 agonist. It is considered a neurosteroid.

To the original question:
DHEA personally hasn't shown a lot of change in facial hair for me, but I have heard minoxidil (basically generic/cheaper rogaine) works well, the 5% especially. It's worth a shot, but be careful. 

[Adio]

That article repeatedly says it raises estrogen in the body. How is that conducive to growing facial hair?

It raises estrogen in the same way that it raises androgens.  This paragraph is explains it better than I can:

How does it work?
DHEA is a "parent hormone" produced by the adrenal glands near the kidneys and in the liver. In men, DHEA is also secreted by the testes. It is changed in the body to a hormone called androstenedione. Androstenedione is then changed into the major male and female hormones.

So increased androgens=increased facial hair/virility.

[LilKittyCatZoey]

well i found my hair got thicker with shaving AND never became visible when i didnt shave  but sadly i was genetically male so i dont know if it works for you

[driven]

I'm glad it worked for you and that you're happy with the results.  However...the articles you read were about low dose studies.  Most trans men who take DHEA do it in higher doses.  Just because a drug is being tested on humans doesn't mean it's safe.

Here's some further reading about DHEA from the NIH:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/331.html

I just want to clarify here - I am absolutely not suggesting that anyone take a higher than recommended dose of any substance. I also wouldn't suggest it to anyone who's already on T. I was mostly looking at studies involving females since I haven't started transitioning yet. I'm guessing you'd have a greater chance of the DHEA converting to estrogen if you already have a high level of T in your bloodstream.

And I'm really not trying to shill for DHEA. Just reporting what its effects are on my body so anyone reading can make their own decision.

[Jake25]

DHEA has turned me into a hairy beast in a little over 2 months. Facial hair growth was one of the first changes I noticed. It's not as thick as a male's facial hair, though. I don't think I could grow a real beard yet, just a bunch of really long peach fuzz. Granted, I'm 36 and was already growing a lot more peach fuzz in the last few years anyway, so my results probably aren't typical.

And I keep reading all this stuff about the horrible side effects, but I spent an hour reading low dose studies on PubMed and didn't come across anything other than the masculinization effects. Some of the studies ran for six months to a year. I'm guessing it can't be that dangerous if they were able to get approval to use human subjects in those long-term studies.

I really want to know what dosage you took per day?

[Elijah3291]

Nearly 5 years on T and I can literally count the hairs on my chin, and I have a "fail stashe" pretty much given up all hope, its so frustrating to see nearly every other trans guy get 10X more facial hair in less then a year. idk what to do.

It really bothers me that I may never have noticeable facial hair.

[palexander]

I really want to know what dosage you took per day?

you're not allowed to reveal dosages for medication on here.

Nearly 5 years on T and I can literally count the hairs on my chin, and I have a "fail stashe" pretty much given up all hope, its so frustrating to see nearly every other trans guy get 10X more facial hair in less then a year. idk what to do.

It really bothers me that I may never have noticeable facial hair.

it all comes down to genetics, man. i'm really hairy but i was already like that pre-t... the strong croatian/italian genes did me well lol