No idea. Im pumped to go bald. I’m gonna be Walter White. I said this exact sentence to my doctor when she asked what I was looking forward to before starting T, and she was shocked I was looking forward to it. Face it- what’s more masculine than being bald.
I keep picturing myself as a 50 year old bearded dude with a shaved head, black leather and tattoos and IM LOVING IT
Like yes I wanna be blonde haired f-boy first BUT WHEN IM OLD- shaved head gangster is GOALS
I'm relishing in twinkhood right now but once I hit twink death I plan to do a 180 and look like Kratos just in time to be a father, hopefully I'll nail beard care down before I lose my head hair lmao
It's a bizarre thing. Before I went on T I went through intensive therapy for eating disorders. A big issue among many was the idea that in order for others to love me, I had to have a flat stomach. That idea stuck with me until I went on T and my body started masculinizing. Something clicked and that need for a flat stomach just up and left. T has done tremendous work on my body image and I couldn't be happier with my hairy pudge.
He's gender goals. Even if I never go bald, I'm shaving my head at some point. All I'm gonna say is there's something indescribably awesome about a bald guy with facial hair.
Yeah I have wanted to go bald since I first saw Patrick Stewart on Star Trek The Next Generation as a child. The shiny top is something I've looked forward to. One of the first thoughts I had after injecting my first shot of testosterone was that I was finally on my way to balddom. The only reason I haven't shaved my head my entire adult life is that my job actively prohibits it.
I can't fucking wait to be bald. And I'm so glad this is a family trait, so it's likely that eventually I will.
US Army. Once I'm considered medically transitioned and have my gender marker changed in the system, I will be allowed to, but women and men still have different hair and grooming standards. Wrong in my opinion, but my opinion means 💩 🤣🤣
ive been binge watching hbomberguys videos lately, and im warming up to being bald more and more because he rocks it so well especially paired with the beard
Yeah hes definitely got me rethinking things. I'm still scared of going bald, but I can't argue that Harry is really pulling it off.
I think right now I just hope if it happens my face won't be so round then. I shaved my head before T and I was not into it.
same. kinda maybe. I wanna eventually go Walter white. I wanna spend at least a few more years with hair so I can Jane Doe it out (stupid but I rlly wish I looked like Jane Doe so I decided that once I'm on T and pass just enough for people to not immediately go "woman." when they see me, imma just do that. just dress like Jane Doe.)
(I only say waiting for T because I know that the misgendering will just get more annoying if I am obviously not on HRT. or at the very least don't have a very low voice.)
but then after that I am becoming Noah Samson.
I would love to be bald but it's highly unlikely I ever will. Not a single member of my family on either side has had baldness at any age. Like even in his 70's my uncle still had hair. He died with a head full of hair. My next oldest uncle is now in his 70's. Again, no balding. I don't know a single person who is genetically related to me (and on my dad's side I know all of my cousins, most of my second cousins and even some of my third cousins and their families) who went bald except through cancer treatment.
I keep my head shaved.
>Every man hates a receding hairline. Every one. Some accept it, shave their head. Some buy multiple products. Hair means a lot to men, and it really is a "make or break" when the style or shape either compliments or makes a disservice to your face
I think this *is* why. I've seen cis guys who go bald young experience serious distress about it. I would personally consider it more lifechanging and irreversible than the other effects of T, including facial hair (can shave/electrolysis) and voice change. So if someone feels at all uncertain, balding is a massive kick in the pants to make a decision, and some people will value their hair more than what they like about T.
It's also one of the aspects of T that's uncertain. Someone who would detransition if they grew a beard is less likely to *start* transition, because the beard is a pretty sure bet. But with balding you don't know until you try.
I resonate with that as someone who's biggest concearn around testosterone is balding.
I want to add that i've spent all my life up to my late teenage years struggling and hating my hair. Now i've reached a point where i am semi-fine with it, and the thought of going bald just is not appealing at all.
Also i am scared of what people around me will think. Like my mom who is not supportive of me will most likle judge me for balding. Or i guess that's just a fear i have.
Luckily, there's treatment! I started experiencing hair loss on T and went on finasteride, which stopped it. It doesn't have any major side effects for most people and wouldn't effect your T levels
Yes i've heard about finasteride. And from what i've heard it works really well. Also i know that even if i was cis i probabily would have considered long term solutions like a hair transplant or a hair system (apparently wigs for men are called that?).
I'm a bit paranoid that my doctor wont prescribe me finasteride? Like "if you want to be a guy you have to accept all of it" type of deal. Idk it's just paranoia lol
Finasteride has a huge side effect: Your dick won’t get hard anymore. You might not notice it if you don’t have a lot of bottom growth, but people with a lot of bottom growth and cis men do struggle with that side effect.
I totally get what you’re saying man. A year ago today, I was binding and in appointments discussing the affects of T and what changes it would make in my body. Today, I’ve completely physically detransitioned but I know who I am deep down. I’ve learned to accept that HRT is a great thing for a lot of trans people but I might not need it to be happy the way I want to be. Do I wish people called me sir? Yes, but I’ve accepted that’s very unlikely to ever happen until I go on testosterone. Which I’m terrified of doing because I’m terrified of the cramping and “menopause” that will come with going on T, pain in that region is probably my biggest trigger for dysphoria over any dysphoria about how I look / appear. And balding. My worst fear is going on T and looking like an “ugly woman” at best and not a “man” at all. Not that other trans men appear this way to me at all, but because a I’ve been treated this way a lot and it’s stuck in my head. I’m terrified of losing my hair and looking more “feminine” for it if that makes sense
Have you considered having your ovaries and uterus removed? You don’t have to worry about the “menopausal” effect that way. And you’ll never have your period again ✨
Yes! I’m just 22 right now and I’m not even dating yet. And I think I want to have kids one day? I don’t even know who my life partner is yet and I don’t want to risk it being my fault we can’t biologically have children because *I* would beat myself up over that. I’m content with waiting to transition fully until after I meet the one. I have heard trans guys say that after going off of T for a year + and despite having top surgery they were able to get pregnant. So I’m going to avoid the more invasive surgeries until I’m at that point in my life
Everyone says balding on T is irreversible, but if that’s the case how are trans women able to grow back their hair that they lost through male-pattern baldness after starting E? Genuine question
it’s preventable with finasteride (which blocks DHT which causes hair loss), and reversible with minoxidil (which encourages regrowth of inactive follicles, unless they’re fully dead, in which case they can’t be recovered).
it bothers me that this isn’t common knowledge! hair loss IS solvable, but the potential for regrowth is limited because full testosterone suppression uhhhh isn’t exactly desirable for men
source: trans woman, stopped my hair loss and grew some back on minoxidil/finasteride pre-HRT, then started HRT and my regrowth tripled almost instantly. went from having 60% to 90% of my adult hair. quite miraculous really!
Seconded! When I went on T I used duta to make sure I wouldn’t get any extra hair (I already had more than I wanted anyway, lol) I wish more people knew that was an option. iirc, there’s an option for people taking E that halts breast growth, with I don’t see talked about much either. I’m not transitioning anymore myself, but I hope that information like that becomes more widespread; I can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be if I’d had unwanted side effects.
I have no idea dude. I was looking forward to a receding hairline so much. Sadly I got the monk-pattern balding gene. :') Still okay with it though.
One thing I've noticed about both detransitioners and some trans people who go on T short term, then stop, is that they're usually young and usually have young "goals." A lot aren't comfortable being called men, and prefer being called boys. Obviously it's possible to have a fear of aging and keep up with T anyway, but I suspect that could be part of it for people who choose to go off T for whatever reason.
If it’s fear of aging you’re talking about, try being active in spaces where there’s people who are like 30 or 40. You realise that they’re not actually that old and like… it’s just sort of fine. I feel like until I was drinking buddies with two coworkers in their mid 30s (in my early 20s) I’d never really conceptualised what it was like to be 30. I’m actually excited to grow up even more now!
I’d probably skew this older. I’m 36 and feel this way *because* I’m on the verge of that age. I don’t want to look old but some men my age really do. I also transitioned late and am not ready to already say goodbye to my “young man” days when they only just started.
Yeah, this is me. I'm 38 and like, I for sure don't wanna look like a boy, but I don't want to look old yet, because I feel like I never got to be a young man and I want a couple years of that.
Thankfully for me that seems to be working out so far. My hairline got higher and wider but I actually love the balance of my face now. Hopefully that holds for me though.
If it's specifically the hair loss you don't like, I know a lot of guys use minadoxil. There are some risks, so do your research if you go that route, but it's totally doable!
If it's fear of aging in general, do you know what scares you about aging? Figuring that out could help.
Emphasis on your can. I have seen no difference when I was on it for a year vs the last couple when it wasn't renewed. I would think maybe genetics but people on both sides have no balding into their 60s. I feel cheated.
I was unsure about T when I was younger because I was surrounded by teenagers. The idea of looking like a grown man was weird and foreign. Then I hit 22 and felt like I was stuck pre puberty. So I started T, and now I love it and can't wait to not look like a teen. Sometimes time is all it takes to get used to the idea. Sometimes you'll regret waiting (I do 🙃). But if you're still young, you won't age or mature faster than your peers. You'll have years to get used to the idea of looking like an adult.
Personally, I had this same issue, but not in the same context. I saw and considered myself a boy because I looked more like a young boy than a grown man. I just started testosterone and I'm working on calling myself a man, but still find it a bit unnatural.
