Hair Replacement

[dreamer_2.0]

There's been a lot of talk about hair removal but I haven't found much regarding hair replacement for your head. Not on this site at least.

Do any of you have some experience here or have wigs become part of yor daily life?

I'd love to hear about any experience with hair replacement and/or wigs. Advice, funny stories, cost, anything.

My hair has been thinning for a while and while I'm not completely bald up top I would need a fair bit of work. Based on preliminary research, I'm guess-timating about $9000 worth. God I hope I'm wrong there. Haha

To those of you who were blessed with thick hair, congrats, but know I am indeed shaking a virtual fist at you. :P

[Michelle.M]

Many of us are in the same boat. When I went full-time I went to a plastic surgeon who specializes in hair replacement, specifically Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE). That's where the hair that is harvested from your own head is taken in small diameter bunches instead of a strip, so there's not that long scar running along the back of your head.

I liked what he had to say, and the price was about $10K. I opted not to go for it for a couple of reasons. First, I didn't have $10K nor did I want to invest that in a surgical procedure that I didn't want as badly as I wanted a boob job or electrolysis. Second, being a surgical procedure there was a good chance of success, but not 100%. Still worth considering but I couldn't see into the future. I have seen plenty of genetic women who have thinning hair that is apparently not caused by male pattern balding. What if my body, later in life, decided to shed all of that transplanted hair due to simple aging processes or whatever had claimed these women's hair?

So I wanted something that was 1) not a wig 2) natural looking 3) guaranteed successful 4) more economical and 5) guaranteed to last beyond unforeseen medical conditions.

I decided on a hair system, and I have been very pleased with it. It's custom made from human hair, looks great, it's comfortable (not hot like a wig), I style it and wash it and it's held on with adhesive strips. Not cheap, but I got 2 systems for half the price of the FUE.

Check out the videos. Look at the one of Lauren. She was the stylist who fit my system to my noggin and she really does look exactly as she appears in the video.

http://farrellhair.com/media-library

[StephanieC]

I was always afraid to add anything. I tried a wig many years ago to see how long hair would make a difference. After that, I just tried to make do with my own hair.

The downside to doing this, is you have no mask to hide behind.

[Michelle.M]

The downside to doing this, is you have no mask to hide behind.

I don't understand what you mean by that.

[melissaK]

I did wigs 20 years ago and was not happy. Hot. Takes a lot of skill (practice) to get right. Then the good wigs cost a goodly sum of money and they do of course wear out.

This January I wanted out of my male closet and I need hair.

So I went to 2 hair transplant docs, each using a different system of transplanting, and both said they could rebuild my hair line and fill thinned crown areas for $15-20,000.00. BUT both said other hair on my head could still recede leaving only the transplants (transplanted hair doesn't fall out from male pattern balding as they are taken from hair lower on your head). They both said try Proppeccia and Rogaine to see if it stopped my hair loss. If it did, I would be happy with transplants long term. If I didn't respond to either drug I'd likely have long term dissatisfaction as male pattern baldness would continue.

Transgender MTF HRT doesn't seem to stop male pattern baldness dead in its tracks for everyone, though it helps some a great deal. This puzzles me, because if you have an orchietomy and have a huge reduction in testosterone you'd think it would eliminate the problem, but apparently male pattern baldness runs off some other androgens that your body stil makes. This area of endocrinology has me puzzled so citation by others to a reference material would be appreciated.

So, I am 3 months into the recommended 4-6 month trials of Rogaine and Propeccia, and I don't notice new hair, and I'm not sure thinning has been arrested.

So, in a few months I may well be following Michelle.M's advice about a hair system.

;-)

[StephanieC]

Michelle, one advantage of a wig is to have a completely different look. My hair is the same, regardless of mode...although the styling varies.

[Michelle.M]

Michelle, one advantage of a wig is to have a completely different look.

Oh. I wouldn't consider that a mask, just variety.

The hair system I referred to come 2 to a system. Many, perhaps most of those who buy the hair system style both of them the same way to maintain a consistent appearance, and that makes perfect sense if you're stealth or if you just don't want anyone to know that you've got hair issues. In my case, I value variety over discretion (I don't mind if people know I made a choice to deal with my hair issues) so I have a different style for each one.

[dreamer_2.0]

I figured the "mask" would be no longer being able to keep the male and female sides completely separate as you have no wig to hide behind.

[Rianna Humble]

Dreamer_girl, we should be discussing transsexuals here, why would they want to keep male and female? If we are talking about gender non-conforming males, then this is definitely in the wrong section.

[dreamer_2.0]

That was merely my interpretation of a previous comment. The OP still stands as an inqury towards TS individuals for hair replacement experience.

[melissaK]

Dreamer_girl, we should be discussing transsexuals here, why would they want to keep male and female? If we are talking about gender non-conforming males, then this is definitely in the wrong section.

Well, it's a nomenclature dispute, but you can be transsexual without eradicating all guy traces. Sometimes it's situational, sometimes its choice, but you can do part of medical transition and "not mind" keeping some guy traits.

Or maybe you are just a "girl" who wants her hair short!!

[Rianna Humble]

Melissa, WPATH makes a difference between treating Gender Dysphoria in gender-non-conforming patients (i.e. those who want to remain male but sometimes express female or vice versa) and Transsexuals.

Your description fits the first category, not the second.

[nikkid]

Hair replacement surgery is a GREAT option for a guy with thinning hair who doesn't want to be bald..HOWEVER it may Not be a good option for a guy who wants to be able to have a truly feminine look... For a guy who wants to live in both worlds it is NOT THE ANSWER to look like a woman on occasion. the female hairline is fuller, lower, and is shaped differently. The best option is a Hair System which allows you to be an occasional female and male as desired (or needed).... For a guy with thinning hair that wants to retain as much as possible with a possibility of some re-growth (and NOT wanting surgery) then a COMBINATION THERAPY is best: some hair restorative medication, and Capillus Low Level Laser System will give best results and takes ~ 12 months to see full results. HOWEVER this will NOT give you a feminine density or hairline shape. For those who want to go that EXTRA mile orchiectomy or Rx Spironolactone along with female hormone therapy is the way to go. This will arrest loss in most "girls" and restore hair in some. Still may require Hair System for best results. A word of WARNING: Many EXCELLENT TG Surgeons are NOT good Hair Replacement Surgeons. Many perform Hairline Advancement which is a TERRIBLE option. Can just leave you with a very low THINNING Hairline which actually brings more attention to your hair loss and makes it difficult to correct with wig or system later.