Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Female to male transsexual talk (FTM) => Transsexual talk => Testosterone => Topic started by: AJarrah on July 05, 2014, 04:20:42 AM

Title: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: AJarrah on July 05, 2014, 04:20:42 AM
I don't know what the hell is happening but in the last year I've apparently either gotten really thin hair or this last haircut a couple weeks ago made my hair look like I'm going bald. I've had a receding hairline for a little while now, but it more just made my hairline more masculine. Now for the last week, my hair suddenly looks like I've lost half of it. Is this normal or has anyone else had crazy thinning hair? I can't even tell if it is for sure, but its stressing the hell out of me. I do not want to be 22 and bald. I don't ever see hair in my bedding or anything so its not like I'm shedding like crazy. It just does not look right. With or without wax or gel or mousse, I've tried pinpointing it. I just can't imagine I'm just now noticing this week if its been happening for a while.

I'm freaked out. Anyone else suddenly going bald?
And no, baldness doesn't run in either side of my family.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: LordKAT on July 05, 2014, 04:29:52 AM
I have the same issue. Long but getting sparse.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Arch on July 05, 2014, 06:06:04 AM
I kept losing hairs and thinking, "It doesn't LOOK like it's thinning out. Maybe it's okay."

It's not okay. One day, I hit critical mass and could easily see how much I was thinning in front. Now I'm thinking about transplants...
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Ephemeral on July 05, 2014, 07:30:28 AM
I lost hair almost right away when I started T and my hairline receded a bit in the first months. Then I had a really bad cut and it mad me paranoid because my hair looked so thin and felt so thin and I thought I was going bald. Turns out it was just paranoia in my case but not sure about you.

Is baldness in your family? Maybe you should consult a doctor and see if you can get Rogaine or similar for your hair.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: JoanneB on July 05, 2014, 10:46:44 AM
Well... Not to be glib about this but it does happen to guys. I started loosing mine at 14 with thinning hair and a receding hairline
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Arch on July 05, 2014, 04:18:39 PM
Quote from: JoanneB on July 05, 2014, 10:46:44 AMWell... Not to be glib about this but it does happen to guys.

I think he's probably aware of that...
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Myarkstir on July 05, 2014, 04:32:50 PM
Lol (enter joke mode)

That will teach ya boys to wanna be a guy

*ducks incoming shoe and runs giggling*  :laugh:

But seriously, look at both your grandpa and its gonna give you a good cue on where you are heading

And btw dont worry about your hair, you look good   8)

And if you are still worried here are 3 names for you
Bruce willis
The rock
Vin diesel

Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Arch on July 05, 2014, 04:41:10 PM
Quote from: Myarkstir on July 05, 2014, 04:32:50 PMAnd btw dont worry about your hair, you look good

I think a person needs to see his whole face and skull (with the baldness) to make a fair assessment. But even that won't speak to his state of mind, just his appearance. My best buddy is nice looking and has a well-shaped head, so I think he looks pretty good bald. Buy he has hated it for twenty years and has taken to wearing a ball cap.

Me, I'm clearly not built to look good with a significant amount of hair missing. I have a small head, nerdy features, prominent ears, and not the greatest skull structure. But I doubt that a picture of me in a hoody with most of my hair still intact would give this impression.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Blue Senpai on July 05, 2014, 05:00:34 PM
Quote from: Myarkstir on July 05, 2014, 04:32:50 PM
Lol (enter joke mode)

That will teach ya boys to wanna be a guy

*ducks incoming shoe and runs giggling*  :laugh:

But seriously, look at both your grandpa and its gonna give you a good cue on where you are heading

And btw dont worry about your hair, you look good   8)

And if you are still worried here are 3 names for you
Bruce willis
The rock
Vin diesel

*looks at dad from both sides*
They both are nearing 60s and have nice thick hair still.
Is not balding that quickly actually possible?
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: spacerace on July 05, 2014, 05:30:17 PM
Any of you thought about asking your doctor about lowering your dose just a bit in response, with careful blood test monitoring to make sure it doesn't dip too much, just to see if it helps at all? I saw it recommended elsewhere, and it does make sense a bit.

While men do lose hair as part of the package sometimes, it does seem like trans guy hit the balding earlier than they should be. At two years or so, which is when it seems to start to really happen - anecdotal evidence alone, the body may just not need the super duper full dose anymore to stay in the male range, and the excess starts to really show itself. Additionally, it seems like some guys start to look their age or older all at once - I often wonder if it is because their T is too high.




Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Ephemeral on July 05, 2014, 06:19:08 PM
Quote from: spacerace on July 05, 2014, 05:30:17 PM
Any of you thought about asking your doctor about lowering your dose just a bit in response, with careful blood test monitoring to make sure it doesn't dip too much, just to see if it helps at all? I saw it recommended elsewhere, and it does make sense a bit.

While men do lose hair as part of the package sometimes, it does seem like trans guy hit the balding earlier than they should be. At two years or so, which is when it seems to start to really happen - anecdotal evidence alone, the body may just not need the super duper full dose anymore to stay in the male range, and the excess starts to really show itself. Additionally, it seems like some guys start to look their age or older all at once - I often wonder if it is because their T is too high.