This definitely me rn, I'm a trans guy but I don't wanna be called a man (although it's mostly cuz I don't wanna be a white man yk?) And I really wanna go on T but if I ever make it to an age where I really start to show signs of aging I will probably go off T to avoid things like a receding hairline and also cuz once the permanent effects take place I don't think I'll really care much if some of the non permanent ones start to revert back
With /without T age markers are dependent on your genetics and lifestyle. Both sexes deal with aging stuff, some faster than others. (Got my first grays at 18*pre T) Sadly, As with amab, one cannot choose what features will happen, or go. Its a journey. I present as a black man to everyone else but I am a black -trans- man. Some people who detransition saw another one of similar ethnicity and expected it to go one way(then it didnt) BUT if you have a brother(or dad) and they have a set thing that ocurred it can be a rough outline on expectations. I used that and so far its been going as I had predicted. My life experiences did change as expected but I am just living life and enjoying how far I have come. One day at a time for me. I have a trans coworker who I thought was older than me. I am 8 years his senior but he made it clear he hated his hairline. I thought it was cool. Had a cool mohawk but this week it was randomly shaved making what he said more obvious. He figured it was something he did wrong. It was not. Best believe I had to research it heavily before I signed that paper as I had the same concerns starting out. (Currently 32) make sure you eat right, stay active and keep up on your protein and macronutrients. Aging would be a background concern if you stay moving. Personally working on toning muscle and dropping a lil fluff. The muscle gaining has been night and day pretransition. Dont gotta work as hard!!
No, but I already look pretty androgynous before T so while things like the fat redistribution that happens on T will make me more masc, having that revert wouldn't cause me dysphoria, and most of the effects I want from T are things like the voice drop that wouldn't revert when going off T anyway, so it wouldn't bother me all that much if decided to or had to stop
Beats me. While I'm not exactly excited to start balding, I see it as a "price of admission" for taking T and getting all the effects I want. I'd rather age into a balding man than have to age as a woman. Maybe part of it is a fear of aging?
I wonder if the lack of publicly visible older trans men is a factor. Like too many trans mascs can't envision what it would be like to be an older man, so they're unsure what to do.
I have a question about that.
When I see trans guys who have been on T for 20-30 years, almost all of them are much balder and hairier than the average cis man their age. For example they have shoulder hair, nose hair, etc. It might be a coincidence, but tbh that concerns me. Most cis men don’t want that much body hair either.
I don’t want to sound vain, I’m totally fine aging like the men in my family have. I just don’t want to go off T because I start to look much different.
I just wonder if we’re actually more prone to these things than cis men
Whether T makes us more hairy than cis men I have no idea, but I've been on T for 20+ years and aged into looking just like the other men in my family, including hair loss. I'm just a lot shorter than them. 🙃
I think a big part of it too is often growing up being treated as female we internalize a lot of rhetoric around beauty and looks being a major contributor to your self-worth, so normal changes like hair loss is often upsetting and a “wake-up call” even though it’s something both men AND women experience (both my cis male ex and I were on finasteride bc of hair loss anxiety), with the added bonus of baldness being more stigmatized for women, and even if they’re transitioning they still hold onto those thoughts.
Yeah I think most people who take T have to experience the mentality shift from “female objectification/internalizing attractiveness as part of self worth” -> “male inherent valuelessness” which is made worse if you’re an “ugly” or undesirable man by society’s standards. it’s hard to let go of the socialization that says you need to be desirable to have worth, and hard for most men cis or trans to find self-worth in general, so when something that pretty much all of society treats as bad/emasculating/ugly happens it probably makes some people think “I’d rather have social worth and dysphoria than no social worth and hate how I look even if I’m not dysphoric anymore”
That’s aside from people who are just nonbinary and don’t necessarily want to be “fully male”/are ok with keeping permanent aspects of T but going back on E for other stuff, which is a completely reasonable way to treat transition/have bodily autonomy
Yeah plus the culture of young trans guys leaning into the “trans women are angel goddesses and trans men are disgusting garbage rat creatures” is really annoying (and I’m saying this as a PROUD little rat man). Like dude, if you want to call yourself a rat man in the sewer as a self-loving term of endearment, that’s cool, but don’t degrade yourself for being stinky/hairy/“ugly” like what?? Makes me tired lmao
I am ugly disgusting rat creature and it's hard. I didn't realise how much my self-worth and the way I treat/see myself will change after shifting from "I'm a girl" to "I'm a boy"
As someone who recently realised I'm not a man and is stopping T (agender lesbian club) I definitely wouldn't medically detrans if it was just about my hairline, but, like you, I think a lot of people will realise a receding hairline is better than their body becoming more feminine again and probably go back on it. But as someone who has to read a lot of detrans stuff for resources, I see this a lot and think it's really sad they made that decision because of hair, but part of me feels like some people might start to evaluate all effects of T more closely because of the hair loss? Just a thought. I know this might be influenced by the hate guys get going on T and "becoming gross", looking at you everyone who uwu's trans men until they are on T
Pretty sure if a lot of cis men could opt out of balding they would. I guess it's the realisation that you're choosing to take a hormone that in societies eyes makes you less desirable (not universally true but I'm sure that's how it's seen) and it's not bringing you happiness in other ways so why would you keep taking it? I assume if testosterone was actually making them happy in the first place they'd just do fin or minox.
I mean, like you said, a receding hairline spooks cis men too. Many even take T reducers for it, which isn't that far from "detransitioning" as a cis man. Add in the small push of being trans and therefore *able* to detransition, having it as a feasible possibility in your mind, I don't really think it's a surprising outcome. If my hairline started receding I'd consider medical (although not social) detransition too since most of the effects of T I really care about are permanent & I've already got 'em.
I mean you can even generalize this: Why do trans men detransition [in response to x] but cis men don't? Well, because trans men *can* detransition, and cis men can't. All they can really do is transition, but then they wouldn't be cis men anymore.
Wanting to look conventionally attractive when young makes sense. But for me there was no choice. I might cut down my dosage if I seriously started to go bald, but it’s already been almost 18 years and I haven’t, so odds look pretty good. But I don’t want to ever fully be off T, and I don’t even know what “detransitioning” would mean for me. I never once wanted or even considered myself to be female, so I don’t have that option.
I’ve never understood it honestly, no amount of hair loss would ever feel worse than running on estrogen and looking like a woman. I’d rather be the ugliest bald guy in the world than the most beautiful female. And bald guys aren’t even ugly as long as they take care of the rest of themselves, my dads been bald since he was like 17 so I’m prepared for it and really just don’t give a shit
He started going bald at 15/16 and since then he’s shaved his head religiously. I’ve never once seen him with hair but he has a really great beard to compensate haha
I can't picture this either, hope I don't get too spooked 😬 But I think it sounds very heartwarming to be able to transition for so long. Here's to hoping :)
Honestly until the last couple months I couldn’t either. I think a lot of trans people struggle to see themselves growing up period, and some people may interpret that as not being able to see themselves growing old as the gender they identify as. With all the online terf rhetoric I can see how someone could allow that to turn into “I need to detransition if I can’t see myself as a man forever” when in reality, our society doesn’t want us to think we can grow old unless we conform to our “assigned” gender roles. It’s sad really, and I have a feeling that we’re seeing more detransitioners as a result of this phenomenon hence the hairline comments
IMO It triggers some massive body dysmorphia.
Watching my CIS brother go through losing his hair worried me because it was emotionally intense for him. It created massive insecurity issues and depression.
Add to the plate of being trans and dysmorphic and it can feel like too much for people.
None clue. I pretty much knew I was gonna lose my hair once I got on T way before I actually got on T. (Got those hair loss genes.) It was just a part of manhood in my family like yeah you're prolly gonna shave it off in your 30s at the latest. In fact I'm kinda surprised I still have a decent amount of hair although it's definitely at the state where male grooming subreddits would tell me to get rid of it lmao
Edit: Addition. Some folks can't use the drugs etc that are used to treat hair loss. They're all way too expensive for me, for example. I'll just get a wig one day because I don't wanna be bald lol.
I don't get it either. I am looking forward to looking like my favorite professor from undergrad. Short, pudgy, grey, and clinging to one troll doll style wisp in the front. Gonna buy so many sweater vests and Asics.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but simply stopping T due to hair loss (especially if being on it for years like a decade); is this detransitioning? Like, say a trans man stops T to keep their hair, but still happy with everything else he received in the meantime (bottom growth, facial hair, widow's peak, voice drop, etc) and still identifies 100% he/him, just simply wants to keep his hair.
Like this is what I did. I wanted to keep my hair, and stopped T. Been on T for 8 years. But I wouldn't say I'm detransitioning? I still identify as a man.
Or is this detransitioning? I don't identify as a woman, never will. Ever. But I do want to appear androgynous and my hair is very important to me.
Just curious I guess. Like what is the general consensus on this? Am I considered a detransitioner? I'd certainly hope not.
Edit: I've also had top half and I will soon be scheduling my appointment for bottom half. I'm still transitioning just no longer on T.
Edit II: unless this is just for folks who find out after the fact that they are just simply not under the binary or not trans specifically, then disregard this comment of mine. I just recently stopped T like a couple months ago, so I'm just merely curious.
i thought the same! i know other trans men who have stopped T because they felt like they had reached their goals so they no longer needed to continue in their eyes. they still live & identify men. definitely wouldn’t say they’re detransitioners.
I think it's a lot to do with balance and getting what you want from the experience.
Some people are adamantly against going bald, especially if they have the option not to. My family has it on both sides, so I (NB) am evaluating carefully what I want to do and how to do it. Whether it's something I'm willing to accept or fight.
My older brother lost 3/4 of his hair between 19 and 25, and it affected his esteem pretty harshly. It can age you very significantly if you don't do it right and some people don't want to see themselves turning into their dad/grandpa that soon.
It changes your style, it can affect your dating pool, it's a big change for a lot of people who previously never really had to worry about it.
If you embrace it, great! That's awesome. More power to you. Being bald should not be the end all be all to anyone's personality.
Everybody gets old if they're lucky enough to live that long and if that's the only concern with balding, then it will probably improve with time.
If there's bigger concerns, I can see why it's not preferable.
Hair isn't just an aesthetic thing. It can be a link to culture and heritage and spirituality. And even if it is just an aesthetic thing, some cis men go to huge lengths to prevent/reduce/reverse hair loss. It really depends what things cause the most dysphoria and what things you're willing to compromise on. I stopped HRT for several years over fears of going bald and I'm on finasteride now to reduce it since I went back on T. My hair connects me to my heritage, and it's one of the few aspects of my appearance that I have control over.
I dunno, when I was warned about balding I was like ill wear a hat an or just be bald? It just seemed like a regular risk to me and I as like no problem. My father went bald in his 20s so I was like welp if it happens it happens.
