Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I knew it. I am not paranoid or going crazy. I'm losing my hair. I had my parents, sisters, a friend and my girlfriend look at my hair to confirm it.

It is not receding but it's thinning. I first noticed it about 3 months ago when I shaved my head for the first time. Funny though because I shaved it myself and when I went to shave my forehead I switched hands and had it the wrong way so right in the middle was a bit shorter than the rest so I thought that's just what it was. But exactly right in the middle of my forehead where my hairline is is where it is thining.

I'm scared because no one on my mom's side is bald but my biological dad was bald when I first met him when he was 36? I have no idea when he started to though. And his dad is bald too.

My mom freaked out when I asked her and said it is thinning badly and told me to stop talking testosterone and see what else I can do about stopping my periods.

I have such a gross large forehead I don't think my self esteem can handle it if I go bald. I really don't know what to do. I don't want to stop talking testosterone. If I had a different shaped head I don't think it would be so bad because some guys look good with no hair or receding hairlines but I will look so freakishly ugly bald.

I am only 23 and have been on testosterone for only 16 months.

Start trying Rogaine and all that stuff.

My hairs already thinning really bad and im pre t and Im only 20!

But theres one guy ony youtube, sky, idk if your familiar with his videos or not but his hair was thinning and his doctor put him on something to stop it, and it worked. Maybe you can talk to your doctor? Sorry though man, I wish I could help.

Oh really? It actually worked for him? I always hear that they are just bull->-bleeped-<- drugs. I guess I will see my doctor. My mom is really pissed off and wants me to stop testosterone but I don't want to... but then I don't want to go bald either.

Everyone seems to cross the forums once in awhile... so why not a loon? ;3

What you have there is a typical worry of a great many guys.  Yes, the gene can get passed on from one lousy person and it blows.

However it isn't the end of the world because there are steps you can take like any natural male.  Much of it will come down to how fast you are losing hair and if any of the smaller non-prescription stuff will help you at all.  Now it has been awhile since my hair loss stopped so I am sorry that I do not remember the names of some of the items.  o.<   

Sharky has it right though start with something small like Rogaine but an important thing to remember there is that once started?  Stopping that stuff means you go right back to losing your hair most of the time.  So once you get rolling on that treatment keep it going even if your hair gets back to normal.  Then there are those pills that strengthen your nails from stylists I forgot their name but they also help thicken your hair making the hair loss less noticeable.  It also makes the current hair growth a little stronger against being pulled out by combs, etc.  I know it will also do the nails but it works I did this while no other hormones were in my system and it helped for awhile till my hair loss got worse.  The nail bit is only making them stronger anyways which T should have done for you anyways. 

Now I know it may suck to go back to a real stylist but they do know hair and how to take steps to fight hair loss.  They know the names of all the stuff including the other pills that I do not remember.  If after X amount of time you see no changes?  And that likely means a few months...  As Michael said go see a doctor as the hair loss field is rather large and there are prescription drugs that work.  I was on one for awhile after the other stuff stopped working Propecia I believe but... since you are a FtM you should consult your doctor because there are other things in it that you do not desire at this stage.  There is likely other prescriptions that would work for you but just remember fighting hair loss is expensive and sometimes a losing battle without extreme measures such as plugs.

Good luck.

A bald man once told me: I cured my baldness with self confidence. 
My grandpa said his hair waved, and waved, and then waved goodbye!

Seriously, men are terrified of going bald until they just shave it all off and declare their dome a solar panel for a sex machine.

Men! ::)

Sorry if that doesn't help somehow. Going bald is one of the worst parts of manhood.  :(

Quote from: Michael James on February 28, 2011, 11:43:21 PM
But theres one guy ony youtube, sky, idk if your familiar with his videos or not but his hair was thinning and his doctor put him on something to stop it, and it worked.

Yeah, he said that it slowed down some other effects from T but that it was working well for stopping the hair loss.  I don't know anyone else who has used it, though.

I really like guys with shaved heads. Very very sexy.

Cindy

This guy talks a little about what he uses to prevent hairloss thought it might help. It's a bit slow in the beginning but it moves quickly near the middle. I think it's saw palmetto. Good luck man.

http://www.youtube.com/user/transoutlaw#p/u/3/LK-ZpFwuWmk (http://www.youtube.com/user/transoutlaw#p/u/3/LK-ZpFwuWmk)

Nothing wrong with going bald.

I guess it can't help if you're surrounded by family telling you it's awful and they're angry with you about it (sheesh!). You might just have to look on it as a toll fee upon entering manland :). Seriously, try completely wet-shaving your head (so it's your choice first time) and then letting people you fancy stroke it - you'll soon learn to appreciate your scalp (once it's tanned a bit).

Quote from: JayUnit on February 28, 2011, 11:46:49 PM
Oh really? It actually worked for him? I always hear that they are just bull->-bleeped-<- drugs. I guess I will see my doctor. My mom is really pissed off and wants me to stop testosterone but I don't want to... but then I don't want to go bald either.

