Rapid Norwood Progression In Female

Bluelilac

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
40
Same... i've had high total testosterone never ever even close to high free testosterone though
I was told by an endo that my elevated T is false and it just appears elevated because my SHBG is so high...i seriously dont get what she is implying as in my eyes the T has to be coming from somewhere, the shbg just binds it...but she sucked and was one of my crappy endos I saw at the beginning of all this.
 

Bluelilac

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
40
Best indicators of aging "well" imo:


skin (good)
weight (good)
hair (awful)

Haha same here! Everything else seems to be well, in fact if my hair was still in good shape, I look enviable for almost 32, certainly not "hot" but I am petite and always had a very young looking face which i hated because I never felt like a mature adult woman and everyone told me my entire life that I'll appreciate it when I'm older....well...no one ever imagined I'd be balding before age 35 so a whole lot of good having a young face did me...hair loss and balding just ages you no matter how good your skin looks and how baby-faced you are. Basically I never got to look like a woman, went from looking like a high school student all of my 20s straight to menopausal balding hag.
 

Ikarus

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
2,891
It's strange because if I'm so sensitive to androgens, I don't get how I supposedly have "lean pcos" and no facial hair or hirsutism and what I do have for body hair on my arms and face, etc. is blonde and colorless and fine. My hair is balding sooo rapidly, wouldn't I be sporting a beard by now if I've always been sensitive to androgens my entire life? It's strange. I did develop hypertrichosis basically within the span of a week at the onset of my shedding a year ago, but that hasn't really progressed to much and there are times that my body hair seems to not grow much (legs, armpits) and other times that it speeds up. i think my androgens just might be up and down so like they are going too low, normal, too high. I've had episodes of elevated total T in the past, but never elevated free T.

I don't think it has anything to do with your levels of T, it just depends on your follicles sensitivity to androgens. With myself, I am quite unlucky and possibly have the worst case of hair loss for a nineteen year old! It's very very bad...
 

Bluelilac

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
40
Hahahahah you do not look like a balding hag! Being babyfaced and thin is rare.

I forgot teeth are important too

I'm surprised your progesterone is normal

http://www.drjohntafel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/PIC-Cholesterol-to-Hormones-pathways1.gif

I had to pull up a chart bc I'm too demented to remember anything

Haha, i don't mean I look like one now, but that's in my near future when I'm left looking like gollum. Yeah, my progesterone and everything is always normal, I've checked it many times at different points of my cycle and checked numerous cycles...spent way too much money to find nothing out, only that things are functioning properly and my FSH to LH ratio is perfect.
 

Bluelilac

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
40
I don't think it has anything to do with your levels of T, it just depends on your follicles sensitivity to androgens. With myself, I am quite unlucky and possibly have the worst case of hair loss for a nineteen year old! It's very very bad...

that's what I mean though, can someone have only follicles on the scalp that are sensitive to androgens but not their follicles on their body?
 

Bluelilac

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
40
I don't think it has anything to do with your levels of T, it just depends on your follicles sensitivity to androgens. With myself, I am quite unlucky and possibly have the worst case of hair loss for a nineteen year old! It's very very bad...

I'm really sorry your hair loss is so severe at only 19! Do you have a family history of premature hair loss?
 

Ikarus

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
2,891
that's what I mean though, can someone have only follicles on the scalp that are sensitive to androgens but not their follicles on their body?

Yes, it's a horrible process... I hate androgens! :( I'm even considering an orchiectomy; that and estrogen will basically be a permanent cure for male pattern baldness. Follicles on the body are different to scalp follicles.
 

Mitko1

Experienced Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
367
You need to do a biopsy in order to know if your hair loss is androgen alopecia or not
 

Ikarus

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
2,891
I'm really sorry your hair loss is so severe at only 19! Do you have a family history of premature hair loss?

