Hair problems

[Alice_ts]

Hy, i'm Alice - 24 years old, i've just started hormones treatment (estradiol and verospiron - to lower testosteron levels). I have some hair problems (in the last 2 or 3 years i've lost some hair from the front of the scalp - i think due to the fact that 3 years ago i've coloured my hair and i didn't treat it or cause of genetics). My question is: will estrogen treatment make my recently fallen hair grow back ?

Another question is if my cheeks will get "poofi" or rounder (due to the fact that i'm slim my face looks slim and you can see my bones - i hope that my cheek will look different so i won't have the skeleton looks) :)

Best wishes,
Alice

[Jennifer in CO]

hair grow back?....yes...and no.

its still genetics. You probably will stop most of the loss your having and you might grow some back, albeit probably pretty thin, but mine came back (maybe 10%) when I went back on 'mones. The thing to remember is if you quit taking them ('mones) any gain you had will fall on the floor almost immediately. Ok maybe not that fast but the brush will fill up in a hurry over the next month or so...

Jenn

[SirTrey]

Hi Alice,
I am transitioning the opposite way (ftm), but I have had hair issues...When I started on testosterone, I started losing hair at a pretty rapid rate (which is a risk that I knew I had when I started it)....I started using Rogaine topical solution as soon as it started and it has since stopped and I have re-grown a lot of what I was lost...It's more effective if you start it when you first start losing hair, but it can still work after you have already lost some....Might be worth a try in combination with your hormones, but once you start, you have to stay with it....and it doesn't work for everyone, but it definitely did for Me....They sell a generic 5% solution at WalMart sold under the "Equate" label and it's only $24.95 for a three month supply....small price to pay for having hair....since you are so young, might be worth thinking about....Once you start, you have to keep using it to get and keep the results, though....Anyway, hope that helps...Good Luck....**Trey**

[Karen564]

To help with stopping or reducing hair loss, you will need to add an other component to your HRT.
You need to add an Finasteride Or Dutastereride to the mix, which opposes the formation of DHT ( Dihyrotestosterone) but not Testosterone by itself, so this will boost the testosterone blocking drug your using if your just using Spiro as an antiandrogen.

All these are common brands to treat hair loss and as an added bonus also more effectively decreases the testosterone levels when used with Spirotone.


Some common Finasteride brand names, Proscar, Finpecia, Fincar.

& Common Dutastereride brand names are Avodart & Dutas(generic to Avodart).

I'm on Dutas just because it's much cheaper than Avodart.

Karen

[Kimberley]

Genetics do have a lot to do with hair loss/growth. I believe Androcur in the HRT regimen can sometimes help with hair growth/regrowth but not always. My G/F had to have hair transplants in the end because not even the Androcur helped her. Regardless Karen has given you the generic names that will help. See your Endo.

As to hormones and appearances, it will likely shift your body fat toward your chest and hips and away from your midsection. You still need to watch your diet though because you can definitely put on weight you shouldnt.

[Melissa A.]

Welcome, Alice!

The prevailing sentiment here, that it's different for everyone, is right on. You will have to wait and see. One thing hormones will do is stop any further hair loss. I asked my doctor about adding Finasteride, and she told me, in her experience, Spiro alone does just as well. But she could be wrong. that's something you could try. Couldnt hurt. I have had the very same thinning pattern you have, the front horseshoe type. One thing I started doing a few months before I started HRT was using minoxidil(rogaine, among others) every day on it. I know they say minoxidil usually isnt supposed to work in the front, but I said to heck with it, and did it anyway. And it started working a bit after a few months. Since I started HRT(been about 4 months), it has really been filling in well. Not quite ready for public consumption yet(still a wig-wearer, for now. UGH!) but it's definitely getting there. I don't know if it's just the spiro and estro, or if the minoxidil helped boost it a bit, or not. But it's working. Yay! All ya can do is try different stuff, not give up, and hope. results vary for everyone.

Hugs,

Melissa:)

[Karen564]

It is all in the genetics, that is absolutely true, But that can be altered.

So I'll say it again,
Testosterone & DHT is what triggers the hair loss if it is in your genes, and that you CAN alter the genetics of male pattern baldness by stopping the formation of DHT in your system.

So, get rid of ALL the Testosterone, and you will stop the hair loss.

Estrogen alone will Not stop it,

Some older woman get the same condition and it's caused from an imbalance in their hormone levels, by a raised Testosterone level and lower Estrogen level, that's when the male pattern genetics takes over.

For the FTM, the Testosterone will cause body hair to grow, but by the same token can also cause male pattern baldness if that is in her genetic makeup to begin with.

Karen