Yeah, I believe they put him on fenasteride(sp). it does slow down certain effects of T, but if you feel you've gotten all the major changes you want, it will help with the hair. As you've been on it for over a year I think all major changes should have occured so it should be fine for you. And based on your pic, you pass no problem.

Quote from: EmmaM on March 01, 2011, 12:07:48 AM
Seriously, men are terrified of going bald until they just shave it all off and declare their dome a solar panel for a sex machine.

That's a good one, a solar panel for a sex machine.

Actually, all of the bald men I've seen with large foreheads look really good.  It's only people with skinny heads that look awkward when they are bald.

I am going bald ... and I am not even on T!  There are some things to help with baldness talk with your doctor

Quote from: JohnR on March 01, 2011, 02:26:43 AM
Nothing wrong with going bald.

I see a few peeps saying that here.  While there is nothing wrong with it?  It isn't for everyone sorta speak.  Some people really pull off hairstyles quite well and a bald scalp very poorly.  It just looks terrible on them no getting around it.  Also lets face it some personalities the idea of it will never click till they are maybe 80 if ever.  Then there is the fact for many it is a sign of growing old even if you are not older per say.  Being in your 20's and having this happen is a slap in the face.  Especially for someone in college or who is a large social bug.  I knew a guy at one job a very nice person but I thought he was in his 40's because of his scalp hair and hair color that often goes with baldness as it thins out.  When in reality?  He was barely older then me and I was at the end of 22.

So ya there might be nothing wrong with it.  However it isn't for everyone and I'd rather someone be brutally honest about how it looks.  Then give me some options over a fake friendly smile saying I looked awesome.  I'm sure many feel that way.  And at his age there are quite a few real options to keep his hair.  Plus it works well with his facial hair.  That other look probably not so much...

there are pills, i forget what it's called, but its for hair loss that your doctor can prescribe. my dad took them for a while and they worked good with little/no side effects. my only concern would be if you'd be able to take them while on T or w.e., but might as well ask.

http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/index.jsp (http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/index.jsp)

Propecia is the pills that everyone forgot the name of.  They are what my partner uses and has for years.  It seems to work decently for him. 

Unfortunately the way it works is by reducing DHT which would slow down your changes.   

It might be very difficult to convince a doctor but Proscar also treats hair loss and doesn't have as much of an effect on DHT levels.

Unfortunately it has not been approved by the FDA for hair loss, only an enlarged prostate. 

At this point I don't mind slowing down my changes because I have a deep voice and minimal facial hair. I would like to have more but can wait for it to come slower if it means not losing my hair.

I know some balding people look good. I can already tell you that I won't be one of those good looking ones. Plus I look so young. I don't want to go from looking like I am 17 to looking like I am 40. I was excited to have facial hair and a deep voice to make me look older than 15 but I don't want to look like I'm in my 30s or 40s especially when my girlfriend is 19. I will look like an old man creeper. I wouldn't even mind a receding hairline at the sides for a mature look but my hair thinning and already looks funny. I would for sure be more accepting of this if I was in my 30s.

Fair enough, you don't have to be happy about it, but it's not the end of the world. And being shaven-headed and young doesn't necessarily make you look older at all, it can just look really, really hot! But I get that it's not what you want - I hope you find some way of slowing/stopping it that doesn't interfere with the bigger picture for you.

A guy on youtube told me about finasteride. His endo doctor prescribed it to him and he said his hair stopped failing out. I'm gunna ask my endo doctor about that.

There are worse reasons for losing your hair ... like cancer.

This sort of thing is really all about perspective. Just about anyone out there is not happy about something to do with their outward appearance (not even talking about just trans issues - I'm talking about humans in general). It's okay to feel bad about it, it's human nature after all. But to carry on like it's some sort of imposed death sentence to life as you know it?

Wear a hat, get implants, buy rogaine, or get some confidence ... do what any other guy who's upset about losing their hair would do but don't think it's the end of the world.

Also - watch this: Patrick Stewart interview - Parkinson - BBC (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXOK-ZVJMaU#)

Quote from: insideontheoutside on March 01, 2011, 09:42:56 PM
Also - watch this:

Awesome.

Unfortunately Testosterone = baldness (most times).

  On the other hand it shows how much testosterone =manliness, you have in your system. 

I think you will find most guys don't worry too much about it though from what I see. They have more important things to do, like watch football, go fishing, mow the  lawn etc.

I ended up shaving my head, it's a fairly thin disguise though! :D

Wow thanks for posting that video hahah it helped me re think some things.

I know there are worse things about losing hair. It is only hard for me because my family is getting in my face now about hormone therapy and think I am going to ruin myself. If I do end up going bald by the time I am 30 that will suck in the way that it is normal thing to suck about being a male. But my family doesn't look at it like that, they look at it like I am taking drugs and I can help it.