I don't even know, although I have noticed that males within my family members bald within their 20s... I have been balding since I was 14! I will put an image here, which was taken before I started my regimen: (I was 18 in the photo)
 

Attachments

  • 20181210_114543.jpg
    20181210_114543.jpg
    134.9 KB · Views: 152

Bluelilac

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
40
I don't even know, although I have noticed that males within my family members bald within their 20s... I have been balding since I was 14! I will put an image here, which was taken before I started my regimen: (I was 18 in the photo)

What doctor prescribes you your hairs loss meds?
 

hoggle

Member
Reaction score
4
@Bluelilac my body is hairless too...like blonde whatever
I had acne as a teen but that was from a shitty diet and IR (didn't know this at the time)
I took Diane 35 for 5-6 years and I regret it because I believe it made me skinny fat. Just felt like a complete blob
 

Ikarus

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
2,891
What doctor prescribes you your hairs loss meds?

I am self-medicating. Although, my dermatologist and endocrinologist are aware of what I'm doing and are providing me monitoring (liver and hormone monitoring). I am hoping to get bicalutamide on prescription, but they have to do some research on it since they aren't knowledgable on it. Once they have done some research on it and feel confident enough to prescribe me it, they can do it under an off-license prescription. I won't be able to have the estradiol prescribed since it is an extensive medication which shouldn't be used in biological males unless they are transgender and desperately need it to soothe their crippling dysphoria, due to the extensive potential issues it has (e.g. infertility, testicular atrophy, breast cancer, blood clots).
 

Mushu

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
57
Here's a interesting video on female hair loss and age related thinning.

Basically besides what we already know, there's still quite a lot we (including professionals) don't know.

I don't necessarily agree with classification of hair loss by age bracket breakdown, but I do agree with the types she describes. When you age, your body just does not work as it used it whether it be unnoticeable changes to the naked eye, but rest assured there is. We can only do our best to delay as best as we can without going to far to sacrifice our health.

@Bluelilac

Since you still want to conceive, anti androgens may not be a good idea.
 
Last edited:

Mushu

Established Member
My Regimen
Reaction score
57
Yep, the area highlighted in black used to be all filled in with normal healthy hair. My entire sides have receded a bit as well and all over my hair thinned out and I have visible vellus hairs not just at my temples but also all over my scalp. I honestly don't know how else to relax after trying everything I previously mentioned. I don't even know what I enjoy anymore, I'm pretty depressed so I know that's something I need to get under control as the rest of my life seems to be fairly balanced and I have a good diet, etc. I just feel really hopeless right now, everything in my life feels like a dead end and now on top of running out of time to meet someone so I can start a family before I start transitioning into peri-menopause, I have to deal with hair loss/balding as a new barrier, as if dating isn't already difficult enough. I feel like men won't be too receptive of a woman balding in a Norwood pattern. It's hard to believe how aggressive my hair loss rate is, the photos you highlighted are from the winter and my hair is much worse since those were taken. I'm losing the hair all along my forelock now. Basically the entire front of my scalp decided it wants to be bald. :(

Understandably you feel the way you do.

Hair is important for beauty, however, and I can't speak for everyone, the picture of the lady with postpartum hair loss, even at her worse it doesn't register as bad in my mind. Maybe we're all our own worse critic. Sure it's not as good as it was, but it's probably not as bad as we ourselves perceive it as compared to others. I really hope you figure this out and slow it down and at least maintain what you have, which is still very nice hair.
 

hoggle

Member
Reaction score
4
My dermatologist blew off my massive shedding bc my hair is "so thick"

That's bullshirt right? Like regardless of how much hair you have you should still only shed 150 max, no?
 

Ikarus

Banned
My Regimen
Reaction score
2,891
My dermatologist blew off my massive shedding bc my hair is "so thick"

That's bullshirt right? Like regardless of how much hair you have you should still only shed 150 max, no?

Shedding can’t be used as an indicator when it comes to androgenic alopecia.
 

hoggle

Member
Reaction score
4
@Bluelilac here are my results

The derm biopsied verrry far back on my temple (bc she was worried I'd scar) so I actually think I have moderate Androgenetic Alopecia. My results are worse than this....

Also it showed Telogen Effluvium

If I could do it over again I wouldve biopsied a balder spot

https://ibb.co/bJ79t6f

Offered 25 mg of spironolactone again but I'm going to try topical finasteride and dermarolling
 
Top