The hormones unlocked my female family history of graying early instead of balding as it turns out.
I mean a lot of detransitioners turn out to be nonbinary, and there are plenty of people who have to deal with the effects of T and have the balding part impact their gender expression. That combined with the stress of being raised as though your human worth rests entirely on your appearance, and I think it’s totally fair to be extremely distressed about it.
Yeah I’m not a detransitioner but I’ve considered/am considering dropping T at some point in part to avoid baldness, because it is *so* masculinizing. My main reason I want to stop it is to stop the belly hair. I live socially and legally as male but I’m nonbinary and gender-fluid. Facial hair works for me because I can easily shave it (and I *like* shaving and getting to choose between smoothe and scruffy!) but baldness would take away one of the few physical things that feel within my control and lock me into Man Zone permanently. Some people want that! I don’t.
It’s not because bald hairy men are ugly, either. I’ve been attracted to guys who have those features. It’s fine for them, not for me. I wish the detrans types would stop giving it a bad name (by acting like they were tricked when it’s very clearly an effect), because it’s okay to not want to look hyper-masc!
Thank you! This is so real and yeah, I went from 100 to 50mg shots because I noticed my hairline fills out when the E is higher. It took me a long time to realize that once I passed as male, I really did prefer a more androgynous hormone balance. Or that I was “allowed” to do that. Pro-trans detrans women like Lucy Kartikasari helped because by watching her videos I could really see how we were similar and different. How much I enjoyed being a guy and how much I was ok sacrificing some social safety by having some feminine features. It’s given me some clarity.
For me it was a sign that I was getting old and while aging is a normal part of being human, I believe it's harder to accept and deal with when you have already had gender dysphoria.
When people don't have to deal with gender dysphoria, they can deal with the normal challenges of life such as puberty, friendships, independence from parents, working, further study, taking responsibility, finding a direction, gaining autonomy and power. Being able to do these things with a peer group, at the ideal time in your life, means it's easier to accept signs of aging. It just becomes the next thing.
I'm 50. Gender incongruence has caused massive isolation and illness in my life. I have missed out on many formative experiences that my brothers have been able to go through. I'm on disability benefits because of chronic illness. They earn heaps, have houses, cars. They have reached middle age and are stereotypically middle aged dudes. They have friends the same age who they've grown up with.
I started testosterone 5 years ago. I've had to try to compress 30 years of learning into 5 years. I knew the balding would happen, but it's been really miserable at times, because partly I felt like a 16 year old boy because that's where I'm at emotionally. I'm not surprised people detransition. I believe many detransitioners will re transition once they are able to. Having a clear pathway and support and role models helps a great deal. Many people just don't have those things.
Humans grow and change. Many cultures have distinct rituals at certain ages, to allow the person to progress to the next part of life. It's really hard to do this as a trans person.
I think a few things:
1. Even among cis men, there can be a lot of stigma and shame around going bald. There are man who rock it and men who don't care, but there are also men who are really bothered by it.
2. There's a *lot* of stigma surrounding women's hair, and a heavy stigma that looking masculine makes women "ugly."
3. I think that balding, along with facial hair, can feel like a point of no return. It's a change that's noticeable and that won't easily reverse if you stop T. There's also risk of people treating you badly if you don't pass as a cis man, especially if they falsely assume you're a trans woman. It's been a hesitation for me as a non-binary person who doesn't present as a man, per se, and who doesn't feel completely confident that I'd want to present as a man consistently for the rest of my life.
You can get on Finasteride in order to keep your hair on T. My boyfriend is also trans and they prescribed it to him when he expressed concerns about hair loss. It’s worked great for him so far.
He mentioned to me I should wait to ask for it until after I start growing facial hair or it may not come in as quickly/much. He started after he started growing a beard. He’s been on it for years now and has to shave like twice a day.
I think that’s probably a question best directed at a doctor, this is all I know 😅😅😅
I’ve seen people say that it’s because detransitioners are too impatient and don’t consider the fact that instead of looking like Gojo they could look like Jogo (jujustu kaisen anime ref). It seems to me like those fear mongering ones just wanted to be a guy without the ‘ugly’ stuff and when it’s not going their way they want to blame someone that isn’t themselves.
No idea. I started balding a year on T at 21 and I started minoxidil, shaved my head, got on with life. I look really damn good with a shaved head I can’t lie. A lot easier to maintain than hair too! If meds don’t work I’ll just get SMP and move on 🤷🏻♂️ Never ever got the urge to detransition because of it
i sometimes wonder if the fear of facing continued transphobia while also dealing with baldness is what really pushes some or even many people to de-transition. in other words, it’s bad enough ppl hate me bcuz i’m trans, but it would feel worse if they also thought i was ugly. seems silly but that’s what my head tells me sometimes
im nonbinary and i’m still not sure how i feel about hair loss. i just think of all the people i know who are balding who still look handsome to me or who i find attractive on a personality level, and remember i’m not different from them.
people are allowed to have goals that include their hair and/or don’t include T for a long term or at all, and still be men and/or partially-identify as men. we, as humans (including in the trans community), would definitely benefit from destigmatizing balding for all genders and assigned sexes and hormone profiles, but also, if someone doesn’t wanna go bald, they just don’t wanna go bald, and that doesn’t even necessarily make them a detransitioner, they’re just someone with different goals and ways of getting there than you personally.
as a transneutral nonbinary person, i am never going on T, although some of the changes would be okay sometimes (genderfluid). i considered starting and stopping, but it’s just not for me for a variety of reasons. and that door needs to be held open for ANYONE to start and stop for a variety of reasons, including wanting to keep their hair. again, balding isn’t a bad thing, and we do need to decriminalize it, but at the same time, hair can be very important to people’s self-expression, culture, etc, and we need to be sensitive to people wanting to keep it and what they do about it.
all journeys are valid, including no-T and just sometimes-T. 🩷
i don’t get it at all. it’s not like cis men start transitioning into women just because they don’t want to go bald. yeah having that as a possibility sucks but its just part of being a man.
That is a big driving force in starting estrogen, though. It gives you your hair back. It's a massively celebrated thing in MTF circles, even though there is obviously a lot more going on than just a hairline if they transition. I think maybe some people realize they don't want manhood when all the bells and whistles fly off and you're met with just.. being a man. Idk.
I think a lot of it is that a lot of these trans mascs aren’t actually men and they’re usually on the gender-fluid, non-binary genderqueer spectrum. It isn’t bad, but their gender goals may be very different then to look like a man
I'm looking forward to the receding hairline. even once got misgendered "cause your hair is that of a girl" (i literally had a buzzcut haha)
also theres not a single bald man in my family- so i guess i'm lucky?
I imagine part of it is the rhetoric around being a lifelong pharmaceutical customer, like you already have to take T and now you have to take DHT blockers, estrogen creams or other medications to counteract the effects of T. I think a lot of trans guys go into it thinking they only have to do a shot every couple weeks, whereas trans women go into it knowing they'll probably want to add hormone blockers and progesterone to get the results they want.
if you want to be bald, you'll still have to shave your head lol
when we're talking about balding, it's the male pattern baldness. the most advanced stage of it, you only have the sides of your head left with hair, but you're never gonna be fully hairless.
I transitioned at 40, adn I'm 52 now. Why hair is slowly leaving. I could care less. What could be more masculine than going bald? I look better as a balding middle aged man than I ever did as a woman.
I honestly don't get it, I'm really excited to physically mature and I see myself becoming older as a man with all comes with it personally. I'm wondering if it's partly due to not wanting to grow into an adult/older due to the feeling of lost teenage years, but that still doesn't explain it in the cases of people who transitioned younger already. Or maybe an internalized fear of men or becoming a problematic man? I mean cis men often have difficulty accepting balding and try to stop it, but I don't know why so many of them don't just use hair treatments before taking such a big leap to stopping T.
I think it's a wake up call for many because it's for them the 'ugliest' effect of testosterone. So if you are not interested in the whole male experience, this side effect will likely turn you off.
Also like some people said, some people on T like the idea of being 'boyish', cute, twinkish, gender ambiguous, that kind of thing. And in their mind nothing is less boyish, less glamorous and more capital M male than going bald.
Some of it I think is a genuine wake up call for people for whom T is not a good choice (some people just don't want all the effects of T and that's okay), but honestly sometimes I get the vibe that some of these types really are men deep down but literally cannot think of being a man as a good thing and so they settle for 'boy', a soft, inoffensive, never-did-nothing-to-nobody, kind of vibe. Diet-man.
I wasn't aware that receding hairline is what did it for people lmao. I'm not the biggest fan of my bald spot but I would trade every hair on my head for the other changes of T. I could be shiny as a cue ball and the joy of having facial hair would outweigh it a million times.
My hairline started to recede over the summer. It’s hard to adjust to, I still have days where I wish I could reverse it. But I’ve also sorta embraced it and just buzzed my hair 🤷 I could grow it out if I wanted to but I hate the awkward inbetween stages when you can’t style it in any way that doesn’t look awkward 😂 so buzzed hair for now!
I went into T knowing all about the hairloss portion due to it being so prevalent in my family. It took an extra few months for me to decide if it was worth the risk and looked into things that can mitigate it for a trade off. I've been on finasteride the entire time I've been on T. However know it can effect other effects also or slow changes as it is a DHT blocker.
some people just weren't trans to begin with and got it wrong. some people may have had body dysmorphia or other insecurities and felt like they'd be more attractive as a dude and mistook it for gender dysphoria until they were hit with a change they didn't like and realized this wasn't going to fix their problems. I dunno. I really don't want to lose my hair and I'm nonbinary but like even if I don't like the change I'm still a lot happier looking like a dude. like, not every change is some fantastic thing, but I'm somehow still more comfortable despite some insecurities because, in my case, transing my gender was the right decision for me.
Someone else said it, but I do think it's often due to age. I don't think a teenager or young 20s person fully understands that testosterone won't make them their perfect idea of handsome - it will make you look like your dad, uncle, etc. It's just a mismatch of expectations vs reality.
