Rookie question

[Wichita]

So one of my main concerns through this wonderful journey I’ve begun is my hair... I’m not bald or anything, but the clouds are parting a little, so to speak.  It was to the point that, before admitting my truth to myself, I’d just tell the barber to buzz me with a “1 guard.”
 

Do hormones help with this? Are they able to do it alone in light cases or do I need to be thinking about a supplemental option?

[Jackie C.]

They can help with thinning... a little. In general though, once it's gone it's gone.

 

Hugs!

[Wichita]

3 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

They can help with thinning... a little. In general though, once it's gone it's gone.

 

Hugs!

So what’s left? Rogaine? Hair plugs?

[DeeDee]

Wigs or if you are brave then au naturel wichita! The hair is already gone. This was a big deal when I started wondering what I would do as I have been bald since I turned 17, but think of the fun you you can have changing hair syles, colours or length! They can be a great fashion accessory  ?‍??‍♀️?‍??‍??‍??

[Astrid]

I've personally known only one MtF girl (early 40s) who has had success growing back a meaningful amount of hair after a year on HRT plus one prescription plus one over-the-counter option, and even then, it didn't address the receding hairline along the front.  So I wouldn't count on much happening up on top. As DeeDee says, wigs are certainly a way to go. As long as we're social distancing, it's not going to be possible to consult personally with an experienced wig consultant (a lot better than trying your chances over the Internet), but hopefully that will be possible again, down the road.

 

Best wishes!

 

Astrid

[Maid In Bedlam]

I can say. If you are lucky. You will get some growth back. It all depends on your genetic makeup I suppose. I'm not an expert.
I did do a thread about it once that I was going to put results in. But it was archived before I had a chance to do so.

These things take time.

The picture below is the results after around 4 years of E in patch form. I have had slightly more growth than I had when the picture was taken. perhaps about a year ago.  It's not much but it does prove that hair regrowth is possible. I wouldnt say it is ever going to be the flowing locks of my youth but its better than nothing

What you see was hairless pre hormones. You can clearly make out its shape. So whatever you read that says Hormones do not give hair regrowth is in essence not true. But the circumstances as stated above do make a difference.

 

[Wichita]

21 hours ago, DeeDee said:

Wigs or if you are brave then au naturel wichita! The hair is already gone. This was a big deal when I started wondering what I would do as I have been bald since I turned 17, but think of the fun you you can have changing hair syles, colours or length! They can be a great fashion accessory  ?‍??‍♀️?‍??‍??‍??

Well I don’t know I’m there quite yet. Obviously when I switch how I present in public, my hair likely won’t yet be super long and a wig might be required. But once my own hair is long enough, I’d like to be able to ditch the wig.

 

I’m hopeful that even a tiny bit of regrowth can do sufficient for me. Aside from buzzing my hair down to a 1 guard, when I let it go it’s mostly all there....just a bit of thinning right in the front/middle area. 
 

It’s thin enough to notice, but not thin enough to be “bald,” not even close. Seriously...I didn’t even really notice it until one day waaaaay back in 2016. I had to go to an HR appointment that ultimately led to my retaliation termination. I hadn’t done anything with my hair in a long while, being a night shift person with no employee access. So I got ready for the HR appointment in regular business casual clothes, ran some mousse through my hair (it still remembered the shape it had when I used to fuss with it every day), and that’s when I had to kinda squint and wonder “Is it me or is it thinning up there?”

 

Of course that was confirmed when I later got a haircut and asked the barber. 
 

In my case, though, I don’t think it’s male-pattern baldness. They say you get your hair from your mother’s side of the family and all the men on her side had full heads of hair. It’s just that I was in a severe downward stress, anxiety, depression spiral and it was affecting me physically. It’s a spiral that would last until, well, two weeks ago when I finally admitted this truth to myself. From the time of my initial noticing of the thinning to now, I don’t appear to have lost any more.

 

I’m going to try and force myself to be patient and see what hormones do/don’t do and then see what my options are after that. 
 

Note my use of the word “try” in regards to patience. I suspect I’ll need lots of patience, having just begun this journey. Patience has been kind of a hit-and-miss prospect for me up to now.

[Wichita]

17 hours ago, Maid In Bedlam said:

I can say. If you are lucky. You will get some growth back. It all depends on your genetic makeup I suppose. I'm not an expert.
I did do a thread about it once that I was going to put results in. But it was archived before I had a chance to do so.

These things take time.

The picture below is the results after around 4 years of E in patch form. I have had slightly more growth than I had when the picture was taken. perhaps about a year ago.  It's not much but it does prove that hair regrowth is possible. I wouldnt say it is ever going to be the flowing locks of my youth but its better than nothing

What you see was hairless pre hormones. You can clearly make out its shape. So whatever you read that says Hormones do not give hair regrowth is in essence not true. But the circumstances as stated above do make a difference.

 

And this gives me the hope I spoke about. Thank you! The area you refer to as previously hairless, yet now showing hair is still thinner than what mine has become (though it’s close). It appears you and I are probably in a similar boat. I just look at that as further “evidence” you and I are on the right path. Congrats on your regrowth.  That makes me happy.
 

I mean...hair regrowth after getting put on the correct hormones? That’s a pretty telling sign for me of what we really are/were meant to be. Right? 

[Maid In Bedlam]

21 hours ago, Wichita said:

 Congrats on your regrowth.  That makes me happy.

I mean...hair regrowth after getting put on the correct hormones? That’s a pretty telling sign for me of what we really are/were meant to be. Right? 

 

Thank you. It made me happy to when it started to show growth where there was hair desert.

 

However dont be under any illusions. That took about 4 years of E to get that regrowth. It was just E and not any of those treatments you can buy. As I say. Theres a little more there now. Its still not and doubt it will ever be back to full coverage. But If you set your goal low then whatever you get. If any is a bonus. I never expected it. But as i said above. I have heard there is no regrowth expected. I think for some that theory may not be so set in stone

[Wichita]

29 minutes ago, Maid In Bedlam said:

 

Thank you. It made me happy to when it started to show growth where there was hair desert.

 

However dont be under any illusions. That took about 4 years of E to get that regrowth. It was just E and not any of those treatments you can buy. As I say. Theres a little more there now. Its still not and doubt it will ever be back to full coverage. But If you set your goal low then whatever you get. If any is a bonus. I never expected it. But as i said above. I have heard there is no regrowth expected. I think for some that theory may not be so set in stone

 

I'm definitely tempering my expectations, or trying to. I'm aware, too, that I'm kinda putting the cart before the horse a bit since I haven't started hormones yet. I haven't even gotten a call back from the transition counselor yet. But it's only been 3 business days since my file was updated by the LGBT coordinator. 

 

Still...I can feel the Varuca from Willy Wonka mentality already...

 

"I want it now...I want the whole thing..."