This isn't specifically about T but I have a question for those who are on T AND taking some form of hair loss treatment along with it. I am thinking if I do restart taking T I definitely want to protect myself however I can by taking something that treats hair loss. So I was told Minoxidil tablets by my dermatologist but my family doctor isn't familiar with the tablet form but rather Rogaine version.  Is there a difference in its effectiveness?  Which one would you recommend? Or is there anything better?

I knew a transguy who took finasteride and said it stopped the loss.

Quote from: Jill F on November 25, 2014, 07:57:14 PM
I knew a transguy who took finasteride and said it stopped the loss.

I got a script for Finasteride, but haven't filled it yet.  I asked my doc about guys saying that it will slow down facial hair growth.  She shrugged and said the receptors are different from the head, indicating that she thinks that is probably minimal, if anything.

For some reason, my doctor (at the gender clinic) only mentions Rogaine and doesn't mention the Finasteride as an option... Is there any way another doctor can prescribe this for me?  Also, can cis-women take this too?  I am asking because in my insurance they have me listed as "F" ...

Quote from: makipu on November 25, 2014, 08:06:53 PM
For some reason, my doctor (at the gender clinic) only mentions Rogaine and doesn't mention the Finasteride as an option... Is there any way another doctor can prescribe this for me?  Also, can cis-women take this too?  I am asking because in my insurance they have me listed as "F" ...

She told me I could get it out of pocket for $4 at Walmart.

Quote from: Brett on November 25, 2014, 08:03:19 PM
I got a script for Finasteride, but haven't filled it yet.  I asked my doc about guys saying that it will slow down facial hair growth.  She shrugged and said the receptors are different from the head, indicating that she thinks that is probably minimal, if anything.

Oh, if only...  Mine still grew like gangbusters on finasteride alone. 

Oh ok, I thought it was prescription only.  I will check Walmart. Thank you.
And the slowing down the facial hair growth is actually a BIG plus for me 

Quote from: makipu on November 25, 2014, 08:25:05 PM
Oh ok, I thought it was prescription only.  I will check Walmart. Thank you.
And the slowing down the facial hair growth is actually a BIG plus for me 

It is prescription only, I believe, but fairly inexpensive even when not covered by insurance. At least, that's the impression I'm getting.

I actually had some mild-but-distressing/noticeable hair loss in my teens pre-T, so I'm expecting to be a baldy. Heartbreaking, tbqh! Love my hair as it is now. I'm hoping to jump on the Finasteride bandwagon and preserve some of my headfuzz that way, although who friggin knows what'll help.

Quote from: Brett on November 25, 2014, 08:03:19 PM
I got a script for Finasteride, but haven't filled it yet.  I asked my doc about guys saying that it will slow down facial hair growth.  She shrugged and said the receptors are different from the head, indicating that she thinks that is probably minimal, if anything.

I don't know what the medication does, but i think the receptors are the same, they just respond differently. On the face DHT stimulates hair growth but on the scalp it promotes hair loss.

The finasteride is said to mess up your t levels, so I'm just going with the make pattern and dealing with it. I'd just go Rogaine if I did at all. If you read Hudson's site on hair, you'll see what I'm talking about.

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When I asked my doc about hair loss, she said it may be possible to minimize it by tweaking the T dosage: keeping it as low as possible, especially once you've had a reasonable amount of masculinization.

My T was in the normal reange after finasteride alone, but the DHT was down quite a bit.

DHT is said to be the culprit for hair loss.

Minoxidil lotion helps growing hair faster and recovers balding areas. However it doesn't prevent hair loss. As far as I'm concerned oral minoxidil is used for hypertension only.

Quote from: Brett on November 25, 2014, 08:03:19 PM
I got a script for Finasteride, but haven't filled it yet.  I asked my doc about guys saying that it will slow down facial hair growth.  She shrugged and said the receptors are different from the head, indicating that she thinks that is probably minimal, if anything.

I'm no expert, but everything reputable that I've read indicates that finasteride interferes with masculinization, period, because it interferes with the full action of your T. In short, F blocks DHT to a dramatic degree.

My experiences bear this out. After I stopped finasteride, my sex drive increased back to where it had been before, my orgasms went back to their former glory, my erections became firmer (still the same size, though, damnit), I started getting more body hair quite suddenly (and in new places), and my facial hair quickly started coming in with renewed vigor.

The funny thing is that I didn't think the finasteride was doing much to retard my masculinization process--until I stopped taking it and saw quick and dramatic changes in several different ways. I suppose it's possible that I reached critical mass all at once with the body and facial hair, but while I was on finasteride, I experienced a DIP in sex drive and all of that. I didn't notice at first because everyone told me that my sex drive would go down over time anyway. I thought that the decrease was "normal." Now I know that it isn't, at least not for me on this dosage of T.

Quote from: Arch on November 26, 2014, 03:33:49 PM
I'm no expert, but everything reputable that I've read indicates that finasteride interferes with masculinization, period, because it interferes with the full action of your T. In short, F blocks DHT to a dramatic degree.

My experiences bear this out. After I stopped finasteride, my sex drive increased back to where it had been before, my orgasms went back to their former glory, my erections became firmer (still the same size, though, damnit), I started getting more body hair quite suddenly (and in new places), and my facial hair quickly started coming in with renewed vigor.

