will T affect existing hair loss issues?

[meatwagon]

maybe this is a dumb question, but i guess it can't hurt to ask...

i am still pre-everything, but i've noticed some hair loss/thinning around the top of my head recently.  the part in my hair is a lot more pronounced and seems to be expanding.  i do not like it!  i'm really hoping that this is something to do with stress and lifestyle changes lately and not permanent, but as of now i have no way of knowing for sure.  now that i've noticed it, i want to try to do what i can to protect what's left up there, because i have no desire to cut my hair short again and i feel like i'd have to if i ended up getting a bald patch on top of my head. 

obviously i'm not gonna avoid T just to save my hair, but i was wondering: would starting it mean losing the chance of my hair growing back (assuming the current issue isn't permanent)?  i know it's different for everyone and you can't always use your family members as predictors, but i was never worried about hair loss because the men in my family had full heads of hair well into their 50s on both sides... but i never stopped to consider whether the women experienced hair loss.  it never occurred to me to worry about going bald before T.  so now i'm kind of worried that starting T will somehow prevent it from growing back, or make it worse or something. 
i mean, i would think that hormone-related hair loss and stress-related hair loss wouldn't interact/interfere with one another, but idk because this is a very new concern for me.

maybe i just need to quit being dumb
until then... gonna quit wearing my headphones for a while and start praying to the hair gods.

[Elis]

I think there are two main things to consider. One- T will make your hair thicker but won't change your hair type. My hair type is fine/thin and has thickened but is still fine/thin.

Two- your hair will recede into a male hair pattern. Think like a V shape. The hair at your temples will gradually go.

But hopefully your hair thickening up will be enough to hide the patchy bits even with a receding hairline and your particular hair type.

Not sure if this was helpful or not :/

[TransAm]

You should definitely see a doctor. Unexplained and sudden hair loss can be caused by a number of medical concerns and, given that you're a young AFAB, should really be evaluated sooner than later. It could be something as simple as an easily corrected thyroid imbalance but there's no way of knowing for sure until you take the plunge.

I'm not trying to scare you but what you're experiencing is definitely not normal and shouldn't be something you just have to accept.

[meatwagon]

I think there are two main things to consider. One- T will make your hair thicker but won't change your hair type. My hair type is fine/thin and has thickened but is still fine/thin.

Two- your hair will recede into a male hair pattern. Think like a V shape. The hair at your temples will gradually go.

But hopefully your hair thickening up will be enough to hide the patchy bits even with a receding hairline and your particular hair type.

Not sure if this was helpful or not :/

i don't mind the change in hairline up front, but the possibility of either losing hair around the top or not growing back what's already been lost concerns me a little.  it's not too extreme right now, but i do really hope it comes back...  though if it doesn't get any worse, i can live with it, especially if what is there will get a little thicker. 

i just have to protect it like a precious baby :^P

You should definitely see a doctor. Unexplained and sudden hair loss can be caused by a number of medical concerns and, given that you're a young AFAB, should really be evaluated sooner than later. It could be something as simple as an easily corrected thyroid imbalance but there's no way of knowing for sure until you take the plunge.

I'm not trying to scare you but what you're experiencing is definitely not normal and shouldn't be something you just have to accept.

also true; i am hoping it's just stress or something, but there are a lot of other things it could be--including a side effect of my medication, which i unfortunately cannot change any time soon.  best way to rule that out and figure out what to do about it (or if there's anything i even can do) is to talk to the doctor.

[Kylo]

T has affected my hair. It's thinned into the male pattern on the forehead and temples area within a year and the texture of the scalp skin and hair itself has changed. It feels (oddly) finer and softer, (despite biotin supplements) which is not what I expected, and as a result makes me think it is in fact thinning, but after close examination it's just the fact the hair itself has a different finer feel now so it feels as if there is less of it.

If you have existing issues, there's a good chance T might contribute. There's always minoxidil if things get really bad.