Yeah, I actually thought about that too. I mean, what we do is that we gain the stuff teenage boys get over 5+ or so years in a year or sometimes even less. I mean, our T levels are the T levels that adults men should have, not necessarily teenage boys. Then there's the aspect of surgery and if you remove your ovaries and/or uterus. That's going to affect things too.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Hex on July 05, 2014, 06:22:26 PM
I was reading about this and a couple guys had brought up and mentioned especially while using DHT cream, that they were using Saw Palmetto herb shampoos. Palmetto has been known to block DHT from your hair follicles and helps prevent hair loss in males. Of course with any herb remedy it's not guaranteed nor FDA lab approved BUT it's worth a shot in trying.

Info on the herb: http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/health-supplements/saw-palmetto.htm
Shampoos you can buy: http://www.nicehair.org/hair-loss-treatments/6-anti-dht-shampoos-shampoos-that-block-dht

My hair in the front is also starting to thin a bit and I've been also contemplating purchasing some of this stuff to see if it would help me as well since I'm on the higher spectrum of T per month. My levels are checked per every 3 months and last check I was all good. But both my grandparents are partially bald up in the front so.. going to have to try and see if this stuff helps a bit. I already had thin hair before T and now it's looking a bit thinner than before it's kind of freaking me out lol
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Arch on July 05, 2014, 08:35:09 PM
I still haven't figured out the genetics of all of this. Some people think trans men have less chance of balding, and others claim that we have more balding due to the doubled X chromosome. I haven't seen a scholarly journal article on this. I wonder whether there is such an article yet. It might be a nice project for someone to undertake. (Too bad I'm a lit guy; I'm always coming up with ideas that look interesting for people in other fields. But who knows, maybe it's already been done.)
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Nero on July 05, 2014, 09:39:04 PM
If you look at cis guys, it's far more common for a guy to develop a receding hair line than not. 
Even at young ages. On the bright side, the vast majority of women do not have the same receding temple 'M' hairline, so it aids passability. It's just a reality of being male for most people. I'm not comfortable with it either - but then I didn't grow up resigned to it like most guys.
I'm using finasteride and monoxidil (though I'm not great with remembering to apply it). But really, some hair loss and receding is par for the course for men. Most have some.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Jill F on July 05, 2014, 09:53:42 PM
Aww, don't worry guys.  Pretty much everyone I know who is into guys would rather be with a cool guy that is losing his hair than a douchebag with a full head of it.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Arch on July 05, 2014, 09:59:49 PM
Quote from: Jill F on July 05, 2014, 09:53:42 PMAww, don't worry guys.  Pretty much everyone I know who is into guys would rather be with a cool guy that is losing his hair than a douchebag with a full head of it.

I suppose that's one consolation for some, but it doesn't work for me. I don't expect to be in a relationship again, and I'm not sure I will ever want to be. My concerns about my hair have nothing to do with whether anyone wants to mate with me. But I can definitely say that I looked better when I had more hair up front, and I expect to look less and less good as time goes by and more of my hair falls out.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: AJarrah on July 06, 2014, 01:00:59 AM
All good insight, thank you guys. I hope maybe its just the cut or something. I really wish I would've been taken regular pictures to look back on. I have some, but not a lot that really show my hair. Then some look normal, some look thinned. So I really can't tell. I know its definitely thinned some, but I'm hoping its not as much as I feel like.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: Arch on July 06, 2014, 02:41:30 AM
It might just be general thinning and receding. Keep an eye on it. Would it help to start taking pictures now to track any further, er, degeneration?
Title: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: whatever on July 06, 2014, 01:36:17 PM
Just to second what FA said; low dose Finasteride or Dusteride might be a good option and shouldn't interfere with T levels too much though your doctor is the best to know for sure.

They do come with adverse effects though that can effect libido, mood, liver function etc. so best to get expert advice.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: krogan on July 15, 2014, 07:45:38 PM
I've been on T for 4 years, I'm 25 and my hairline has receded further than I would like. I've got that curvy 'M' shape going on (you know, like Dracula...). Which I wouldn't mind except that the 'V' is now thinning and yeah... it bugs me. Can't gel it up cos then it's really noticeable so I just keep my hair fairly short and flat. If it gets much worse I'll just shave it off completely. I've got a nice shaped head (I've been told!) so I'm not too worried.  ;D

I'm not happy about it but I accepted that that might be the price for feeling happier overall. FYI, my grandfather had lost all of his hair by the age of 25 but my father is 62 and his hair has only started to noticeably recede/thin in the last ten years. And my cis ex is older than me but his hairline is further forward.
Title: Re: Hair loss at 2 years on T?
Post by: AJarrah on July 28, 2014, 06:39:40 AM
Found a solution to the thinning paranoia! Just ended up buzz cutting it. Now I've got it ridiculously short. Haven't really worried about it since. Out of sight, out of mind, right? xD