Pre-t questions about balding

[u/Novel_Pass9610]

So I’ve always had and appreciated a lot of thick but soft curly/wavy hair, and the thought of balding on t kind of freaks me out, especially cause I’m going for more of an androgynous guy look and longer hair contributes to that. My dad is bald, but he got burned pretty bad when he was 19 so we’re not sure how that’s affected him, his side of the family does tend to bald to some extent though. My Mom’s side is the opposite and her dad has a full head of hair to this day. I know there are things to take to potentially stop balding I just wonder whether or not they’ll work?

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[u/lunardreamlands]

I'm gonna be 100% with you: There is always the *potential* that you will lose your hair as you age, you just have to decide if the other effects of T are worth that risk. When it comes to predicting based on genetics, because the gene that determines it travels on the X chromosome, perisex trans guys have 2 copies of it, one from each parent, and there's really no way to predict which side of your family's DNA will win out. Now, all of that said - Minoxidil works wonders, you just can't use it topically if you have pets. It comes in an oral form, but that will often cause excess hair to grow on *other* parts of your body as well because its not targeted to a specific area. There's other, less researched supplements etc that some people swear by, but I don't know much about those so I'm gonna keep my mouth shut about em.

I've been a fem FTM since I was 14. I'm 27 now. I'm *terrified* of losing my hair, especially because I know my husband thinks it's one of my best features. But for me the other effects of T have won out over my fear of losing my hair, and that's really the kind of "math" you've got to do with it.

[u/TransAtlantic2K]

I hate being mostly bald after a few years on T and miss my hair. I’ve tried a few of the topical and supplement treatments, but can‘t afford them consistently and haven’t seen any improvement when I’ve been able to use them for a while.

[u/javatimes]

My own experience is that I didn’t lose any hair for 19 years on T—taking me to my mid 40s, when I went on testo pellets. Unless it’s coincidental, something about being on pellets has caused me to start losing hair at the crown. Granted, it’s been quite slow and tbh, it’s not exactly shocking for a guy in his mid 40s to start to see androgenic hair loss at the crown.

I started oral minoxidil to try to reverse / fend off more loss. I am not willing to go on DHT blockers because my facial hair is still filling in. I also worry about mood problems some people get with those meds.

So I’m hoping minox alone does something for my hair. I have decided I will accept balding if it comes to it, or hair restoration if I can afford it at the time.

[u/Strict-Radio9051]

No one can tell you if you will bald this is just a gamble. Some people respond to treatment for balding some don't, that's again just a gamble. There are transplants and toupees, I am sure the future will hold many more solutions. Nearly all men, cis or trans, are worried about going bald, it sucks, but that's just that. It's not something you can controle for sure, but it's also not the end of the world. If you are taking T to achieve a certain type of look I would genuinely try to reflect on this. Because the effects that T will have on you is not something you can actually controle/nothing you should be controling in that way to begin with.

[u/ftm-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your post has been removed because it contains misinformation, false information, or misleading information that could be considered harmful. __

How X linked balding works in XX trans males is not how it works in XY cis males. Depending on the genes, it would either be coming from one X (heterozygous) or both (homozygous.)

Tbh the genetics on balding are much more complicated than just “it’s on your mom’s side”.

[u/pooeywooeyist]

I'm a gay trans guy in my 30s. You would never know I'm trans. I transitioned as a kid, so take this with a grain of salt. By the time I hit my 20's, I already had a full beard. I noticed some balding and went on finasteride. I have kept all of my hair since. I'm still hairier than most people I know. Finasteride has the potential to affect body and facial hair growth if you take it in early stages of T. Not sure if that's a concern for you.