Exploring The Hormonal Route. Hair=life.

[JaneyElizabeth]

It helped me a lot, just caused extreme depression too.

Okay then. Show, Almas two people under 20 benefiting from finasteride

 

[Almas]

It helped me a lot, just caused extreme depression too.

Are you saying that orchiectomy, HRT and Bicalutamide did not help you, but Finasteride did? lol

 

[Almas]

Okay then. Show, Almas two people under 20 benefiting from finasteride

The likelihood of curing stage 4 cancer is higher than curing early baldness with Finasteride. Finasteride should be considered only as an adjuvant, but by itself it does not work in young people.

 

[franzliszt]

So this is a thread from an acquaintance of mine with great all around knowledge of HRT. I am not thrilled by this because she was using parenteral estradiol and now blames it for several blood clots. The thinking has been that mostly pills cause clotting issues and liver issues but she also was maintaining pregnancy levels of estradiol for six years. I reach a year in June some time.

@bridgeburn was also taking a fair amount of synthetic stuff and maybe somebody can estimate his E2 levels but my guess is always above 300 pg/ml and often much closer to 1,000 pg/ml. He did not test which could further increase the risk. I am going to test tomorrow and I am curious to see what I hit because I ran out of estradiol for a couple of days this week and then my PA asked me to test before renewing my patches which have worked so great with the estrogel. I am out of Estrogel for the first time in a year and I am debating whether to buy ten more tubs, lol, I need tubs, but tubes rather, but cha-ching at some point. I have spent scandalous amounts on Estrogel and that's at the one third of the price off-shore prices.

Because I can always get more Estrogel, cutting me off from patches does little but I don't want to take on more risk than necessary to reach my goals. On the other hand, because hair restoration often seems to be dependent on reaching thresholds, I was tired of slow titration for five years that hadn't gone very far. Since then Zoom! Two patches plus 1.25 Premarin plus unlimited Estrogel plus 12.5mg daily of oral min and Zoom, Zoom! YMMV.

https://www.reddit.com/r/DrWillPowers/comments/mxkb31

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JaneyElizabeth

just now

Sigh. So six years. I am going to assume that maintaining first trimester levels ~2,600 for ten months is no different from being pregnant but I guess you were pregnant for six years running.
I am doing hair research and it is going stunningly well but I don't intend to stay up here forever.
Was there some particular effect you were seeking?
I am very sorry. I hope you have a fast recovery. There's a reason some times why people are absolute experts so maybe Goddess wanted you to pull back a little. We can all get obsessive about the power we feel over our bodies via HRT. For me, so far, everything has worked uncannily and I struggle with how much of that is luck and how much has to do with my accumulation of research and my willingness to at least bear some extra risk.
Goddess bless,
Janey

I'd be careful with being in the upper E2 ranges for a long period of time, with the risk of blood clots and all. There's also the risk of receptor down regulation, meaning you have to keep increasing the dosage for the same effect. I stopped all estrogen for 3 weeks since it was doing little anyway, and restarted once I started feeling weak and old (menopausal symptoms I guess) and have since restarted injections at a quater dose.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

It is all very strange to me. I ran out of dutasteride for a couple of weeks and had an issue with the insurance company and I couldn't tell any difference at all from going off it. I got the prescription filled three days ago and I am back on it and I can't tell any difference at ll. The same was always true for finasteride.

This is why to a large extent the pro-finasteride and anti-finasteride people don't get each other. Minoxidil is similar too in that some people take extreme doses <raises hand> and they use topical and there are no seeming side effects at all. Others seem to swoon or whatever when they take it. I do think that min can cause or exacerbate contact dermatitis and that might account for some of the mixed hair results.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

The likelihood of curing stage 4 cancer is higher than curing early baldness with Finasteride. Finasteride should be considered only as an adjuvant, but by itself it does not work in young people.

I was about 35 when I went on it and I felt nothing and saw nothing growing in but that and min gave me pretty good maintenance. However, not everyone who balds early is facing the same hormonal devastation as others. I have encountered MtF's who began balding at 15 who apparently still lack any success at regrowth. While we have the Norwood scale, that doesn't exactly explain why some end up NW7 and others then bald only slowly going forward.