The funny thing is that I didn't think the finasteride was doing much to retard my masculinization process--until I stopped taking it and saw quick and dramatic changes in several different ways. I suppose it's possible that I reached critical mass all at once with the body and facial hair, but while I was on finasteride, I experienced a DIP in sex drive and all of that. I didn't notice at first because everyone told me that my sex drive would go down over time anyway. I thought that the decrease was "normal." Now I know that it isn't, at least not for me on this dosage of T.

Arch, this is really great information.  I appreciate you taking the time to share it.  Knowing this, I think I will pause on taking the medication, for now.  Question though, couldn't one just increase their testosterone dosage to make up for the drug's interference of masculinization?

makipu, it is a prescription.  Walmart fills a short list of medications cheaply without insurance.  Evidently, this is on the list.

I had a friend who increased his dosage while he was taking finasteride. He was up to 125% of the so-called standard dose. I'm not sure whether it worked; he was losing huge amounts of hair very rapidly, and every guy is different. I also do not know the exact mechanism of finasteride--that is, exactly how it inhibits DHT. But if you raise your T dose to make up for the finasteride, won't you raise your DHT and thereby induce more hair loss? That's my thinking on it, anyway.

Topical hair loss treatments might be the way to go, but I know absolutely nothing about them except what my doctor told me: that Rogaine is toxic to cats. I wasn't going to risk it, and I didn't want the hassle of applying goop every day anyway.

I don't know whether hair transplants actually work over the long haul, but I've got that idea at the back of my mind in case I lose too much in front. My head is small and my skull is not well shaped. I need hair there! But I might have to just live with whatever comes my way.

I was early in transition when I went on finasteride, and I hadn't nearly achieved all of the changes I wanted. My beard was sparse and wispy, I wasn't sure whether my voice was stable (it wasn't), and I didn't have as much body hair as I wanted (especially on my arms and chest, but chest hair is so slow). I imagine that a man who is later in his transition might not mind any interference from finasteride. But I was truly shocked to realize how much my sex life had been affected. In short, I would rather go bald than go back on finasteride! However, I'm over fifty now, and baldness is typical for guys my age. Losing hair is very hard on young guys.

Quote from: Arch on November 27, 2014, 01:45:19 AM
I had a friend who increased his dosage while he was taking finasteride. He was up to 125% of the so-called standard dose. I'm not sure whether it worked; he was losing huge amounts of hair very rapidly, and every guy is different. I also do not know the exact mechanism of finasteride--that is, exactly how it inhibits DHT. But if you raise your T dose to make up for the finasteride, won't you raise your DHT and thereby induce more hair loss? That's my thinking on it, anyway.

<SNIP BY BRETT>

I was early in transition when I went on finasteride, and I hadn't nearly achieved all of the changes I wanted. My beard was sparse and wispy, I wasn't sure whether my voice was stable (it wasn't), and I didn't have as much body hair as I wanted (especially on my arms and chest, but chest hair is so slow). I imagine that a man who is later in his transition might not mind any interference from finasteride. But I was truly shocked to realize how much my sex life had been affected. In short, I would rather go bald than go back on finasteride! However, I'm over fifty now, and baldness is typical for guys my age. Losing hair is very hard on young guys.

It was my T provider who said we could just increase the T if I am not masculinizing enough.  To be honest with you, she doesn't seem really eager to get into discussion as much as I would like about the science of masculinization.  What you say makes sense.  Finasteride's purpose is to decrease DHT so that you don't lose the hair, but you need the DHT to masculinize.

I suppose the question is it just the DHT that masculinizes us (I don't think so?), or is there something else in the T that does it?

I don't know where to find the answer to the question, but maybe someone will post on this.  I can also do some research.  Thanks arimoose, for the reminder that Hudson's site speaks on hair.  I am not seeing the answer to my question there, but it gave me some other information I didn't have.

Arch, do you remember what month you were into your transition when you started it, and how long you took it?

I just started transitioning, and I already don't have thick hair to begin with.  I am 44 years old, so I know that male patterned hair loss is normal, I would just really like a  brief period of time looking really male before losing it.  ha!

Quote from: Brett on November 27, 2014, 10:39:43 AMArch, do you remember what month you were into your transition when you started it, and how long you took it?

I just started transitioning, and I already don't have thick hair to begin with.  I am 44 years old, so I know that male patterned hair loss is normal, I would just really like a  brief period of time looking really male before losing it.  ha!

I was actually pretty far along. I started finasteride when I was around sixteen months on T, right after my voice went into baritone range. The hair seemed to be falling out so fast; I had been thinking about finasteride for at least six months.

I didn't really think I'd stay on the hair loss meds forever; I just needed some time to get used to the idea of losing a lot of hair. So many things in my life had changed or were changing--my body, my relationship (breakup and divorce), my home (had to move out), my job (budget cuts=no work for Arch, panic city). Hair loss seemed like just one more horrible thing in my life.

I'm thinking of starting on finasteride soon too. But, I'm worried it'll keep my voice from getting lower. Does anyone know if it will prevent my voice from deepening, btw?

I expect that your vocal changes will simply take longer.