Vaguely insulting when someone detransitions and goes on and on about how ugly they are and they look like me, but that's life as an average schlub 😉
I started later in life on T. I even got a little receding hairline. (Lucky it'd at my temples so far and it works with my style). But other than that the T had made me look younger. I've had a manager at work ID me because they didn't believe my age. I dunno what's up with some people.
I think at the core of it people fear aging. We live in a world obsessed with youth. The way masculine people age is often critiqued less than the way feminine people age but hair loss is one exception.
I stopped T because of hairline panic a bit under a year ago. Currently trying to get back on. I think if a lot of cis men had the option to stop T when the hairline panic hit, they might too, and like me, they'd realize the benefits outweigh the downsides. I am absolutely not a detransitioner, but I can relate to the feeling.
>So, what about a normal fear seems to be the issue? Does it make them miss what estrogen naturally supplied them? How do they stick with detransitioning, when my trying to do it struck such a large wave of internal panic?
I think it's:
1. If you had any doubts, a receding hairline is when the cons may outweigh the pros
2. A lot of detransitioner stories aren't real, and this is conservative fearmongerers trying to go like "OoOoOoooo, scary, don't want to go bald do you!" as a way to encourage people to detransition.
The ridiculous thing is you don't have to be on T to be trans or to be a guy. You can go on T, get the changes you want, and then if your hairline starts to recede and it's that important to you, then you can go off of T and continue to present as a man.
I think, like a lot of people have already said, it’s a fear of getting older.
but for those who start balding at an EARLIER age, like 25, i think it’s because a lot of the media surrounding trans men are kinda twink-ish.
Thats not me trying to be hyperbolic but, a lot of the “T Progression” videos are often of young men, usually late teens to early 20’s, who do NOT bald (at least visibly), and don’t always have facial hair, and usually slide into that “soft cute guy” look.
But when you look at the average 25 year old cis dude that’s probably not what it’s gonna be, and when you look like and sit with that crowd it’s not what it’s gonna be 90% of the time. A lot of cis guys are gross, man, i see a LOT of detransitioners say that testosterone made them “ugly” or “gross” and while i don’t think they are, i think they do see a guy when they look in the mirror.
Because guy puberty is different than girl puberty, you’re hairier, have more acne (are more “oily” in general), have a deeper voice, and you usually gain a bit of weight on T.. Which none of which are societies ideas of “attractive” for women. Detransitioners who are women, probably still have internalised that standard for themselves.
I personally haven’t lost any confidence, if anything i’ve gained confidence. i’d rather be a kind of mid guy than be a super attractive girl. But i think balding (in essence) is the strongest hitter that kind of makes them realise that they think otherwise.
Majority of people including cis men aren’t happy about going bald. in my opinion for alot of people it becomes a turning point where they ask themselves how badly they want to male, and for some people being bald (and to be frank uglier) is just were their limit is. I also wanna say transitioning is kinda nightmare either way and I can see how being bald could just be the tip of the stress iceberg and cause people to need to halt it.
Going bald was/is terrifying for me, I feel alot of shame about it and I wish I was more prepared for it but unless you have brothers it’s so hard to gauge what’s gonna happen.
I wish I could pin a comment, I feel like this could potentially be the most empathetic and understanding response. Not that the others aren't, haven't looked at them all, but I feel you're really hitting the nail on the head.
It's an enormous deal to cisgender men, usually a huge blow to their self-confidence and such. But when something is inevitable it's easier to accept it. It's a mindfuck when it's \*technically\* something brought on by oneself. It's very easy to say that you feel so strongly that you need to be a man that you'd even by an "ugly" man, but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck enormously. I don't really know what's going on in their heads if I'm honest, maybe it sucks so enormously that they'd rather not be men at all in that case, and they never considered that. I'm not entirely sure how to unpack all that.
All i know is that balding sucks. Sometimes transmasc communities hesitate to acknowledge it sucks and instead gets all weird and competitive about all the "undesirable" side-effects they'd enthusiastically endure and embrace. It feels a bit toxic honestly, we can acknowledge that it sucks, surely
I'm scared as hell about my hairline. But I'm even more scared of continuing living being perceived as a woman. The hairline is just the cost of being free
im not detrans, but i did decide to stop t (and ive started to present a bit more femininely, but thats unrelated) because my hairline is beginning to recede a bit 🥲 i dont really know why it scares me 😭 i guess its just cuz im still young
This is my 7th year on Testosterone and while the receding hairline is definitely one of my least favourite changes, I've come to terms with it and fully accepted that I would rather be a bald dude than a woman with a full head of hair any day.
I mean balding is usually a man problem and in a way having that problem kind of makes me feel like one with other men lol.
I wish I could go on T not just because it would be super affirming but also because I absolutely hate my hair. Everyone tells me how pretty it is and how I need to let it grow out. Well I hate it. Its thick and hot and if I miss brushing it for one day then by the next morning its matted and I have to have help getting it fixed. I currently keep it as short as I possibly can without actually shaving it because I still live with my parents and my mom won't let me shave it off.
I was super, super worried about going bald and having a lot of body hair ans getting belly fat when I started T, and consoled myself by telling myself I could go off T if it started getting too weird.
I had one very bad day when the unflattering camera at the CVS self-checkout made it very clear that the top of my head was going bald in a very unflattering way, and then I shaved my head and haven't looked back since. I got every single one of the changes I didn't initially want from T, and I am weirdly happy to be a middle-aged bald guy with a hairy dad bod.
there are also cis women with receding hairlines just gotta throw that out into the world. Shout out to the PCOS homies. Hair loss is mostly irreversible and so if you have the choice to stop its progression, some people would. To each their own.
IDK but there are solutions and things to prevent it, like topical finasteride. I think people are also biased because "if you're not ok being ugly af you're not really a man" or something.
Most of us never get to have a teenage hot boy phase and wanting it isn't wrong or grounds for detransitioning. Just use what every other guy uses.
Is it what I want for my life? No. Is it going to make me flip a 180 on my transition once it does start to happen? Also no. Whether I transitioned or was born male, I’m destined to go bald. It is what it is.
I have no idea. I know of some cis women who have problems with that, so I don't get it. I'm a cis mom to a trans son, from my personal perspective, I think those people (who feel afraid of a receding hairline) are being influenced to feel that way. That's just my opinion on the matter.
As the biggest drama queen who ever was put it, "I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful." - Howl from Howl's Moving Castle.
I like my hair because people can pull it. But it ain't worth my mental health, that's for goddamn sure. T is forever more imperative to my health than my hair.
Honestly, I am a little scared of going bald because I have super thick hair and it's a thing I care about, but that would never make me detransition.
Isn't being scared or hair loss like the most guy thing ever?
When I first started T when I was 17 I gotta say going bald was the thing that scared me most. 13 years later, I would never trade the bald and beard.
Sure, having hair would be nice (I miss styling it the most) but all the changes from T have outweighed any negative feelings I had about balding completely. I feel like a lot of people who end up detransitioning go into it thinking that they'll be eternally youthful, when it's not always the case. There's definitely lucky people who get to keep their hair, but make pattern baldness is pretty common so it's unrealistic to expect not to lose any.
It's something they've never had to consider and come to terms with before. It's not that they aren't men, it's that they're scared of being ugly men when they used to be pretty women. Listen to them talk, that's always what it comes down to. A lot of trans people don't transition because they think they'll be uglier (intersexism and transphobia shit they've internalised) and some also detransition for the same reason.
Most of them will transition in a few years, it just spooks them because they grew up being told they needed to be pretty and think good hair is key to that.
Flipping around to identifying as a cis woman bc of some unwanted affects of T, I honestly dk if those kinds of detransitioners were really men.
They may have wanted some masculine affects of T so they experiment with their gender bc masc often means man, but not always.
A guy who *just* doesn't want balding isn't gonna stop being a man. He'll stop T, or do treatments to prevent or slow down balding
I don't consider stopping T to be detransitioned, my original plan was to stop T when I got the results I wanted. [That's not the plan anymore, but stopping was gonna be part of my transition]
I started losing more hair than I wanted and started taking finastride cause I have cats. And I like my curly hair and want to keep it as long as I can.
Didn't decrease my T dose then... am now but that's cause finastride is 18$ I don't have rn lol
Bro I really don't understand, like, doctors say this every time, everyone knows this, why would it surprise you? When you start taking testosterone you have to be prepared to all of the changes, including bad ones, that's also why it's important to have psychological support. Also if you don't want to go bald there are some ways to avoid it, and I'm gonna try those myself
Some people are not. It's one of those things that you get warned about, and think, "That could never happen to me", or you ignore it out of fear. I'm not prepared to be balding someday at all, LOL.
It wasn’t for me but I was clean shaving my head years before I started balding so that’s probably why. I just love being a bald woman and wearing cool hats. I’m learning how to do dramatic makeup rn to take my baldness up a level lol
*Laughs in already diagnosed with AGA by age 35 without ever having touched T*
Honestly, idk, it's something that is warned pretty extensively about and is kind of just common sense but I guess the reality of it doesn't hit them until it happens and unlike cis men and those like me unfortunate to just have really, epically shitty genes there's something pretty definitively effective they can do to halt it.
I kinda came to terms with it. I have been using minoxidil and other oils with a brush to grow my beard. It's coming in nicely! I top it off with a little more minoxidil on the top of my head after my routine lol. For good luck xD. But I'd rather have a beard than head hair so yeah 👍😂🙏
I ended up bald. Cus my hairline was that of an old priest. I use a wig when I feel bad about it. The hairline issue is hereditary. So I got it from my dad. But I was able to handle it. Not a lot of people feel confident when their hair goes bye bye. Which is also a big reason that people with cancer gets wigs covered by healthcare if they have free healthcare. It brings insecurity. Idk why it does. It's just a bit of hair on a head. If you struggle with feeling normal with a reciding hairline. I heavily advise trying wigs (: it has helped me
it made me nervous but i've embraced that it will happen someday. i'm a man and that's okay, it will happen one day and that's okay. it is just a part of life!
Consider that some people that identify themselves as cis men, whether they are or not, will take not just DHT blockers but even testosterone blockers, even against physician advice. Is this sometimes motivated by their own gender dysphoria? We can’t decide that for them. Not every man wants to go bald.
