Exploring The Hormonal Route. Hair=life.

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JaneyElizabeth

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2TameDHT said:
I first noticed something was up with my hair during the summer, noticing a lack of density in my hair after I picked it out with an afro pick and detangling comb. (I'm African American.) Before this point, I had kept my hair in cornrows regularly for over five years, and whenever I had them taken out, my hair would poof out into a large, thick afro type style. An afro is actually a somewhat specific hairstyle that is a lot neater and rounded out than my hair was in it's natural, combed out state. But the "wildness" of it was part of my aesthetic during my 20's.

At first, me and my siblings figured it was traction alopecia, so I stopped getting my hair cornrowed for several months and used Jamaican Black Castor Oil to repair any damage, as well as daily moisturizing and weekly deep conditioning. These methods are used by Black people to heal traction alopecia and they are very effective at that.

But from September to January, I noticed significant thinning in my crown, as well as the top front portion of my head behind my hairline. Strangely enough, my hairline doesn't appear to have receded yet, at least not in a cosmetically significant way. I'm not sure how the thinning was able to progress to such a degree without me or my siblings noticing, since they helped me take care of my hair and braided it into a less tension causing style. I think it may have been concealed by my hair's long length until it became bad enough to be noticeable. And my father told me that his hair began thinning when he was about my age (32), before going bald. So, perhaps the lack of density I noticed last summer was my hair just starting to noticeably miniaturize.

My hair loss has been particularly distressing since I am non-binary/androgynous, one of the main reasons why I grew my hair out was as a way to affirm my identity in a way that would not raise questions. So, the possibility of losing my hair is causing a great deal of dysphoria, especially just when I was at a point where I felt I could start to fully embrace my identity.

I started taking Finasteride in late January as a way to, hopefully, preserve as many follicles as I can while I figure out what to do, long term. I am considering HRT not just as a means of keeping my hair and bringing back density, as well as fostering growth, but I am also considering HRT as a possible way to affirm my identity. Right now, I am simply in the plotting stage, and likely won't see a doctor about HRT until the Fall. Reading through the thread, I don't see many downsides to the hormonal route other than the possibility that it may not work for me. I have yet to see another person of African descent try the HRT route, or even consider it. So, I have no idea how afro textured hair would respond to it.
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Many African American women identify as transgender but in terms of how many use hormones, I am uncertain. It does seem that there is much more of a wig culture and people expect perhaps older folks to wear them and diva culture, usually you wear one because you are seeking something that says, "I'm fabulous".....
 
2TameDHT

2TameDHT

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JaneyElizabeth said:
Many African American women identify as transgender but in terms of how many use hormones, I am uncertain. It does seem that there is much more of a wig culture and people expect perhaps older folks to wear them and diva culture, usually you wear one because you are seeking something that says, "I'm fabulous".....
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The Black trans women I've known have mostly taken hormones, though I think many went DIY due to cost or lack of insurance. On an interesting note, one that I had dated a few years ago shaved her head, but still looked very feminine, so HRT worked wonders for her facial feminization.

Wig/weave culture mainly stems from the fact that afro textured hair takes a long time to grow to a point where it appears cosmetically long, also it's to keep from doing too much damage to the natural hair through straighteners. Afro textured hair grows in a tight coil pattern most of the time and requires constant detangling so as not to look "packed in". There were times where my friends thought I had gotten a haircut because I hadn't had time to comb my hair out properly.

In the wig/weave regard, I'd only wear wigs if it were for a "character", like for a cosplay or some other aesthetic project. At the very least, I'd like my hair to be strong enough and grow to a point where extensions would be viable to achieve various, longer styles while also showing people that I do have "enough" natural hair and am not using extensions to cheat. Dreadlocks are likely out of the question even if HRT is successful. (Dreadlocks were going to be the hairstyle I "retired" on since they are a semi-permanent style.)
 
Yar

Yar

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My result makes me very happy!
 

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Murkey Thumb

Murkey Thumb

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Is it possible that taking a vitamin K2 supplyment while applying topical estrogen b17 would negate feminising effects? Or would it just stop receptor binding in the follicle too?
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Vitamin K2 binds 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4 and modulates estrogen metabolism - PubMed

Vitamin K is a cofactor for gamma-glutamyl carboxylase, an enzyme that is important for blood coagulation. Recent studies have shown that vitamin K has other roles, in addition to post-transcriptional modification, such as bone metabolism and antitumoral actions; these findings have indicated...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Pls_NW-1

Pls_NW-1

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"I used monotherapy 150mg. The usually cancer dosage. My sebum production disappeared but never got regrow. And also got little small gyno in the left side, isn’t visible but it’s there."

From an old member, he tried it but got no success (esrly 20's) some exprience more regrowth on Spironolactone than Bicalutamide.

I wonder if taking Eplerenone has a synergistic effect within Bicalutamide in order to experience regrowth, or what has to be done to experience regrowth on Bica?!
 
Pls_NW-1

Pls_NW-1

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Just came out of the shower...

This is clearly androgenic alopecia. Right?

I just want to make my situation clear :( really want that Norwood -1 hairline xD
 
Yar

Yar

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