[GoneGirl]

Thanks Janet.

Annie, you are right. Hair loss is not always due to the MPB that occurs due to the presence of DHT. As much donor hair as I have, my Dr. said that I have barely enough donor hair left to create a realistic feminine hairline. That assessment is still contingent upon my not losing more hair and achieving the 98% survival rate that is expected using FUT (the strip method). Since I've seen natural hair regrowth since dropping my T levels, I don't expect further hair loss.

For those of you considering doing FUE (individual follicle unit extraction), the follicle survival rate is more like 85% or worse depending on the diameter of the extraction tool.

What if I don't have enough donor hair? My doc said that beard hair (below the jaw line) can be used to fill in sparse areas in the crown area because it will grow to acceptable lengths. IDK, I'm reluctant to put off ridding myself of all facial hair to cover that possibility.

There's a new technology called "micro pigmentation" that can make hair appear denser. It makes use of shallow tatoo dots to give the appearance of having more hair than is really there. It lasts about two years before having to be redone.

My advice? If you are young and experiencing MPB, get on 2.5 mg of Finasteride (Propecia, Fincar) right away. Be prepared to see some loss of sex drive, though...... Hey, you can't eat your cake and have it, too!

Clara

[GoneGirl]

It's day 7 since my hair transplant. My 10" sutured incision is healing up well, but it still hurts a bit to lay the back of my head on a pillow so I have to sleep on my side or tummy at night. At least I'm sleeping in a bed now. The first three nights I slept in a recliner to ease swelling (I had none) and to protect the grafts.

I had to be very careful this past week not to dislodge the grafts. It's amazing how easy it is to accidentally bump or put pressure on the grafts and cause them to bleed. They had me spray the grafts every hour with a copper peptide micronutrient liquid for the first few days to help the grafts take hold. It's not good to let them dry out. It'll be months, though, before I know how successful the transplant has been when, at long last, the growth cycle begins.

Hair transplanting is expensive. About $4+ per graft. If you are losing your hair, my advice is to take steps to stop it NOW. 2.5 mg/day of finasteride (Propecia) should keep your DHT level repressed enough to stop MPB (male pattern balding). Of course, that may lower your sex drive, too, so like most things in life, it's a compromise. A full head of hair may help you find love on the one hand, but cause you to lose it on the other.

Clara

[RobinMurphy]

Hi Clara I'm happy that everything so far is good. I hope that everything turns out perfect.

[Marina Kits]

If you are losing your hair, my advice is to take steps to stop it NOW. 2.5 mg/day of finasteride (Propecia) should keep your DHT level repressed enough to stop MPB (male pattern balding). Of course, that may lower your sex drive, too, so like most things in life, it's a compromise. A full head of hair may help you find love on the one hand, but cause you to lose it on the other.

Clara

2.5mg? Is that what the hair specialist you went to recommends? I'm not questioning you or anything but the manufacturer says 1mg daily. I'd gladly take more but I'd like to know where the recommendation came from. Thanks

[Naomiko]

If you are losing your hair, my advice is to take steps to stop it NOW. 2.5 mg/day of finasteride (Propecia) should keep your DHT level repressed enough to stop MPB (male pattern balding). Of course, that may lower your sex drive, too, so like most things in life, it's a compromise. A full head of hair may help you find love on the one hand, but cause you to lose it on the other.

Clara

2.5mg? Is that what the hair specialist you went to recommends? I'm not questioning you or anything but the manufacturer says 1mg daily. I'd gladly take more but I'd like to know where the recommendation came from. Thanks

I'm on 6mg Propecia Finasteride a day, (3mg morning/night). My doc and I are using the pre-op with gel regimen and dosing table on TransgenderCare.com

[katieinhiding]

2.5mg? Is that what the hair specialist you went to recommends? I'm not questioning you or anything but the manufacturer says 1mg daily. I'd gladly take more but I'd like to know where the recommendation came from. Thanks

I am also taking 2.5mg here... mostly because the 1mg pills are considered for "cosmetic" reasons and they cost more than the 5mg pills, which are considered primarily for use in shrinking the prostate. So my doctor gave me the 5mg pills, which I split and take half daily.

From what I have read the effects of fin don't get markedly better by taking more than necessary, which is usually around the 1mg mark. The gains beyond that are reportedly minimal, but then again so are any side effects.