MTF hormones and effect on facial hair especially ladies still with beards

[Marcieelizabeth]

Hi all -

I am very early in using bio identical hormones and am contemplating trying to change to HRT and my breasts are growing nicely, slowly but nicely, but I do have a beard still as I am not out to anyone and it has been part of me for a long time prior to accepting who I really am.  As I brush my beard I am noticing more and longer hairs falling out.

My question is If you had a beard when you started on hormones how quickly did you see effects before deciding you had to remove the beard? Weeks? months?  I know many probably just removed it and when they made the choice to transition, I wish I was that sure, and, of course, if I keep on keeping on, and come out to others I will too.  And what were the effects? Specifically I guess I am wondering about thinning, losing facial hair or how did or have hormones effected your beard especially early as you started on HRT.

Thanks a million!

Love and Hugs, Marcie

[Julia1996]

I have very little facial hair but after I started hrt I did notice it took longer to grow back after I plucked it.

[Marcieelizabeth]

Thanks Julia 1996 -

BTW I love your photo - if it is you, you are gorgeous! 

Love and Hugs, Marcie

[josie76]

Changing the bodies hormones does very little to the facial hair for most. My endo told me it will go away but it takes many many years. Thats why electrolosis, laser, ect is such a hot topic for many here.
I bought an IPL machine and have tried treating my facial hair with it. For me it did thin the hair but some hairs seem too hearty to be knocked down by the amount of enery the IPL delivers. This is where laser at a clinic comes in. Then when there's grey or blond hairs left your only choice is electrolosis.

After a couple of months my body hair however really slowed, thinned, and some started loosing the dark color to more blonde / unseen type of hair.

[AnonyMs]

My beard is unchanged by HRT, but its only been 9 years. Perhaps just a little bit longer.

[KathyLauren]

I shaved my beard off as soon as I decided I had to transition.  I did it literally the same day I came out to my wife.

I would strongly recommend starting hair removal (laser and/or electrolysis) as soon as possible.  It takes time, and I am finding that it is getting more painful the longer I am on HRT.

The hormones are slowing down the growth rate of my beard hairs.  I am dreading the day when my elecrocutioner tells me I have to grow it for four days instead of three so that there is enough for her to pluck.  I haven't noticed any thinning, other than the results of electrolysis.

My body hair has totally changed.  I never had a lot, maybe a couple of dozen hairs on my chest.  They have gotten thinner and lighter in colour.  I was shaving them off for a while, but they are getting hard to see now.  In fact, it is weeks since I last shaved them and I can't feel any stubble.  I just have a few white silky hairs left around my nipples.

[mako9802]

I don't think HRT will do much other than make it maybe grow a little and I do mean a little slower.  That is all.

[LizK]

For me HRT has done nothing other than slow down my growth. Still as thick and awful as ever...laser or electrolysis is the only thing that has improved it. I am on to secondary clearance now....and I can go 5 days and it is mostly not noticeable to the naked eye, it is much finer and softer...

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

I would shave the beard, and just let people think you got tired of it or something. And start laser now! The redness from laser, for me, was barely noticeable the next day. I'm only out to a handful of friends (I don't do RLE yet) and no one knows I'm having laser unless I tell them. So don't worry if you think losing the beard will out you.

I'm up to my 15th session and have had excellent results (I'm very fair with dark/black hair). I'm aiming to stop at 20 sessions just to hammer it home. Anything remaining after that (and there won't be much - probably about 5 hairs max) I will get electrolysis for.

My advice is to be proactive and don't rely on hormones for anything, especially when it comes to hair.

[RobynD]

Never had visible facial hair in the form of a beard, but my facial hair in general has already thinned and slowed. The latter dramatically.

[Dani]

You results will pretty much depend on how thick your body hair is when you start to transition, The younger transitioners have very little problem with face and body hair.

However, the older transitioners with full facial beard and a hairy body as well, have a more serious problem. Facial hair is not affected very much with HRT. We spend a lot of money on Laser and electrolysis. Both methods require a clearing of at least 6 times for permanent hair removal. One treatment of Laser will clear all the black hairs very effectively, but it takes about 30 hours of electrolysis to clear a face.

On the positive side the chest, arms and legs to respond to HRT very well and in 6 months you should see a thinning of hair in those areas. In about 2 years of HRT, you should have the same problem as all other women, depending on your ethnic heritage.

[KayXo]

it takes about 30 hours of electrolysis to clear a face.

6 sessions of laser followed by about 150 hours of electro to permanently remove all facial hair. I started transition quite young.

On the positive side the chest, arms and legs to respond to HRT very well and in 6 months you should see a thinning of hair in those areas.

I had to have electrolysis in the chest and abdominal region despite being 2 yrs on full HRT. There was no thinning there as a result of HRT and I wasn't that hairy to begin with. Years later and on injectables + progesterone, my leg hair finally began to considerably thin and even disappear, growing VERY very slowly until I began adding a dab of testosterone (I'm post-op).

No significant change in arm hair for me.

As always, YMMV. 

[LexiDreamer]

10 months HRT. My facial hair and leg hairs still grow at the crazy pace they started at. I have to shave my face every day to keep the stubble away. I epilate my legs once-twice weekly to keep them smooth. If I let my legs go for two weeks, my hairs are at least a quarter inch long.
My chest and belly hair has started to slow and I only need epilate those sections once a week.
I epilate my back about once a month.
The only saving grace is that most of my hair is blond, so I am the only one noticing it, but I hate it none the less.

I am soooooo jealous of you girls without these hair grooming issues. So time consuming...

[KayXo]

10 months HRT. My facial hair and leg hairs still grow at the crazy pace they started at. I have to shave my face every day to keep the stubble away. I epilate my legs 1-2 weekly to keep them smooth. If I let my legs go for two weeks, my hairs are at least a quarter inch long.

This would indicate that your E and T levels are still not where they should be, for you. I would discuss this with your doctors.

[LexiDreamer]

This would indicate that your E and T levels are still not where they should be, for you. I would discuss this with your doctors.

Seems almost futile at this point, since she keeps ordering the wrong tests for me.

[KayXo]

Your T actually seems fine (low to under female range, free) so either the E is still too low (or route of administration should change) and/or you're just really sensitive to T. I'm not a doctor though so you need to find someone competent to discuss this matter with. Hopefully, the endo will do.