 

[Almas]

I was about 35 when I went on it and I felt nothing and saw nothing growing in but that and min gave me pretty good maintenance. However, not everyone who balds early is facing the same hormonal devastation as others. I have encountered MtF's who began balding at 15 who apparently still lack any success at regrowth. While we have the Norwood scale, that doesn't exactly explain why some end up NW7 and others then bald only slowly going forward.

I do not know how this is explained, but now I will upset everyone who began to go bald before the age of 20: your final point is a bald head. Finasteride will not help you, just jump on Bicalutamide, have breast surgery and switch to HRT. You may notice that everyone who started to go bald at an early age cannot stop the progression with Finasteride or Duta. Also, in one of the Finasteride studies, there was information that the older the person, the higher the chances of success, and there are simply no people under 20 in the studies.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I'd be careful with being in the upper E2 ranges for a long period of time, with the risk of blood clots and all. There's also the risk of receptor down regulation, meaning you have to keep increasing the dosage for the same effect. I stopped all estrogen for 3 weeks since it was doing little anyway, and restarted once I started feeling weak and old (menopausal symptoms I guess) and have since restarted injections at a quater dose.

I actually posted an article above related to this. Someone I really admire had been maintaining pregnancy levels of E2 for over six years via injections and she has recently had a serious bout with DVT which certainly gives me pause. I am actually going to test today because my provider is concerned and thinks levels should be between 100 pg/ml and 200 pg/ml which is too low so I have proposed to her to shoot for 300 pg/ml but I haven't heard back yet.

People should go back and look at what @bridgeburn was taking. I think that from the time he started posting, he was likely always north of 300 pg/ml and he also used oral min from 5mg to 10 mg. Nobody else got growth the way that he did. I am getting very similar results to him which makes me think others aren't using enough E2 for restoration. Once restoration is complete, then maintenance hopefully can be at much lower levels. We all have our goals but I messed around with low dose for over six years with not very inspiring results except for big *** boobs. Once I bombarded my system with E2, hair growth appears to have been "turned back on". I don't think E2 works incrementally very well at all compared to breast growth for example which was pretty vigorous even from OTC menopausal meds.

 

[Almas]

I actually posted an article above related to this. Someone I really admire had been maintaining pregnancy levels of E2 for over six years via injections and she has recently had a serious bout with DVT which certainly gives me pause. I am actually going to test today because my provider is concerned and thinks levels should be between 100 pg/ml and 200 pg/ml which is too low so I have proposed to her to shoot for 300 pg/ml but I haven't heard back yet.

People should go back and look at what @bridgeburn was taking. I think that from the time he started posting, he was likely always north of 300 pg/ml and he also used oral min from 5mg to 10 mg. Nobody else got growth the way that he did. I am getting very similar results to him which makes me think others aren't using enough E2 for restoration. Once restoration is complete, then maintenance hopefully can be at much lower levels. We all have our goals but I messed around with low dose for over six years with not very inspiring results except for big *** boobs. Once I bombarded my system with E2, hair growth appears to have been "turned back on". I don't think E2 works incrementally very well at all compared to breast growth for example which was pretty vigorous even from OTC menopausal meds.

Noah restored hair at 200 pg / ml if I remember correctly

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I do not know how this is explained, but now I will upset everyone who began to go bald before the age of 20: your final point is a bald head. Finasteride will not help you, just jump on Bicalutamide, have breast surgery and switch to HRT. You may notice that everyone who started to go bald at an early age cannot stop the progression with Finasteride or Duta. Also, in one of the Finasteride studies, there was information that the older the person, the higher the chances of success, and there are simply no people under 20 in the studies.

I know that you are not MtF but I predict more and more young guys going on HRT and being fine with being non-binary since in itself, that term doesn't mean a whole lot but they will struggle less than you have and less than I have. In some ways, my dysphoria from HRT has been brutal since I have been on it and it was even more brutal beforehand. It is still the most humiliating thing for most guys in virtually all societies to express solidarity with females, either physically or psychologically. Many of us grow up playing sports and HRT is obviously not compatible with those activities unless one competes as a female and that is probably a mind-f*** for those trans females as well.

