Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Female to male transsexual talk (FTM) => Topic started by: Henri on February 10, 2011, 07:24:23 PM

Title: An inquiry about T and hair loss
Post by: Henri on February 10, 2011, 07:24:23 PM
I'm fairly sure there's been a thread regarding hair loss while on T before, but I can't find it and I don't think it was the same exact sort of question I wanna ask anyway. Anyways, here's the question:

I have read about the fact that there is a chance of premature balding when on T. Does anyone know the chances of that, and/or has anyone on this board experienced excessive hair loss (beyond the normal reduction to a masculine hair line)? Also, I'm really curious to know what the cause of that is, why trans guys taking T have that risk. Is it due to the amount of T taken? Or something completely different?
Crap I had another question. Ahh what was it... OH. Okay. So I also read that there are drugs that you can take to prevent this hair loss by inhibiting DHT production in hair follicles. Names I've seen are Finasteride, Dutasteride, and Rogaine. Other than the names and what they do in general, I have no idea which works better/which to stay away from/etc. I know these drugs can prevent the emergence of other male traits that you'd obviously want to gain by taking T. My idea was that the total complete baldness, if it were to happen, would only start to happen after a few years, once all the major T-related changes occurred. And that would be the ideal time to take any sort of hair-preserving drug if it was needed. Am I right, or is there something I am missing?

For the record, I have no problem experiencing balding when I am older! It would just be rather unfortunate if in my 20s I had a giant bald patch on the top of my head. Although if it came to that, I'd definitely be able to deal with it in a hardcore sort of way, ha ha.

Thanks for taking the time!
-Henry
Title: Re: An inquiry about T and hair loss
Post by: Wraith on February 10, 2011, 08:26:32 PM
Yeah it's been answered many times that we can inherit baldness from both sides of the family, but what about the risk of baldness even if no one in your entire family tree has signs of baldness whatsoever (none of my relatives go bald)? Why do we risk it anyway?
And, if we don't have the balding gene in the family, can using DHT cream for genital growth cause baldness anyway?
So I second the question about how the ammount of DHT affect this.
Title: Re: An inquiry about T and hair loss
Post by: Lachlann on February 10, 2011, 08:36:07 PM
Quote from: Wraith on February 10, 2011, 08:26:32 PM
Yeah it's been answered many times that we can inherit baldness from both sides of the family, but what about the risk of baldness even if no one in your entire family tree has signs of baldness whatsoever (none of my relatives go bald)? Why do we risk it anyway?

Because there are a variety of things that can make you go bald, apparently. It's not fully understood by the medical field.