Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Hey everyone,

Well since my last post there is some good and bad news.
I have seen my doc who has referred me to see a Therapist in order to get the ball finally rolling and start transition.
He put me on Avodart for my hair loss, which is I guess pretty bad at the moment - I am 33 and now have very thin hair on top and about a 2.5 inch balding spot on my crown. (still hair there just thinning and white). Needless to say this causes me great deal of self loathing and casts a lot of doubts about transition, I get very depressed about my stupid hair, I really don't want to wear wigs and feel perhaps I can maybe salvage my hair situation. I only started thinning about 6 years ago, with the worst in the last 3 years.
I'm hoping to start Spiro, on a low dose in about 6 months or so, but I do want to give the Avodart a chance to work to see what I can get back.
I'm also planning to get Hair replacement surgery next year, to fill in the widow's peaks and thicken what needs it.

Just wanting a few peoples opinions or to hear their experiences with Avodart or Spiro, does it help, at my age can I expect anything?
Have to say I am constantly up and down because of the hair thing, and it makes me question this whole transition all the time.
Not that I have much choice in the matter, can't live this way anymore - but the thought of wigs makes me sad.
I was going to give Avodart 6-12 months, somewhere in there start Spiro, then after 12 months get hair transplants, then start hrt. (thoughts)?

Thanks,
Miya

See, the positive to wanting an improvement that is considered "uni-sex" (curing baldness - any man or woman would rationally want this, baldness is a disease called Androgenic Alopecia) is that this is an improvement that the professionals should see as an improvement that you can do right away; one that would have no negative effect from any emotional corner, no matter what identity you choose.

So right away, the facts are; baldness is usually caused by an over-output or over-sensitivity to Androgens, the chemicals that are only present in unhealthy amounts in just %20 of males. These chemicals also cause weight gain, extreme body hair, craniofacial deformities, and just all around they lead to features that pre-maturely cause an aged or "cave-man/father" appearance. Studies prove that Caucasians are most prone to Androgens, and this is the reason Caucasians tend to look very haggard, bald, and fatherly more than the adult men of other races. Did you know that baldness was not existant in Native American or Asian races - not one person in these races had any amount of baldness - until the races mixed with Whites in the 1800's.

The solution for this usually is controlled doses of anti-androgens and quite literally, the smaller the dose, the less it should cause any negative effects. Men take anti-androgens all the time for various things, as as long as the dosage isn't designed to kill your balls and destroy your liver, it won't.

However, there are also many other underlining causes for baldness (it can stretch to many internal problems and imbalances) and the best thing would probably be just to see an Endo. Most over-the-counter baldness cures, or even a cure that a simple family doctor would give you, probably will not work. Some "simple" cures even put more testosterone and androgens into your body, which is not good for a trans.

It's always worth just checking with an Endo about the dosages and medications you currently take, and see what they say. Or, if you start to show improvement with the hair with what your on now, then hey, give me some!

Quote from: Miya on July 23, 2011, 03:38:54 AM
Hey everyone,

Well since my last post there is some good and bad news.
I have seen my doc who has referred me to see a Therapist in order to get the ball finally rolling and start transition.
He put me on Avodart for my hair loss, which is I guess pretty bad at the moment - I am 33 and now have very thin hair on top and about a 2.5 inch balding spot on my crown. (still hair there just thinning and white). Needless to say this causes me great deal of self loathing and casts a lot of doubts about transition, I get very depressed about my stupid hair, I really don't want to wear wigs and feel perhaps I can maybe salvage my hair situation. I only started thinning about 6 years ago, with the worst in the last 3 years.
I'm hoping to start Spiro, on a low dose in about 6 months or so, but I do want to give the Avodart a chance to work to see what I can get back.
I'm also planning to get Hair replacement surgery next year, to fill in the widow's peaks and thicken what needs it.

Just wanting a few peoples opinions or to hear their experiences with Avodart or Spiro, does it help, at my age can I expect anything?
Have to say I am constantly up and down because of the hair thing, and it makes me question this whole transition all the time.
Not that I have much choice in the matter, can't live this way anymore - but the thought of wigs makes me sad.
I was going to give Avodart 6-12 months, somewhere in there start Spiro, then after 12 months get hair transplants, then start hrt. (thoughts)?

Thanks,
Miya

Miya

Have your doc put you on Avadort. While your mileage may vary, here are my results:

Before (2008ish)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3185%2F5861668638_ae7135bf60_z.jpg&hash=504bf2b7bd2aec675287e6efd3a6b7a6cdd24676)

Mid (about May 2009)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3101%2F5861684356_cfde9763c4_z.jpg&hash=6766725531f17d6538ea3a77ebab965b41815003)

Current (May 2011)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.static.flickr.com%2F5005%2F5254961208_0d5c12cf1f_z.jpg&hash=5f4684acdc5912e8530af1fdf82920984fbaf107)


For me, Avadort worked like crazy. much more effective than Finastride.

Also, when you first start it, you will shed a lot of hair but that is normal. You will want to continue to be on it and if you are spiro afterwards, the spiro or orchi or srs will keep the male pattern baldness at bay until your testosterone kicks out.

Spiro is designed to block t...it isnt very effective on the hair.

Also, it is important to know when you first started to lose your hair. If you have been thinning for like 6 years or so you will be ok.

If you are like bald bald (like bald top with the hair on the sides) you will need to pursue other courses of action such as hair transplants or a wig.

