What are the best methods for dealing with a receding hairline?
- Wig
- Hair transplants
- Bangs and other hair styles that cover it up
Are there any other options that I'm missing?
Finasteride, dutasteride and estrogen fixed mine inside of a year.
Depends how recent the hair loss is, and how severe it is. If it's just minor to moderate, then HRT should take care of it, especially if Finasteride or Dutasteride is added to the mix. And if it's within the last 5-7 years, this should take care of it pretty much completely once 3-5 years on HRT have passed. Pretty much any area where the scalp is not shiny, but still has weakened peach-fuzzy hairs there, it can be recovered. Because the hair follicles aren't dead yet, they've just rendered temporarily inactive by DHT. And once the DHT is removed, they will begin to grow normally again.
If there's large shiny areas, though, and the hair loss was over 7 years ago, HRT probably isn't going to recover it. It will certainly help, but you'll probably need some sort of hair surgery to really get a feminine hairline. (This doesn't mean that you can't pass with just your natural hair, though. I know a lot of middle-aged trans women who have thinning hair, and very clearly not a feminine hairline, but still pass just fine. Once it's long, it covers up a LOT.)
If the top of the head is more or less completely bald,wigs are pretty much the only option. Even hair transplants can only do so much.
Thank you for your responses! It helps to know that HRT may help and cements what I feel my next step needs to be as well. :)
Quote from: Jill F on January 16, 2014, 02:18:16 PM
Finasteride, dutasteride and estrogen fixed mine inside of a year.
Can you be on both Finasteride and Dutasteride at the same time? I thought they have a similar method of action?
I agree! If the hair loss was recent, HRT + finasteride or durasteride will probably recover a bit of your hairline. When your hair gets longer it will pretty much cover the bald spots while new hair is slowly coming back.
My hairline was receding and I had two big bald areas on the corners that were starting to get worse...I started to lose hair about five years ago, but now, after something around 4 months of HRT + finasteride I have small hair growing again on half of my bald spots and they are about 4cm long now. Probably they will get longer and I will be able to style it in such a way it can hide the receding corners of my hair.
Of course your mileage may vary, but I have seen that, overall, HRT + finasteride or durasteride can bring excelent results.
But if you need a more imediate solution, then a wig is what you want.
I would wait until 2-3 years of HRT to consider a hair implant/transplant...you can recover your hairline if you are lucky and then you won't need to spend money here.