Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: tonia on October 21, 2009, 02:54:49 PM

Title: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: tonia on October 21, 2009, 02:54:49 PM
Hello,
I wonder if estrogens change head hair like womans hair. I've had long hair in the past before hormones and I realized that mens' hair are much different than womens' even if they are short. I do no know how to describe the difference but womens' hair are much softer and more flexible and they curl is much better than mens. Did you experience any changes? Did they also start to grow faster? Does those changes appear only in new growing hair or also in existing hair?
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: Autumn on October 21, 2009, 03:20:17 PM
That's because women actually condition their hair and take care of it instead of using AXE 3 in one body, face, hair wash.

People here talk about how their hair/nails turn to crap after hormones.
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: shanetastic on October 21, 2009, 03:34:41 PM
lol i got a laugh out of the 3 in 1 thing.

I can't believe people would actually use that lololol
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: Naturally Blonde on October 21, 2009, 07:31:19 PM
Quote from: mantonis on October 21, 2009, 02:54:49 PM
Hello,
I wonder if estrogens change head hair like womans hair. I've had long hair in the past before hormones and I realized that mens' hair are much different than womens' even if they are short. I do no know how to describe the difference but womens' hair are much softer and more flexible and they curl is much better than mens. Did you experience any changes? Did they also start to grow faster? Does those changes appear only in new growing hair or also in existing hair?

Yes, my hair got finer on HRT.
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: tonia on October 22, 2009, 01:29:21 AM
I do not use AXE and generally mens' products! When I had long hair I did use, hair masks, conditioners, hair dryer, all the time but my hair was still less flexible, soft and fine than womans' hair. I also have really messy curl like some paint artists...Susans' wiki about hormones says that hormones change head hair in curl and softness like woman's....
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: Autumn on October 22, 2009, 01:37:39 AM
Women have been jealous of the softness of my hair for years, and people of both sexes have enjoyed petting it for a while now. Hair dryers and pulling it back will mess up your hair. The 'roughness' comes not just from your hair texture but also if you have different lengths and split ends and such.

I'll see if I notice any difference in time, but it'll take a long time. How long did it take you before you noticed it?

And it should not really affect your existing hair - it's already dead. All that affects that is the amount of sebum you're producing from your scalp, and protein treatments, oil treatments, etc. Using the right products is really important.

My nails seem more mucked up after HRT (and I have nails like a goddess), but it may be due to the ->-bleeped-<-ty manicure I had a couple of months ago and the acetone I used to remove it. Always avoid that stuff.
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: tonia on October 22, 2009, 03:01:30 AM
Do they really grow faster on HRT? I'm on T blockers for around 3 months and comparing photos taken a month ago head hair seem that to grow faster than before. I red somewhere that even T blockers (I take androcur) can make your head hair grow faster. I'm on castration levels, I did monitor my Testo via blood tests. I will start estrogen in about two weeks.

I also find that hair body grows slower and in some areas it does not come back at all (after epilation). I was used to tweeze my hair around my nipples and navel and the last time that I did, was on T blockers, they did not come back, at least the 90% percent were gone...
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: CharleneT on October 22, 2009, 04:11:31 PM
"HRT" includes a bunch of different drugs, some of which will change your head hair.  The DHT blockers in particular, they also affect body hair -- just not really facial hair (drat).

Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: Naturally Blonde on October 22, 2009, 05:03:03 PM
Quote from: mantonis on October 22, 2009, 01:29:21 AM
I do not use AXE and generally mens' products! When I had long hair I did use, hair masks, conditioners, hair dryer, all the time but my hair was still less flexible, soft and fine than womans' hair. I also have really messy curl like some paint artists...Susans' wiki about hormones says that hormones change head hair in curl and softness like woman's....

That's a weird point of view regarding hair curling. Since being on HRT for 10 years my hair has become quite straight. Before HRT I had curly hair.

From my own point of view the less products you use on your hair the better it is. In the past before transition I used get conned into buying expensive products from various hairdressers which made my hair unmanagable and in poor condition. I now use shampoo's which are not expensive and leave my hair fresh and easy to manage and clear from chemicals.
Title: Re: Does HRT change head hair?
Post by: Myself on October 23, 2009, 02:10:23 AM
Many women have straight hair, it's not a gender think, I think, maybe a bit of hormonal.

Everyone always asks me if I put something on my nails when I don't, my nails are pinkish and shine naturally.
That's because of my calcium level being high, nutrition can do a lot to your hairs and nails.

Calcium will make your nails glow (but it will take a while for them to rebuild) and about hair, I am really not sure, eat healthy, probably not too much fat and protein (proteins are actually the most poisonous nutrition to your body from the fat/carb/protein generalization) , limit fat to non-saturated and balance it with carbs (less simple, more processed)

other than that, shampoo and condition with products that fit your hair, but not daily, every other day or sometimes every third day.
Over shampooing/conditioning can do more harm than good.

I find straight hair is more common than curly hair and most people with curly hair want straight hair because it can look like a mess.
Personally I like curly hair much more and if you handle it well, you will have great looking hair :)