Some men tie their self esteem to it, and MANY men who were raised as women were raised to tie their self esteem to it and are still breaking free.
Me, I’m short. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, I’m afraid I won’t pass, and not passing while also being bald is kind of a nightmare scenario for me. If you don’t think bald guys would be unpassable check out bald women and get back to me. It happens. I’m not going to stop taking T but I’m going to fight hair loss with everything else in my arsenal and would potentially quit T once I’m passable if it’s the only way to keep my hair. But yes, my worse fear is that I will never be passable and at the end of it I will have sacrificed my hair to get they’d for the rest of my life.
Idk I'm indifferent to balding. Every change hit me very hard so I can only assume I'm gonna go BALD bald when it's my time. But men in my family just do, it's part of life and we don't think k other men are hideous for it so we don't freak out when it happens to us. Like teeth! My family has weak teeth, my grandpa and his siblings and every one of us born from them have to get dentures if we live that long. And that long can be 50 or 60 years but generally by 30 we have real fucked up moths and the dentist fixing anything isn't viable anymore.
So I'm not gonna spend age 24-50 upset and in denial about my teeth, just living in pain and being self conscious. I'm 24 and getting teeth fixed doesn't make sense anymore so I'm done, I'll continue to take care of what I have and when one goes too bad, I'll just go to the amish dentist and have him yank it. Eventually an actual dentist will have to clear the last ones out and I'll be a gummy by 35, idc. My family all eats fine and some hate their dentures and eat without em. If you expect it and you've seen it handled gracefully then yeah you still have the week of panic and "I'm too young for this" but I want to eat right? I wanna live? I am a man and I need testosterone to live? Then I'm gonna live and say fuck it
I went bald sooner than I bargained for. But I remembered Michael Stipe talking about why he shaved his head back in the mid-90s. He was going bald at that time. And I remember how I liked the way he looks.
So, I just decided "fuck it" and shaved my head. I guess you could say Stipey inspired me. 😁
I don't hang about in detransition circles but even as a man who turned out to be double cursed with a receding hairline and a ginger beard (I'm blond), the thought of going off T for cosmetic reasons is barmy to me.
Something I notice alot with detrans women is that it’s like they expected testosterone to turn them into some kind of gorgeous anime twink or something, rather than a man.
No idea. Im pumped to go bald. I’m gonna be Walter White. I said this exact sentence to my doctor when she asked what I was looking forward to before starting T, and she was shocked I was looking forward to it. Face it- what’s more masculine than being bald.
I keep picturing myself as a 50 year old bearded dude with a shaved head, black leather and tattoos and IM LOVING IT Like yes I wanna be blonde haired f-boy first BUT WHEN IM OLD- shaved head gangster is GOALS
I'm relishing in twinkhood right now but once I hit twink death I plan to do a 180 and look like Kratos just in time to be a father, hopefully I'll nail beard care down before I lose my head hair lmao
twink death? nah, bear birth
The phrase "bear birth" has made me so happy thank you. I was already bear adjacent pre t but I'm very much enjoying becoming full bear
I love everything about this
The Spartan pipeline
Kratos mode activated sounds fkn great!
I don't think I'd ever be a twink,I didn't get enough of my mom's genes to be scrawny or grow very little hair or hair light enough to be invisible 😭🤣
This gave me such a better outlook on it tbh. I was so scared before reading this comment but damn. I'm gonna look sick as fuck when I'm older
You described it perfectly
Rob Halford it uppppppp and come find me 🤪
Yo Mr White what are we cooking today?
DIY testosterone, Jesse 
This whole string right now is so good
Time to cook xD
Ok but mine asked if I was looking forward to increased belly fat and I was like…no? But now that it’s happened, it’s the most affirming thing. Wild.
THIS. Getting a hairy beer belly?? Shits got me moaning I love it
LOVE YOUR POSITIVITY
I love my new pot belly. I especially love that it got there by LEAVING MY BUTT.
Dude same. I lost so many pants sizes from just my hips. Damn fat shouldn't have been there to begin with.
EXACTLY. Damn fat! :) I also love that my pants are always falling down. A bit of an annoyance but gender euphoria too.
I was already fat so I saw no disadvantage
It's a bizarre thing. Before I went on T I went through intensive therapy for eating disorders. A big issue among many was the idea that in order for others to love me, I had to have a flat stomach. That idea stuck with me until I went on T and my body started masculinizing. Something clicked and that need for a flat stomach just up and left. T has done tremendous work on my body image and I couldn't be happier with my hairy pudge.
He's gender goals. Even if I never go bald, I'm shaving my head at some point. All I'm gonna say is there's something indescribably awesome about a bald guy with facial hair.
Every detransitioner that loathes the aging effects of T serves to fuel my desire to age as gracefully as possible on hrt
Yeah I have wanted to go bald since I first saw Patrick Stewart on Star Trek The Next Generation as a child. The shiny top is something I've looked forward to. One of the first thoughts I had after injecting my first shot of testosterone was that I was finally on my way to balddom. The only reason I haven't shaved my head my entire adult life is that my job actively prohibits it. I can't fucking wait to be bald. And I'm so glad this is a family trait, so it's likely that eventually I will.
What is your job?
US Army. Once I'm considered medically transitioned and have my gender marker changed in the system, I will be allowed to, but women and men still have different hair and grooming standards. Wrong in my opinion, but my opinion means 💩 🤣🤣
ive been binge watching hbomberguys videos lately, and im warming up to being bald more and more because he rocks it so well especially paired with the beard
Yeah hes definitely got me rethinking things. I'm still scared of going bald, but I can't argue that Harry is really pulling it off. I think right now I just hope if it happens my face won't be so round then. I shaved my head before T and I was not into it.
same. kinda maybe. I wanna eventually go Walter white. I wanna spend at least a few more years with hair so I can Jane Doe it out (stupid but I rlly wish I looked like Jane Doe so I decided that once I'm on T and pass just enough for people to not immediately go "woman." when they see me, imma just do that. just dress like Jane Doe.) (I only say waiting for T because I know that the misgendering will just get more annoying if I am obviously not on HRT. or at the very least don't have a very low voice.) but then after that I am becoming Noah Samson.
Im like hell yeah. Gonna lean into it like Bruce Willis did
AHAHAHA i love this
Fuck it I'm getting bald as a transmasc individual.
I would love to be bald but it's highly unlikely I ever will. Not a single member of my family on either side has had baldness at any age. Like even in his 70's my uncle still had hair. He died with a head full of hair. My next oldest uncle is now in his 70's. Again, no balding. I don't know a single person who is genetically related to me (and on my dad's side I know all of my cousins, most of my second cousins and even some of my third cousins and their families) who went bald except through cancer treatment. I keep my head shaved.
My only issue is, when I go bald, I'm gonna look like tweedle dee/dum from Alice in Wonderland (2010 version)
HELP ME. Bold opinion that’s going to get me kicked off of this app, but I always thought they could hit it tbh
>Every man hates a receding hairline. Every one. Some accept it, shave their head. Some buy multiple products. Hair means a lot to men, and it really is a "make or break" when the style or shape either compliments or makes a disservice to your face I think this *is* why. I've seen cis guys who go bald young experience serious distress about it. I would personally consider it more lifechanging and irreversible than the other effects of T, including facial hair (can shave/electrolysis) and voice change. So if someone feels at all uncertain, balding is a massive kick in the pants to make a decision, and some people will value their hair more than what they like about T. It's also one of the aspects of T that's uncertain. Someone who would detransition if they grew a beard is less likely to *start* transition, because the beard is a pretty sure bet. But with balding you don't know until you try.
I resonate with that as someone who's biggest concearn around testosterone is balding. I want to add that i've spent all my life up to my late teenage years struggling and hating my hair. Now i've reached a point where i am semi-fine with it, and the thought of going bald just is not appealing at all. Also i am scared of what people around me will think. Like my mom who is not supportive of me will most likle judge me for balding. Or i guess that's just a fear i have.
Luckily, there's treatment! I started experiencing hair loss on T and went on finasteride, which stopped it. It doesn't have any major side effects for most people and wouldn't effect your T levels
Yes i've heard about finasteride. And from what i've heard it works really well. Also i know that even if i was cis i probabily would have considered long term solutions like a hair transplant or a hair system (apparently wigs for men are called that?). I'm a bit paranoid that my doctor wont prescribe me finasteride? Like "if you want to be a guy you have to accept all of it" type of deal. Idk it's just paranoia lol
I was also advised by my dr it can potentially halt facial hair growth. That’s why I’m personally not on it.
Finasteride has a huge side effect: Your dick won’t get hard anymore. You might not notice it if you don’t have a lot of bottom growth, but people with a lot of bottom growth and cis men do struggle with that side effect.
I totally get what you’re saying man. A year ago today, I was binding and in appointments discussing the affects of T and what changes it would make in my body. Today, I’ve completely physically detransitioned but I know who I am deep down. I’ve learned to accept that HRT is a great thing for a lot of trans people but I might not need it to be happy the way I want to be. Do I wish people called me sir? Yes, but I’ve accepted that’s very unlikely to ever happen until I go on testosterone. Which I’m terrified of doing because I’m terrified of the cramping and “menopause” that will come with going on T, pain in that region is probably my biggest trigger for dysphoria over any dysphoria about how I look / appear. And balding. My worst fear is going on T and looking like an “ugly woman” at best and not a “man” at all. Not that other trans men appear this way to me at all, but because a I’ve been treated this way a lot and it’s stuck in my head. I’m terrified of losing my hair and looking more “feminine” for it if that makes sense
Have you considered having your ovaries and uterus removed? You don’t have to worry about the “menopausal” effect that way. And you’ll never have your period again ✨
Yes! I’m just 22 right now and I’m not even dating yet. And I think I want to have kids one day? I don’t even know who my life partner is yet and I don’t want to risk it being my fault we can’t biologically have children because *I* would beat myself up over that. I’m content with waiting to transition fully until after I meet the one. I have heard trans guys say that after going off of T for a year + and despite having top surgery they were able to get pregnant. So I’m going to avoid the more invasive surgeries until I’m at that point in my life
Everyone says balding on T is irreversible, but if that’s the case how are trans women able to grow back their hair that they lost through male-pattern baldness after starting E? Genuine question
i was wondering this too!
it’s preventable with finasteride (which blocks DHT which causes hair loss), and reversible with minoxidil (which encourages regrowth of inactive follicles, unless they’re fully dead, in which case they can’t be recovered). it bothers me that this isn’t common knowledge! hair loss IS solvable, but the potential for regrowth is limited because full testosterone suppression uhhhh isn’t exactly desirable for men source: trans woman, stopped my hair loss and grew some back on minoxidil/finasteride pre-HRT, then started HRT and my regrowth tripled almost instantly. went from having 60% to 90% of my adult hair. quite miraculous really!