Gender taboos are strong and they have always been strong but we have a chance in post-industrial society to try to free ourselves from some of the psychological baggage in the future. That's my hope, anyway.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

Noah restored hair at 200 pg / ml if I remember correctly

He was also your age. I am just feeling around in the dark like anyone else but if I succeed in this, starting essentially at 55 with high dose, I think that it is going to catch the attention of others, especially those who allege that the longer you have been bald, the more screwed your are in terms of restoration and that is probably true. I had 40 years of incessant T bombardment to deal with plus raging out of control dermatitis. I could never go back to that, not to mention the male compulsive mind set. I am compulsive plenty under HRT but it is much more akin to being interested and not being compelled. It's all a huge mind-f*** and it will continue to be for you, Almas, too as you live in an unsympathetic nation.

Thank Goddess for my therapist. She is amazing. Once a week, via Zoom and I see her in a couple of hours. Virtually all of us can use therapy in our situations if it is available.

 

[Almas]

I know that you are not MtF but I predict more and more young guys going on HRT and being fine with being non-binary since in itself, that term doesn't mean a whole lot but they will struggle less than you have and less than I have. In some ways, my dysphoria from HRT has been brutal since I have been on it and it was even more brutal beforehand. It is still the most humiliating thing for most guys in virtually all societies to express solidarity with females, either physically or psychologically. Many of us grow up playing sports and HRT is obviously not compatible with those activities unless one competes as a female and that is probably a mind-f*** for those trans females as well.

Gender taboos are strong and they have always been strong but we have a chance in post-industrial society to try to free ourselves from some of the psychological baggage in the future. That's my hope, anyway.

I can endure a lot, but not baldness. If necessary, I will use HRT. Yes, there is a lot to sacrifice. All I want is f*****g hair. Is there anything in this universe that can help me?

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I can endure a lot, but not baldness. If necessary, I will use HRT. Yes, there is a lot to sacrifice. All I want is f*****g hair. Is there anything in this universe that can help me?

Well. You just started still. I am not saying that we are doctors but I think that we have a huge amount of accumulated knowledge on here and if bica doesn't entirely do the trick, then adding to the stack will be an option. I agree about baldness and perhaps I was socialized differently but I would much prefer to be a female with amazing hair assuming I am decent otherwise than to be six feet tall and weight 225 lbs or something with a big bald Col Kurtz pate. I am petite and that is a huge benefit for many MtF's.

 

[Almas]

He was also your age. I am just feeling around in the dark like anyone else but if I succeed in this, starting essentially at 55 with high dose, I think that it is going to catch the attention of others, especially those who allege that the longer you have been bald, the more screwed your are in terms of restoration and that is probably true. I had 40 years of incessant T bombardment to deal with plus raging out of control dermatitis. I could never go back to that, not to mention the male compulsive mind set. I am compulsive plenty under HRT but it is much more akin to being interested and not being compelled. It's all a huge mind-f*** and it will continue to be for you, Almas, too as you live in an unsympathetic nation.

Thank Goddess for my therapist. She is amazing. Once a week, via Zoom and I see her in a couple of hours. Virtually all of us can use therapy in our situations if it is available.

You can hide the fact that you are using hormone therapy. Don't wear makeup, wear men's clothing, act like a man, etc. People will notice the oddities in the facial features, but they will not suspect anything

 

[Almas]

Well. You just started still. I am not saying that we are doctors but I think that we have a huge amount of accumulated knowledge on here and if bica doesn't entirely do the trick, then adding to the stack will be an option. I agree about baldness and perhaps I was socialized differently but I would much prefer to be a female with amazing hair assuming I am decent otherwise than to be six feet tall and weight 225 lbs or something with a big bald Col Kurtz pate. I am petite and that is a huge benefit for many MtF's.

