Hair loss treatment with monoxidil and finasteride

 Well, it's been a few months of using a topical spray once a day and rubbing it into my scalp. What I bought was from the Hims company and apparently they have treatments for a lot of different physical issues. It's ridiculously expensive ($150/bottle), and I realize that I'm very privileged to be able to even try this stuff. I saw my doctor here in Portugal and had my T levels, liver, and kidney function checked. Everything was good, all tests nominal. I also talked with her about a prescription for something similar to what I got from Hims, and of course it's cheaper in PT. A one month supply of topical monoxidil is under $20 here.

My labs showed that my T levels are now low, lower than the normal low for males (under 400). This was what I planned for when switching to the T gel. Hopefully my hair follicles will appreciate the change!

I took a before pic, at 2 months, and at 3 months. Hims advertised that 80% of men using the product would have positive results. I'm usually in the smaller group that has crap side effects or something weird..but NOT THIS TIME :) 

I thought maybe I was biased on the results so far so I asked a number of people their opinion and the consensus is that I have more hair than I did before treatment. I'm really happy with the results so far! Here's the pics:

Before

At 2 months 

At 3 months

NOTE: Treatment with monoxidil and finasteride has to be continued to maintain the results. If I stop using the drugs, my results will regress. Also, it's not recommended to use them for more than 10 years as there are risks associated. Consult with you doctor if you have questions about what risks YOU might have.

Hair loss continues- Point of No Return?

 Hi all! Earlier this year, in May, I posted about the annoying fact that my hair is thinning. It's now December 2023, and a lot more hair has "left the building". I switched from intramuscular injections of testosterone, with the intention of getting rid of big peak levels. The idea was that a low, steady, daily dose if T would slow down my hair loss. This has not shown to be the case. 

Hair loss is caused by a variety of things, effects of  testosterone converting to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and one of them is heredity, which we can't do anything about..yet. No matter what you do, those genes are with you! Anyhoo, T gel was not the magical solution for me. It may be for someone else, but my family has women with thinning hair and one bald grandfather. The odds aren't good for me. I recently got a prescription for a topical spray scalp treatment that includes monoxidil and finasteride. Finasteride, a specific and competitive inhibitor of 5α-reductase enzyme Type 2, inhibits the conversion of testosterone to DHT. DHT thins hair follicles to the point where the hairs are sooo thin that they break off immediately and the follicles die off.

I will use the product for a few months and report back if I see any improvement. I'm also doing some research into flavonoids in food that block DHT. Wish me luck..and hair! Happy holidays to one and all :)

Aging as a transguy, where's my hair?!

 Hi! It's been a while since I posted, and my body is still changing. I'm still in Portugal. The testosterone I was injecting here is a little stronger than the US "equivalent", and my hair loss started accelerating. When I first decided to transition, I felt that I was OK with going bald, but it's different when it seems like either a long ways off or a low probability of actually happening. Well, the probability isn't low anymore and I can see it happening. 

I check my testosterone levels a couple times a year and I was aware that they were high, between 1000 and  1,200 ng/dL. High testosterone will likely damage your hair follicles. I talked to my doctor about it and switched back to using a topical gel and it's a lot easier to control my levels that way, although I do get hot flashes if I'm even a couple hours late with application. I've been using the gel for a couple months and some of my hair is returning, but if the follicles are dead, they're dead and nothing will bring them back. 

Elsewhere on my body, like my back, I have some 3" long hair. I joke about braiding it, but I'm not limber enough to do that lol.

Other changes: 

Belly fat

I mentioned that I live in Portugal. Portuguese pastries and breads are amazing. They are also my nemesis. To stay trim, I just can't eat sugar or carbs! At the moment I'm planning on going low carb AGAIN. 

USA Insanity

I go to the US for business reasons for a few months every year. It's just getting worse. I was prescient about what COULD happen, so I got me and my wife out of there, but it's still really hard seeing how crazy folks can get when they are in a group. Never thought that I'd quote Black Sabbath, but, "If you listen to fools, The mob rules." 

I have safe haven in Portugal and would be happy to provide info to anyone interested in emigration.