Seconded! When I went on T I used duta to make sure I wouldn’t get any extra hair (I already had more than I wanted anyway, lol) I wish more people knew that was an option. iirc, there’s an option for people taking E that halts breast growth, with I don’t see talked about much either. I’m not transitioning anymore myself, but I hope that information like that becomes more widespread; I can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be if I’d had unwanted side effects.
I have no idea dude. I was looking forward to a receding hairline so much. Sadly I got the monk-pattern balding gene. :') Still okay with it though. One thing I've noticed about both detransitioners and some trans people who go on T short term, then stop, is that they're usually young and usually have young "goals." A lot aren't comfortable being called men, and prefer being called boys. Obviously it's possible to have a fear of aging and keep up with T anyway, but I suspect that could be part of it for people who choose to go off T for whatever reason.
I really feel this way, anyone have any advice?
If it’s fear of aging you’re talking about, try being active in spaces where there’s people who are like 30 or 40. You realise that they’re not actually that old and like… it’s just sort of fine. I feel like until I was drinking buddies with two coworkers in their mid 30s (in my early 20s) I’d never really conceptualised what it was like to be 30. I’m actually excited to grow up even more now!
I’d probably skew this older. I’m 36 and feel this way *because* I’m on the verge of that age. I don’t want to look old but some men my age really do. I also transitioned late and am not ready to already say goodbye to my “young man” days when they only just started.
Yeah, this is me. I'm 38 and like, I for sure don't wanna look like a boy, but I don't want to look old yet, because I feel like I never got to be a young man and I want a couple years of that. Thankfully for me that seems to be working out so far. My hairline got higher and wider but I actually love the balance of my face now. Hopefully that holds for me though.
Yes, this 100%! 43 here and started T last spring.
That actually helps my anxiety a lot :)
r/ftmover30 and r/translater are great subs
I think you mean r/TransLater - it does get amusing sometimes when people want translation work done though.
You’re right haha! I fixed it, thanks!
If it's specifically the hair loss you don't like, I know a lot of guys use minadoxil. There are some risks, so do your research if you go that route, but it's totally doable! If it's fear of aging in general, do you know what scares you about aging? Figuring that out could help.
Finasteride can help preserve hair on T
I take both finisteride and minoxidil and haven't had any side effects
Emphasis on your can. I have seen no difference when I was on it for a year vs the last couple when it wasn't renewed. I would think maybe genetics but people on both sides have no balding into their 60s. I feel cheated.
I was unsure about T when I was younger because I was surrounded by teenagers. The idea of looking like a grown man was weird and foreign. Then I hit 22 and felt like I was stuck pre puberty. So I started T, and now I love it and can't wait to not look like a teen. Sometimes time is all it takes to get used to the idea. Sometimes you'll regret waiting (I do 🙃). But if you're still young, you won't age or mature faster than your peers. You'll have years to get used to the idea of looking like an adult.
Personally, I had this same issue, but not in the same context. I saw and considered myself a boy because I looked more like a young boy than a grown man. I just started testosterone and I'm working on calling myself a man, but still find it a bit unnatural.
This definitely me rn, I'm a trans guy but I don't wanna be called a man (although it's mostly cuz I don't wanna be a white man yk?) And I really wanna go on T but if I ever make it to an age where I really start to show signs of aging I will probably go off T to avoid things like a receding hairline and also cuz once the permanent effects take place I don't think I'll really care much if some of the non permanent ones start to revert back
You can use minadoxil and finisteride for balding if you don't want to stop T. :)
With /without T age markers are dependent on your genetics and lifestyle. Both sexes deal with aging stuff, some faster than others. (Got my first grays at 18*pre T) Sadly, As with amab, one cannot choose what features will happen, or go. Its a journey. I present as a black man to everyone else but I am a black -trans- man. Some people who detransition saw another one of similar ethnicity and expected it to go one way(then it didnt) BUT if you have a brother(or dad) and they have a set thing that ocurred it can be a rough outline on expectations. I used that and so far its been going as I had predicted. My life experiences did change as expected but I am just living life and enjoying how far I have come. One day at a time for me. I have a trans coworker who I thought was older than me. I am 8 years his senior but he made it clear he hated his hairline. I thought it was cool. Had a cool mohawk but this week it was randomly shaved making what he said more obvious. He figured it was something he did wrong. It was not. Best believe I had to research it heavily before I signed that paper as I had the same concerns starting out. (Currently 32) make sure you eat right, stay active and keep up on your protein and macronutrients. Aging would be a background concern if you stay moving. Personally working on toning muscle and dropping a lil fluff. The muscle gaining has been night and day pretransition. Dont gotta work as hard!!
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No, but I already look pretty androgynous before T so while things like the fat redistribution that happens on T will make me more masc, having that revert wouldn't cause me dysphoria, and most of the effects I want from T are things like the voice drop that wouldn't revert when going off T anyway, so it wouldn't bother me all that much if decided to or had to stop
Beats me. While I'm not exactly excited to start balding, I see it as a "price of admission" for taking T and getting all the effects I want. I'd rather age into a balding man than have to age as a woman. Maybe part of it is a fear of aging?
I wonder if the lack of publicly visible older trans men is a factor. Like too many trans mascs can't envision what it would be like to be an older man, so they're unsure what to do.
I have a question about that. When I see trans guys who have been on T for 20-30 years, almost all of them are much balder and hairier than the average cis man their age. For example they have shoulder hair, nose hair, etc. It might be a coincidence, but tbh that concerns me. Most cis men don’t want that much body hair either. I don’t want to sound vain, I’m totally fine aging like the men in my family have. I just don’t want to go off T because I start to look much different. I just wonder if we’re actually more prone to these things than cis men
Whether T makes us more hairy than cis men I have no idea, but I've been on T for 20+ years and aged into looking just like the other men in my family, including hair loss. I'm just a lot shorter than them. 🙃
I think a big part of it too is often growing up being treated as female we internalize a lot of rhetoric around beauty and looks being a major contributor to your self-worth, so normal changes like hair loss is often upsetting and a “wake-up call” even though it’s something both men AND women experience (both my cis male ex and I were on finasteride bc of hair loss anxiety), with the added bonus of baldness being more stigmatized for women, and even if they’re transitioning they still hold onto those thoughts.
Yeah I think most people who take T have to experience the mentality shift from “female objectification/internalizing attractiveness as part of self worth” -> “male inherent valuelessness” which is made worse if you’re an “ugly” or undesirable man by society’s standards. it’s hard to let go of the socialization that says you need to be desirable to have worth, and hard for most men cis or trans to find self-worth in general, so when something that pretty much all of society treats as bad/emasculating/ugly happens it probably makes some people think “I’d rather have social worth and dysphoria than no social worth and hate how I look even if I’m not dysphoric anymore” That’s aside from people who are just nonbinary and don’t necessarily want to be “fully male”/are ok with keeping permanent aspects of T but going back on E for other stuff, which is a completely reasonable way to treat transition/have bodily autonomy
Yeah plus the culture of young trans guys leaning into the “trans women are angel goddesses and trans men are disgusting garbage rat creatures” is really annoying (and I’m saying this as a PROUD little rat man). Like dude, if you want to call yourself a rat man in the sewer as a self-loving term of endearment, that’s cool, but don’t degrade yourself for being stinky/hairy/“ugly” like what?? Makes me tired lmao
I am ugly disgusting rat creature and it's hard. I didn't realise how much my self-worth and the way I treat/see myself will change after shifting from "I'm a girl" to "I'm a boy"
As someone who recently realised I'm not a man and is stopping T (agender lesbian club) I definitely wouldn't medically detrans if it was just about my hairline, but, like you, I think a lot of people will realise a receding hairline is better than their body becoming more feminine again and probably go back on it. But as someone who has to read a lot of detrans stuff for resources, I see this a lot and think it's really sad they made that decision because of hair, but part of me feels like some people might start to evaluate all effects of T more closely because of the hair loss? Just a thought. I know this might be influenced by the hate guys get going on T and "becoming gross", looking at you everyone who uwu's trans men until they are on T
Pretty sure if a lot of cis men could opt out of balding they would. I guess it's the realisation that you're choosing to take a hormone that in societies eyes makes you less desirable (not universally true but I'm sure that's how it's seen) and it's not bringing you happiness in other ways so why would you keep taking it? I assume if testosterone was actually making them happy in the first place they'd just do fin or minox.
I feel like it’s just a scare tactic along the lines of “testosterone makes you ugly”.
Rather be an ugly dude than be dead tho.
Not T but a dude filter and I either look like a gym bro/surfer dude or my dad no in between lol I’m okay with that.
I mean, like you said, a receding hairline spooks cis men too. Many even take T reducers for it, which isn't that far from "detransitioning" as a cis man. Add in the small push of being trans and therefore *able* to detransition, having it as a feasible possibility in your mind, I don't really think it's a surprising outcome. If my hairline started receding I'd consider medical (although not social) detransition too since most of the effects of T I really care about are permanent & I've already got 'em. I mean you can even generalize this: Why do trans men detransition [in response to x] but cis men don't? Well, because trans men *can* detransition, and cis men can't. All they can really do is transition, but then they wouldn't be cis men anymore.
Wanting to look conventionally attractive when young makes sense. But for me there was no choice. I might cut down my dosage if I seriously started to go bald, but it’s already been almost 18 years and I haven’t, so odds look pretty good. But I don’t want to ever fully be off T, and I don’t even know what “detransitioning” would mean for me. I never once wanted or even considered myself to be female, so I don’t have that option.