Oh..about the age. I will be 37 next month

Hey thanks both for your quick reply's,

Wow, Annah you look amazing - what a difference!
That makes me happy and gives me hope too, I more than likely won't be starting the full course of HRT till I am 34 which is I think when you started?
This year is going to be the foundation year of sorts, fix/salvage hair, save money for hair transplants (will need tehm either way for my widows peaks), come out to friends/family all that stuff.
But I figure, I can at the very least start on Spiro low dose in the next few months. I am already on Avodart, have been for about 3 weeks, that plus minox and nizoral, msm, biotin, and all sorts of vitamins, lol - I figure this is my last shot at this so I am giving it everything I can, if I am going down I am going down fighting!
Oh' and regarding the age of hair thinning/loss, I first noticed it around 2005, and I was still sporting some pretty outlandish hairstyles then so 6 years I think at least no more than 7 that's for sure. I still have hair everywhere, just stupidly thin in the vertex and the crown still has hair to but that is my thinnest part, mostly white hair, but its definitely not slick bald. I think it probably looks worse than it is cause my hair is light anyway, well here's hoping.
I was thinking of asking my Doc for Ovestin (Estriol) .1% too, I read this is really good to apply topically to thinning areas, any thoughts on this?

Thanks again,
feeling more optimistic today - which is great, this has been such a roller-coaster last few weeks

Miya

Annah, for a long time, I thought you were beautiful simply because you happened to be a young boy (I figured 17/18) who still had great skin and was able to pass.

However, now it seems that you're an almost 40 year old underwent a transformation medically, one that seemed revolutionize the hair pattern's strength on your face, the fat distribution on your chin and jawline, and seemed to help your scalp hair grow thicker and healthier.

Wth?

I personally am so jealous it's unreal. I'm half your age and you look years younger than I do. It's not even a beauty thing (which it truly is, because even beyond my skin and hair health, you have 10x more innately *very beautiful* female craniofacial features than I do), it's an age thing. Ugh!

:(

to be honest, when I presenting male, I looked my age. I have no idea why i turned out looking so much younger during my transition. I do have my own theories:

I was 350ish pounds when I started my transition. However, I gad an understanding with myself that I would not present female until I got some of this weight off. Having the goal to be a girl at a certain weight certainly gave me the willpower to do it. I started HRT halfway through my weightloss.

I think the fact that I started big, then went on hrt and continued to lose the weight, my fat was better distributed around my body? Honestly, i cannot give you any real concrete answers on why I look younger.

But yeah, I will be 37 on August 28. I will also be having my 20th high school reunion next May in Maryland.

I'm on spiro and estrogen only and I'm getting ALOT of hair back.  (36 yo)  My hair was gone on top and now it's back...thin..but back.  It's crazy.  At least 4 inches or recess recovering. 

I lost my hair very young (teens) so it might not be standard baldness.  I'm shocked by how much has grown back. Completely unexpected.

Hi Miya,

I have been taking Avodart for 6 years with great results and no side effects.  A little advice if I may, if you start be very consistent.  Try not to start and stop.  If you do you will quickly lose any hair that you have gained and will suffer from periods of extreme shock loss. 

Good luck

I'm trying to get my GP to prescribe me Dutasteride (Avodart) instead of Finasteride, but because it's unlicensed in the UK for hair regrowth (not for any sinister reason - they just didn't bother running the necessary trials because Finasteride was already in such common use for hair regrowth), she'll only prescribe it on recommendation from my psychiatrist, sigh. So I'm waiting to hear back from him whether he's willing to do that. The general consensus does seem to be that it has a better regrowth track record than Finasteride. Takes time, though.

Quote from: Padma on August 02, 2011, 03:42:56 AM
I'm trying to get my GP to prescribe me Dutasteride (Avodart) instead of Finasteride, but because it's unlicensed in the UK for hair regrowth (not for any sinister reason - they just didn't bother running the necessary trials because Finasteride was already in such common use for hair regrowth), she'll only prescribe it on recommendation from my psychiatrist, sigh. So I'm waiting to hear back from him whether he's willing to do that. The general consensus does seem to be that it has a better regrowth track record than Finasteride. Takes time, though.

Padme, we have the same issue here in the US too since it is primarily used as a prostate shrinker. I had to sell Avadort to my Doctor to get him to prescribe it to me lol. He's been sold (he's taken it too now).

Quote from: Annah on August 02, 2011, 03:45:40 AM
Padme, we have the same issue here in the US too since it is primarily used as a prostate shrinker. I had to sell Avadort to my Doctor to get him to prescribe it to me lol. He's been sold (he's taken it too now).

There's at least one MTF on Susan's who's been prescribed Avodart by their gender clinic in the UK, so I'm hoping for the best here. The point in my favour is that this is what Finasteride is primarily used for too - they're both 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, both treatments for BPH (non-cancerous prostate embiggening), both with similar side effects. In the UK, the side effects are recorded as being more "common" for dutasteride than Finasteride, but then those side effects are reduction in libido and breast growth, so bring it on!!! Ahem.

By the way, much as I'd like to be confused with Natalie Portman (especially in Star Wars II when she's wearing that hot white clingy number), I'm Padma with an a, not an e :). It's a Lotus thing...

Yay!! GOOOOO!! SPIRO!!  :D :D hehe But i am pretty sure my ENDO told me that Finasteride has to with hair and such and sprio does my boobs and such  :D :D lol yea before estro i had already developed bouncey boobs lol on E the pain of bounceyness has increased!! lol but yea spiro helps wipe out T and Finasteride helps stop left over T from becoming this like super T stuff and therefore helps with hair  :D

Just looking at the Avodart (no generics I'm told) price for 30: R440-00, hello!!
Finasteride is ONLY R230-00 and Spiro R210-00.

My E2 is R100-00 for 28, sounds like a bargain to this other stuff.

I now stopped taking Finasteride and Spiro, as my T is very low (twin factories shut down) and -- I really feel the better for it.
Some consolations even for an old girl...

Axelle

And well you can get spiro covered by insurance  :)