I kept telling my mom it is also genetics mixing with the hormones. But she doesn't think so. If she was right then very FTM would be bald.

But that would be like telling a cismale to take estrogen to stop themselves from losing hair or get rid of their testicles, why would they do that.  This is the path I took for walking in to a man's world so I can't complain about it but I don't like others making it feel like it is my fault. I'll continue to take testosterone but still talk to my doctor about a pill because that's what any other guy would do.

Well said.

I was 46 when I started testosterone. I knew that I might lose a lot of hair, but I kept telling myself that I was more likely to wind up with a hairline like my father and older brother both have.

My hairline did recede. However, my hair started to thin generally, too, and I wasn't ready for that. Not yet. So I started buying generic Finasteride. It's essentially Proscar, 5 mg tablets, which I cut into quarters with a pill-splitter. I'm still losing some hair, so I can't quite tell what's happening. Maybe my hairline hasn't stopped receding yet. Maybe the Finasteride isn't working as well for me as it does for other guys. Whatever; I decided to stay on Finasteride for now.

Here's some food for thought. I started my physical transition only two years ago, and my life was turned upside down. After more than 45 years of living as a female, I am not fully confident living as a man. Steep acclimation curve. Lots of challenges in my life. Add hair loss--something that even cisgender men dread--and my confidence goes down even further. I'd like to become more comfortable as a man before I have to deal with baldness or significant hair loss. Most cisgender men don't have to worry about their hair for two or three (or more) decades of adult life. I've been living as a man for less than two years. Why shouldn't I take advantage of the opportunity to slow or stop the balding process?

Maybe at some point I'll stop taking the Finasteride, or maybe I'll discover that it's not doing anything for me after all. But I don't have any noticeable side effects (my transition might have slowed down a bit, but I'm not sure), so why not continue taking it? Let's face it, baldness is a disadvantage in this society, especially if you're young.

My best friend is pushing forty. I've known him since he was 23, and he was rapidly balding at that time. Now he's almost completely bald. He's smart, well-educated, cute, fit, and still young. He has a good skull shape. But he's sensitive about his hair loss--still, after having about fifteen years to get used to the idea. Me? I'm not cute, I'm not particularly fit, and I'm more than a decade older than he is. I've only had about a year to get used to the fact that I'm definitely losing some hair. When I get to a certain comfort level in my maleness, I'll revisit the issue. Until then, I'm popping pills. After all, it's not like I have to worry about erectile dysfunction or testicular pain or anything like that.

I advise you to do your research and talk to your doctor.

Quote from: Squirrel698 on March 01, 2011, 10:50:01 AM
http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/index.jsp (http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/index.jsp)

Propecia is the pills that everyone forgot the name of.  They are what my partner uses and has for years.  It seems to work decently for him. 

Unfortunately the way it works is by reducing DHT which would slow down your changes.   

It might be very difficult to convince a doctor but Proscar also treats hair loss and doesn't have as much of an effect on DHT levels.

Unfortunately it has not been approved by the FDA for hair loss, only an enlarged prostate.

The guy we're talking about is on Propecia and Finasteride. I remember him mentioning both when talking about hair loss..

Let me clarify something. Propecia IS Finasteride. So is Proscar. Propecia is a 1 mg pill typically prescribed for baldness, and Proscar is a 5 mg pill typically prescribed for prostate issues. A lot of men get the 5 mg pills and cut them up because it's cheaper than buying 1 mg pills. But it's all the same stuff.

the finasteride is esentially a DHT blocker which blocks certain aspects of the T. On a bio male it has very limiting femenizing effects and i mean little.....But it did help the baldness considerabley...put it this i used to strive to have as much hair as fraiser crane. Now 12 months later i feel like i did when i was 16 long think and just very little thinnging on top. It did not reverse receading much (maybe a little) but absolutley thickened up everything on top.

Finrastride and the more powerful seldom marketed Dustastride both block the formation of DHT From what I gather FTM's have more DHT than Cis-males due to the presence of ovaries (DHT metabolism suppresses E)

So you know guys taking those pills might increase your E levels.

I'm glad your starting to take a more healthy attitude to it despite the cruel things your parents have said however these things just kinda happen. Your a guy now you wanted it, and you got it warts and all.
I myself ended up nearly completely flat chested with a huge cellulite covered ass. but I wanted to be female and this is part and parcel of that.

Nobody's perfect and no body is perfect
I know it's easy to say and I can't force you to accept yourself but don't let others preconceptions about begin "pretty" or "Ugly" impact your health dude.

Quote from: pebbles on March 03, 2011, 08:10:25 AM
Your a guy now you wanted it, and you got it warts and all.
I myself ended up nearly completely flat chested with a huge cellulite covered ass. but I wanted to be female and this is part and parcel of that.

I agree.  You can't pick and choose the characteristics you get from transition.  Trying to fight it would be spending a lot of time and resources on what, in the end, is fairly insignificant.