Hello ladies,

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I love the board because it gives me a place to talk to so many smart, and experienced ladies just like myself who are dealing with or have dealt with the same issues.  It's such a lifesaver and outlet during this difficult process of transitioning!

MY QUESTION is:
regarding hair loss - more specifically the use of ROGAINE....I was on propecia (started @ 21 years old)for a year before beginning HRT because I noticed thinning along my hairline and temples.  I have now been on HRT for 2 months but not noticed much difference in my hair.  In fact it still seems to be thinning and the thinning has started in my crown, which was not a problem 6 months or a year ago - so it has seemed to progress.
Now I'm on a POWERFUL t-blocker as well as Avodart so I know in a couple of months this balding issue should NOT be a big issue if any because my testosterone levels will be castrate leveled and DHT will be blocked by Avodart - BUT that doesn't assure 100% that I will not have any more hair loss.

SO at this point, while I wait several more months for the HRT to work, I don't want to loose ANYMORE hair.  I have heard people have great success with ROGAINE, esp. in the crown, as it's not as beneficial in the temple region.  BUT I'm hesitant to start b/c once you start it, it claims you have to use it forever.

I want to just wait on HRT and see if it takes care of my thinning/balding but then again I don't want to be 6 months down the road, loosing hair and wished I had started ROGAINE......

AS you can tell - I don't know what to do!!!!! Can you ladies please help a young girl out!?!?!?!?

Thanks darlings!

XOXO

Well as a hum more mature lady (51).  I have used Rogane in the past.  I stopped for a bit  for 3-5 months after starting HRT, but some of the hair I gained started dropping out.  I went back to rogane for women and it's working lovely.  It did bring some temple growth too.  but like everything else your mileage may vary. 

Beni

It wouldn't hurt to try it. I had considered it but the hormones kicked in and the hair in the crown became thick. It wouldn't hurt to try it. It is pretty inexpensive (Costco has their store brand for less than $20 for three months, if I recall) so it is worth a try.

Rogaine foam, DHT blocker such as a finisteride or dutasteride (ie...Finisterides, Propecia or Proscar or Fincar or the Dutasterides, Dutas or Advodart) and after a few months add Retin-A. If you are still losing hair after all of that and being on a T blocker such as spiro with your HRT regimine, well you are going to be looking at hair transplants or weaves/wigs. Sorry but thats about all you can do.

There may be one more thing you can do, and that is to take progesterone. Think about pregnant women who's estrogen and progesterone levels are maxed during the 9 months. Their skin and hair looks absolutley beautiful. Hair becomes much thicker and fuller and after she gives birth, usually within three months, levels of hormones drop and hair begins falling out and their skin no longer shimmers and twinkles in the sunlight. That is my theory on the matter and there are some websites that balk at that and some that support it. All you can do is try. 

HRT does make hair shafts thinner......it doesn't decrease the hair folicles in any way but the actual hairs become thinner. I noticed prior to HRT my hair was a different texture and appeared much thicker. 

Lori has given some good advice in the previous post..

There will be a new article on baldness treatments available in our Wiki very soon.  Watch for the announcement.

Steph

Ok yes I will look foward to that on WIKIPEDIA - please let us know ASAP.....

I do want to try ROGAINE, it's just that I'm hesitant, being 23, and just starting hormones 2 months ago - I sort of want to wait and see if my hair grows back any from the HRT - if I start ROGAINE now - how will I know in 8 - 9 months, if I have regrowth, whether its from HRT or ROGAINE or both....I have heard ROGAINE is a life commitment, one which I don't want to start unless i HAVE to....
unfortunately the downside to waiting 6 or 8 more months to see if I get regrowth JUST on HRT, is that I could shed more hair during that time that I could have prevented from falling out had I started ROGAINE today....

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! These issues seem small and vain but they have such a MAJOR impact on your passabilty and confidence down the road....

What do you girls think I should do??

Quote from: mclova84 on October 17, 2007, 12:17:53 AM

I do want to try ROGAINE, it's just that I'm hesitant, being 23, and just starting hormones 2 months ago - I sort of want to wait and see if my hair grows back any from the HRT

My hair thickened a little in the crown, but I didn't start hrt until I was 55.  One thing that I did that seemed to help before using rogaine,  was to dissolve a small amount of spiro in an ounce of hair conditioner, and massaged it in at night before bedtime.  Now that I use rogaine, I'm thinking of dissolving a tiny amount of spiro in it.  Rogaine with an androgen blocker 

Bev

I have not taken any alopecia medications. I'm in my late 40s. I'd naturally suffered loss of some receding hair already (damn you, testosterone). But a couple years ago I was on a sort of chemotherapy which aggravated my hair loss and then I really didn't look so good. I've been tying scarves up there ever since. Every time I go out. Stylishly, of course.

When I finally got on HRT, it arrested any further hair loss, but has not replaced what I'd previously lost. I started using progesterone a couple months ago, but I have not noticed any difference in hair growth. My problem was all frontal receding, and I didn't have any crown hair issues, and I'm given to understand there are different factors involved with frontal hair than with crown hair.