I have soft features and short stature - I am an ideal candidate for HRT. But not as perfect as Noah - he is prettier than me.
But I'm a man and I don't want to look too feminine

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

You can hide the fact that you are using hormone therapy. Don't wear makeup, wear men's clothing, act like a man, etc. People will notice the oddities in the facial features, but they will not suspect anything

True and I am fine with that but my family still doesn't get it, nor my ex-wife. At least you only have the issue with your hair. For me, the compulsive aspect began right at the same time as beard growth and I got to the point after 40 years where I couldn't hack it anymore. For me, androgyny is what compelled and compels me but only after HRT could I get the compulsive desire for castration or whatever to get my hair back to relent. The androgyny fixation actually started before I noticed that I was going bald and I never understood how the two fit together and they still don't entirely. I am not nor have I ever been deemed "effeminate" not that there is anything wrong with that but I am trying to explain why some people are so surprised that I re-assigned at least legally as female at age 55.

But I woke up today and took my oral min and brushed my hair for 20 minutes and it is just the thrill of my life. If you achieve this Almas, it is every bit as great as you imagine. It's not one of those things that wear off. For me, it is like the movie A Wonderful Life but this time I get to live it with great hair.

 

[Almas]

I wouldn't worry about anything if there was at least some guaranteed solution. But because even HRT does not guarantee anything, I cannot be 100% sure of something. The lack of guarantees is troubling. Even a small chance of committing suicide is serious.

 

[Almas]

If it all ends with the fact that I will be forced to use HRT for life, I will ask the doctor to take a picture of the hip bone to find out if the bones have healed.

 

[JaneyElizabeth]

I wouldn't worry about anything if there was at least some guaranteed solution. But because even HRT does not guarantee anything, I cannot be 100% sure of something. The lack of guarantees is troubling. Even a small chance of committing suicide is serious.

Well. Remember, I made my first order of Life Flo Estrogen from Amazon in October of 2013. By summer of 2019, I had made essentially no progress with my hair at all and then I had my massive spironolactone shed. I still knew that this was going to work somehow so I just shaved my head and started removing my beard so I could hide under a wig because first my hair grew back in patches and only maybe by last summer had all of the bald places filled in. I lost fringe hair, everything. It's been about 15 months with the wig and I always get great reactions to it but less and less and less am I wearing it. I am not great at predicting future time for completion but it finally happened and when it happened, boy did it happen. And all of a sudden, every single treatment that I tried seemed to work spectacularly from retin-A to oral min.

So, if it took me six plus years at age 50, then you can win this battle at your age. As you and I both note, a lot of this relates to how much you want it and whether you are going to ever give up. I never gave up and you enjoy the intellectual challenge of all of this just like I do. It's always easier not to worry about someone's hair loss but you will be successful because this is the focus of your life and you have the knowledge. It's just dealing with the opportunity costs but no, I couldn't be a hair system person. Wigs are like hats and they stay on but tape? No. Glue? No. Hair coming out in my date's hands? <Shudders>

 

[Almas]

Well. Remember, I made my first order of Life Flo Estrogen from Amazon in October of 2013. By summer of 2019, I had made essentially no progress with my hair at all and then I had my massive spironolactone shed. I still knew that this was going to work somehow so I just shaved my head and started removing my beard so I could hide under a wig because first my hair grew back in patches and only maybe by last summer had all of the bald places filled in. I lost fringe hair, everything. It's been about 15 months with the wig and I always get great reactions to it but less and less and less am I wearing it. I am not great at predicting future time for completion but it finally happened and when it happened, boy did it happen. And all of a sudden, every single treatment that I tried seemed to work spectacularly from retin-A to oral min.

So, if it took me six plus years at age 50, then you can win this battle at your age. As you and I both note, a lot of this relates to how much you want it and whether you are going to ever give up. I never gave up and you enjoy the intellectual challenge of all of this just like I do. It's always easier not to worry about someone's hair loss but you will be successful because this is the focus of your life and you have the knowledge. It's just dealing with the opportunity costs but no, I couldn't be a hair system person. Wigs are like hats and they stay on but tape? No. Glue? No. Hair coming out in my date's hands? <Shudders>

The effects of HRT are noticeable after 3 months, and after 6 months they completely restore the hair. But this is if you respond to treatment.
I’m willing to use HRT for hair, but I don’t want to sacrifice so much for hair. Bicalutamide is my main hope. HRT will change my life 180 degrees, I would not want it, but if I have no choice ...