ria_ts
01-03-2009, 12:53 AM
Hi,
I am new on this site. I am also quite new to transitioning.
I knew when I was about 3 years old that something was not the same about me that other people seemed to take for granted. Things did not make much sense. It took me several years to get to the point of self-acceptance. However, by that time, I lost most of my hair. My hair loss began when I was about 14 years old. I am the only one in my entire family to be going bald. Even my grandparents who died in their 90s had a full head of (white) hair. My mom was worried for me and she got me every possible medicine. I was finally depressed about my hair loss when I got rejected by my first ever date when I was 22. I went to hair doctors, but even they rejected me and they told me that I was not the right candidate for hair transplant because my donor site on the back of my head was also losing hair. Rejections from everywhere devastated me. By 24, I was on the Norwood scale of 5 for male-pattern baldness (I am 31 now). That was the first time someone suggested minoxidil as a safe option. Until then people were scaring me saying that because my blood pressure is very low already, minoxidil could kill me. Anyway, minoxidil never really worked for me to grow any new hair.
I had also never gone out as a girl until 2006. I had a very serious disability that year and it was the point of reflection for me. I was afraid of going out as a girl because I have a dark beard shadow even after the closest shave. I signed up for a transformation session far away from my home. The makeup artist showed me how to do makeup. She introduced me to proper wigs, not the costume kind that I used to buy online. She said that I looked gorgeous and totally passable. She took me out. I was not convinced. I could see the guy in the mirror. I decided that I would never go out as a girl again. However, I took the risk a few days later and went out again when I was visiting another town. Nobody said anything against me. I met a few people over several months and visited nightclubs. Everyone seemed to tell me that I looked gorgeous. It was going to my head. However, I knew deep inside that my whole appearance was a fiction. It did not reflect my natural self. At the same time, I was taking more risks in going out to more places and meeting more people. The more risk I took, the more I got read as a guy. I was confused for several months, because some people said that I looked great and perfectly passable and yet other people read me within seconds and treated me as a guy in female attire. I was horribly depressed because I did not know what was going on. I was also horribly depressed because the fictional female character I was becoming was probably the only part of my life that was going well, and now that part had also stopped going well. The moment I took off my wig, I looked like an old bald guy, suddenly in the wrong clothes for a guy and looking very ugly.
I started attending therapy sessions. I also started to attend some support meetings. I finally reached a point of self-acceptance. I decided that transition was the right thing for me. I do not know if I will go all the way, but I know I want to go at least some way along the path of transition.
I started taking finasteride 1mg in July because I did not need therapy to start on that one. In November, I started spironolactone. Just 3 weeks ago, I started on estrogen.
A few fine hair began growing in my bald spots at the end of November. I believe it is the effect of 5 months of using finasteride. However, I wish the spironolactone and estrogen would also have a positive effect on my hair. The fine hair are still very fine and tiny now, even after a month on more anti-androgens. I am getting a bit worried now. I may be getting too impatient. However, I need to know what to expect regarding hair loss.
Did you grow new hair or did you see your hair thicken during HRT? How long did it take for you to see the changes. If you had a bald area to begin, how long did it take on HRT to grow a healthy head of hair.
I am new on this site. I am also quite new to transitioning.
I knew when I was about 3 years old that something was not the same about me that other people seemed to take for granted. Things did not make much sense. It took me several years to get to the point of self-acceptance. However, by that time, I lost most of my hair. My hair loss began when I was about 14 years old. I am the only one in my entire family to be going bald. Even my grandparents who died in their 90s had a full head of (white) hair. My mom was worried for me and she got me every possible medicine. I was finally depressed about my hair loss when I got rejected by my first ever date when I was 22. I went to hair doctors, but even they rejected me and they told me that I was not the right candidate for hair transplant because my donor site on the back of my head was also losing hair. Rejections from everywhere devastated me. By 24, I was on the Norwood scale of 5 for male-pattern baldness (I am 31 now). That was the first time someone suggested minoxidil as a safe option. Until then people were scaring me saying that because my blood pressure is very low already, minoxidil could kill me. Anyway, minoxidil never really worked for me to grow any new hair.
I had also never gone out as a girl until 2006. I had a very serious disability that year and it was the point of reflection for me. I was afraid of going out as a girl because I have a dark beard shadow even after the closest shave. I signed up for a transformation session far away from my home. The makeup artist showed me how to do makeup. She introduced me to proper wigs, not the costume kind that I used to buy online. She said that I looked gorgeous and totally passable. She took me out. I was not convinced. I could see the guy in the mirror. I decided that I would never go out as a girl again. However, I took the risk a few days later and went out again when I was visiting another town. Nobody said anything against me. I met a few people over several months and visited nightclubs. Everyone seemed to tell me that I looked gorgeous. It was going to my head. However, I knew deep inside that my whole appearance was a fiction. It did not reflect my natural self. At the same time, I was taking more risks in going out to more places and meeting more people. The more risk I took, the more I got read as a guy. I was confused for several months, because some people said that I looked great and perfectly passable and yet other people read me within seconds and treated me as a guy in female attire. I was horribly depressed because I did not know what was going on. I was also horribly depressed because the fictional female character I was becoming was probably the only part of my life that was going well, and now that part had also stopped going well. The moment I took off my wig, I looked like an old bald guy, suddenly in the wrong clothes for a guy and looking very ugly.
I started attending therapy sessions. I also started to attend some support meetings. I finally reached a point of self-acceptance. I decided that transition was the right thing for me. I do not know if I will go all the way, but I know I want to go at least some way along the path of transition.
I started taking finasteride 1mg in July because I did not need therapy to start on that one. In November, I started spironolactone. Just 3 weeks ago, I started on estrogen.
A few fine hair began growing in my bald spots at the end of November. I believe it is the effect of 5 months of using finasteride. However, I wish the spironolactone and estrogen would also have a positive effect on my hair. The fine hair are still very fine and tiny now, even after a month on more anti-androgens. I am getting a bit worried now. I may be getting too impatient. However, I need to know what to expect regarding hair loss.
Did you grow new hair or did you see your hair thicken during HRT? How long did it take for you to see the changes. If you had a bald area to begin, how long did it take on HRT to grow a healthy head of hair.