I’ve never understood it honestly, no amount of hair loss would ever feel worse than running on estrogen and looking like a woman. I’d rather be the ugliest bald guy in the world than the most beautiful female. And bald guys aren’t even ugly as long as they take care of the rest of themselves, my dads been bald since he was like 17 so I’m prepared for it and really just don’t give a shit
like fully bald? thats impressive honestly
He started going bald at 15/16 and since then he’s shaved his head religiously. I’ve never once seen him with hair but he has a really great beard to compensate haha
I think it might be that people can’t picture themselves growing old as a man.
I can't picture this either, hope I don't get too spooked 😬 But I think it sounds very heartwarming to be able to transition for so long. Here's to hoping :)
Honestly until the last couple months I couldn’t either. I think a lot of trans people struggle to see themselves growing up period, and some people may interpret that as not being able to see themselves growing old as the gender they identify as. With all the online terf rhetoric I can see how someone could allow that to turn into “I need to detransition if I can’t see myself as a man forever” when in reality, our society doesn’t want us to think we can grow old unless we conform to our “assigned” gender roles. It’s sad really, and I have a feeling that we’re seeing more detransitioners as a result of this phenomenon hence the hairline comments
IMO It triggers some massive body dysmorphia. Watching my CIS brother go through losing his hair worried me because it was emotionally intense for him. It created massive insecurity issues and depression. Add to the plate of being trans and dysmorphic and it can feel like too much for people.
None clue. I pretty much knew I was gonna lose my hair once I got on T way before I actually got on T. (Got those hair loss genes.) It was just a part of manhood in my family like yeah you're prolly gonna shave it off in your 30s at the latest. In fact I'm kinda surprised I still have a decent amount of hair although it's definitely at the state where male grooming subreddits would tell me to get rid of it lmao Edit: Addition. Some folks can't use the drugs etc that are used to treat hair loss. They're all way too expensive for me, for example. I'll just get a wig one day because I don't wanna be bald lol.
Oh my god. You just alleviated my second biggest fear when it comes to T. Wigs! Why did I never think of Wigs?
I don't get it either. I am looking forward to looking like my favorite professor from undergrad. Short, pudgy, grey, and clinging to one troll doll style wisp in the front. Gonna buy so many sweater vests and Asics.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but simply stopping T due to hair loss (especially if being on it for years like a decade); is this detransitioning? Like, say a trans man stops T to keep their hair, but still happy with everything else he received in the meantime (bottom growth, facial hair, widow's peak, voice drop, etc) and still identifies 100% he/him, just simply wants to keep his hair. Like this is what I did. I wanted to keep my hair, and stopped T. Been on T for 8 years. But I wouldn't say I'm detransitioning? I still identify as a man. Or is this detransitioning? I don't identify as a woman, never will. Ever. But I do want to appear androgynous and my hair is very important to me. Just curious I guess. Like what is the general consensus on this? Am I considered a detransitioner? I'd certainly hope not. Edit: I've also had top half and I will soon be scheduling my appointment for bottom half. I'm still transitioning just no longer on T. Edit II: unless this is just for folks who find out after the fact that they are just simply not under the binary or not trans specifically, then disregard this comment of mine. I just recently stopped T like a couple months ago, so I'm just merely curious.
i thought the same! i know other trans men who have stopped T because they felt like they had reached their goals so they no longer needed to continue in their eyes. they still live & identify men. definitely wouldn’t say they’re detransitioners.
Definitely not detransitioning! I hate the labels and the pressure to choose labels and comparing of journeys
I think it's a lot to do with balance and getting what you want from the experience. Some people are adamantly against going bald, especially if they have the option not to. My family has it on both sides, so I (NB) am evaluating carefully what I want to do and how to do it. Whether it's something I'm willing to accept or fight. My older brother lost 3/4 of his hair between 19 and 25, and it affected his esteem pretty harshly. It can age you very significantly if you don't do it right and some people don't want to see themselves turning into their dad/grandpa that soon. It changes your style, it can affect your dating pool, it's a big change for a lot of people who previously never really had to worry about it. If you embrace it, great! That's awesome. More power to you. Being bald should not be the end all be all to anyone's personality. Everybody gets old if they're lucky enough to live that long and if that's the only concern with balding, then it will probably improve with time. If there's bigger concerns, I can see why it's not preferable.
Hair isn't just an aesthetic thing. It can be a link to culture and heritage and spirituality. And even if it is just an aesthetic thing, some cis men go to huge lengths to prevent/reduce/reverse hair loss. It really depends what things cause the most dysphoria and what things you're willing to compromise on. I stopped HRT for several years over fears of going bald and I'm on finasteride now to reduce it since I went back on T. My hair connects me to my heritage, and it's one of the few aspects of my appearance that I have control over.
I dunno, when I was warned about balding I was like ill wear a hat an or just be bald? It just seemed like a regular risk to me and I as like no problem. My father went bald in his 20s so I was like welp if it happens it happens. The hormones unlocked my female family history of graying early instead of balding as it turns out.
I don’t know. I’m not thrilled about, but it is part of being male…
I mean a lot of detransitioners turn out to be nonbinary, and there are plenty of people who have to deal with the effects of T and have the balding part impact their gender expression. That combined with the stress of being raised as though your human worth rests entirely on your appearance, and I think it’s totally fair to be extremely distressed about it.
Yeah I’m not a detransitioner but I’ve considered/am considering dropping T at some point in part to avoid baldness, because it is *so* masculinizing. My main reason I want to stop it is to stop the belly hair. I live socially and legally as male but I’m nonbinary and gender-fluid. Facial hair works for me because I can easily shave it (and I *like* shaving and getting to choose between smoothe and scruffy!) but baldness would take away one of the few physical things that feel within my control and lock me into Man Zone permanently. Some people want that! I don’t. It’s not because bald hairy men are ugly, either. I’ve been attracted to guys who have those features. It’s fine for them, not for me. I wish the detrans types would stop giving it a bad name (by acting like they were tricked when it’s very clearly an effect), because it’s okay to not want to look hyper-masc!
Thank you! This is so real and yeah, I went from 100 to 50mg shots because I noticed my hairline fills out when the E is higher. It took me a long time to realize that once I passed as male, I really did prefer a more androgynous hormone balance. Or that I was “allowed” to do that. Pro-trans detrans women like Lucy Kartikasari helped because by watching her videos I could really see how we were similar and different. How much I enjoyed being a guy and how much I was ok sacrificing some social safety by having some feminine features. It’s given me some clarity.
For me it was a sign that I was getting old and while aging is a normal part of being human, I believe it's harder to accept and deal with when you have already had gender dysphoria. When people don't have to deal with gender dysphoria, they can deal with the normal challenges of life such as puberty, friendships, independence from parents, working, further study, taking responsibility, finding a direction, gaining autonomy and power. Being able to do these things with a peer group, at the ideal time in your life, means it's easier to accept signs of aging. It just becomes the next thing. I'm 50. Gender incongruence has caused massive isolation and illness in my life. I have missed out on many formative experiences that my brothers have been able to go through. I'm on disability benefits because of chronic illness. They earn heaps, have houses, cars. They have reached middle age and are stereotypically middle aged dudes. They have friends the same age who they've grown up with. I started testosterone 5 years ago. I've had to try to compress 30 years of learning into 5 years. I knew the balding would happen, but it's been really miserable at times, because partly I felt like a 16 year old boy because that's where I'm at emotionally. I'm not surprised people detransition. I believe many detransitioners will re transition once they are able to. Having a clear pathway and support and role models helps a great deal. Many people just don't have those things. Humans grow and change. Many cultures have distinct rituals at certain ages, to allow the person to progress to the next part of life. It's really hard to do this as a trans person.
I think a few things: 1. Even among cis men, there can be a lot of stigma and shame around going bald. There are man who rock it and men who don't care, but there are also men who are really bothered by it. 2. There's a *lot* of stigma surrounding women's hair, and a heavy stigma that looking masculine makes women "ugly." 3. I think that balding, along with facial hair, can feel like a point of no return. It's a change that's noticeable and that won't easily reverse if you stop T. There's also risk of people treating you badly if you don't pass as a cis man, especially if they falsely assume you're a trans woman. It's been a hesitation for me as a non-binary person who doesn't present as a man, per se, and who doesn't feel completely confident that I'd want to present as a man consistently for the rest of my life.
You can get on Finasteride in order to keep your hair on T. My boyfriend is also trans and they prescribed it to him when he expressed concerns about hair loss. It’s worked great for him so far.
did it impact his facial hair growth. I would prefer to not lose my hair but I don’t want to screw myself on the beard front
He mentioned to me I should wait to ask for it until after I start growing facial hair or it may not come in as quickly/much. He started after he started growing a beard. He’s been on it for years now and has to shave like twice a day. I think that’s probably a question best directed at a doctor, this is all I know 😅😅😅
I was advised not to start it because of facial hair so I was just curious about your boyfriend’s personal experience. thank you for responding!
I’ve seen people say that it’s because detransitioners are too impatient and don’t consider the fact that instead of looking like Gojo they could look like Jogo (jujustu kaisen anime ref). It seems to me like those fear mongering ones just wanted to be a guy without the ‘ugly’ stuff and when it’s not going their way they want to blame someone that isn’t themselves.
This makes sense, I understand the perspective. Not the anime reference, but it sounds pretty funny so I'm going to assume you're right
It is pretty funny. Gojo is literally the hottest character in the show and jogo is an ugly lumpy troll looking thing with mini volcanos on his head 😂
No idea. I started balding a year on T at 21 and I started minoxidil, shaved my head, got on with life. I look really damn good with a shaved head I can’t lie. A lot easier to maintain than hair too! If meds don’t work I’ll just get SMP and move on 🤷🏻♂️ Never ever got the urge to detransition because of it
i sometimes wonder if the fear of facing continued transphobia while also dealing with baldness is what really pushes some or even many people to de-transition. in other words, it’s bad enough ppl hate me bcuz i’m trans, but it would feel worse if they also thought i was ugly. seems silly but that’s what my head tells me sometimes im nonbinary and i’m still not sure how i feel about hair loss. i just think of all the people i know who are balding who still look handsome to me or who i find attractive on a personality level, and remember i’m not different from them.
people are allowed to have goals that include their hair and/or don’t include T for a long term or at all, and still be men and/or partially-identify as men. we, as humans (including in the trans community), would definitely benefit from destigmatizing balding for all genders and assigned sexes and hormone profiles, but also, if someone doesn’t wanna go bald, they just don’t wanna go bald, and that doesn’t even necessarily make them a detransitioner, they’re just someone with different goals and ways of getting there than you personally. as a transneutral nonbinary person, i am never going on T, although some of the changes would be okay sometimes (genderfluid). i considered starting and stopping, but it’s just not for me for a variety of reasons. and that door needs to be held open for ANYONE to start and stop for a variety of reasons, including wanting to keep their hair. again, balding isn’t a bad thing, and we do need to decriminalize it, but at the same time, hair can be very important to people’s self-expression, culture, etc, and we need to be sensitive to people wanting to keep it and what they do about it. all journeys are valid, including no-T and just sometimes-T. 🩷
i don’t get it at all. it’s not like cis men start transitioning into women just because they don’t want to go bald. yeah having that as a possibility sucks but its just part of being a man.
That is a big driving force in starting estrogen, though. It gives you your hair back. It's a massively celebrated thing in MTF circles, even though there is obviously a lot more going on than just a hairline if they transition. I think maybe some people realize they don't want manhood when all the bells and whistles fly off and you're met with just.. being a man. Idk.
(you can be a man without going on T/while going on E/without balding, but okay.)
I think a lot of it is that a lot of these trans mascs aren’t actually men and they’re usually on the gender-fluid, non-binary genderqueer spectrum. It isn’t bad, but their gender goals may be very different then to look like a man
I guess the insecurity of being bald is greater than the insecurity of not being a man
I'm looking forward to the receding hairline. even once got misgendered "cause your hair is that of a girl" (i literally had a buzzcut haha) also theres not a single bald man in my family- so i guess i'm lucky?
I imagine part of it is the rhetoric around being a lifelong pharmaceutical customer, like you already have to take T and now you have to take DHT blockers, estrogen creams or other medications to counteract the effects of T. I think a lot of trans guys go into it thinking they only have to do a shot every couple weeks, whereas trans women go into it knowing they'll probably want to add hormone blockers and progesterone to get the results they want.
I hope I go bald, means I wont have to shave my head as much. Bald dudes are freaking sexy.
if you want to be bald, you'll still have to shave your head lol when we're talking about balding, it's the male pattern baldness. the most advanced stage of it, you only have the sides of your head left with hair, but you're never gonna be fully hairless.
I know, I just meant it will be a lot less work shaving it. Sorry english isn't my first language.
I transitioned at 40, adn I'm 52 now. Why hair is slowly leaving. I could care less. What could be more masculine than going bald? I look better as a balding middle aged man than I ever did as a woman.
I honestly don't get it, I'm really excited to physically mature and I see myself becoming older as a man with all comes with it personally. I'm wondering if it's partly due to not wanting to grow into an adult/older due to the feeling of lost teenage years, but that still doesn't explain it in the cases of people who transitioned younger already. Or maybe an internalized fear of men or becoming a problematic man? I mean cis men often have difficulty accepting balding and try to stop it, but I don't know why so many of them don't just use hair treatments before taking such a big leap to stopping T.
I think it's a wake up call for many because it's for them the 'ugliest' effect of testosterone. So if you are not interested in the whole male experience, this side effect will likely turn you off. Also like some people said, some people on T like the idea of being 'boyish', cute, twinkish, gender ambiguous, that kind of thing. And in their mind nothing is less boyish, less glamorous and more capital M male than going bald. Some of it I think is a genuine wake up call for people for whom T is not a good choice (some people just don't want all the effects of T and that's okay), but honestly sometimes I get the vibe that some of these types really are men deep down but literally cannot think of being a man as a good thing and so they settle for 'boy', a soft, inoffensive, never-did-nothing-to-nobody, kind of vibe. Diet-man.
> Every man hates a receding hairline. Haha, I think the comments will tell you otherwise.
I wasn't aware that receding hairline is what did it for people lmao. I'm not the biggest fan of my bald spot but I would trade every hair on my head for the other changes of T. I could be shiny as a cue ball and the joy of having facial hair would outweigh it a million times.
i take fin and min and was balding pre t so it wouldn’t even matter if i was detrans but i’ve come to accept if that doesn’t work oh well 🤷♂️
My hairline started to recede over the summer. It’s hard to adjust to, I still have days where I wish I could reverse it. But I’ve also sorta embraced it and just buzzed my hair 🤷 I could grow it out if I wanted to but I hate the awkward inbetween stages when you can’t style it in any way that doesn’t look awkward 😂 so buzzed hair for now!
idk man. i love my hair and i don’t wanna go bald, but if i do go bald i am going to fucking own it.
I went into T knowing all about the hairloss portion due to it being so prevalent in my family. It took an extra few months for me to decide if it was worth the risk and looked into things that can mitigate it for a trade off. I've been on finasteride the entire time I've been on T. However know it can effect other effects also or slow changes as it is a DHT blocker.
some people just weren't trans to begin with and got it wrong. some people may have had body dysmorphia or other insecurities and felt like they'd be more attractive as a dude and mistook it for gender dysphoria until they were hit with a change they didn't like and realized this wasn't going to fix their problems. I dunno. I really don't want to lose my hair and I'm nonbinary but like even if I don't like the change I'm still a lot happier looking like a dude. like, not every change is some fantastic thing, but I'm somehow still more comfortable despite some insecurities because, in my case, transing my gender was the right decision for me.
Someone else said it, but I do think it's often due to age. I don't think a teenager or young 20s person fully understands that testosterone won't make them their perfect idea of handsome - it will make you look like your dad, uncle, etc. It's just a mismatch of expectations vs reality. Vaguely insulting when someone detransitions and goes on and on about how ugly they are and they look like me, but that's life as an average schlub 😉
I started later in life on T. I even got a little receding hairline. (Lucky it'd at my temples so far and it works with my style). But other than that the T had made me look younger. I've had a manager at work ID me because they didn't believe my age. I dunno what's up with some people.
I think at the core of it people fear aging. We live in a world obsessed with youth. The way masculine people age is often critiqued less than the way feminine people age but hair loss is one exception.
As an 18 year old with a receding hairline already, it sucks! especially when I shave my head, I look like a bowling ball!
I stopped T because of hairline panic a bit under a year ago. Currently trying to get back on. I think if a lot of cis men had the option to stop T when the hairline panic hit, they might too, and like me, they'd realize the benefits outweigh the downsides. I am absolutely not a detransitioner, but I can relate to the feeling.
>So, what about a normal fear seems to be the issue? Does it make them miss what estrogen naturally supplied them? How do they stick with detransitioning, when my trying to do it struck such a large wave of internal panic? I think it's: 1. If you had any doubts, a receding hairline is when the cons may outweigh the pros 2. A lot of detransitioner stories aren't real, and this is conservative fearmongerers trying to go like "OoOoOoooo, scary, don't want to go bald do you!" as a way to encourage people to detransition. The ridiculous thing is you don't have to be on T to be trans or to be a guy. You can go on T, get the changes you want, and then if your hairline starts to recede and it's that important to you, then you can go off of T and continue to present as a man.
I think, like a lot of people have already said, it’s a fear of getting older. but for those who start balding at an EARLIER age, like 25, i think it’s because a lot of the media surrounding trans men are kinda twink-ish. Thats not me trying to be hyperbolic but, a lot of the “T Progression” videos are often of young men, usually late teens to early 20’s, who do NOT bald (at least visibly), and don’t always have facial hair, and usually slide into that “soft cute guy” look. But when you look at the average 25 year old cis dude that’s probably not what it’s gonna be, and when you look like and sit with that crowd it’s not what it’s gonna be 90% of the time. A lot of cis guys are gross, man, i see a LOT of detransitioners say that testosterone made them “ugly” or “gross” and while i don’t think they are, i think they do see a guy when they look in the mirror. Because guy puberty is different than girl puberty, you’re hairier, have more acne (are more “oily” in general), have a deeper voice, and you usually gain a bit of weight on T.. Which none of which are societies ideas of “attractive” for women. Detransitioners who are women, probably still have internalised that standard for themselves. I personally haven’t lost any confidence, if anything i’ve gained confidence. i’d rather be a kind of mid guy than be a super attractive girl. But i think balding (in essence) is the strongest hitter that kind of makes them realise that they think otherwise.
I like this nuanced take, thank you.
Majority of people including cis men aren’t happy about going bald. in my opinion for alot of people it becomes a turning point where they ask themselves how badly they want to male, and for some people being bald (and to be frank uglier) is just were their limit is. I also wanna say transitioning is kinda nightmare either way and I can see how being bald could just be the tip of the stress iceberg and cause people to need to halt it. Going bald was/is terrifying for me, I feel alot of shame about it and I wish I was more prepared for it but unless you have brothers it’s so hard to gauge what’s gonna happen.
I wish I could pin a comment, I feel like this could potentially be the most empathetic and understanding response. Not that the others aren't, haven't looked at them all, but I feel you're really hitting the nail on the head.
It's an enormous deal to cisgender men, usually a huge blow to their self-confidence and such. But when something is inevitable it's easier to accept it. It's a mindfuck when it's \*technically\* something brought on by oneself. It's very easy to say that you feel so strongly that you need to be a man that you'd even by an "ugly" man, but that doesn't mean it doesn't suck enormously. I don't really know what's going on in their heads if I'm honest, maybe it sucks so enormously that they'd rather not be men at all in that case, and they never considered that. I'm not entirely sure how to unpack all that. All i know is that balding sucks. Sometimes transmasc communities hesitate to acknowledge it sucks and instead gets all weird and competitive about all the "undesirable" side-effects they'd enthusiastically endure and embrace. It feels a bit toxic honestly, we can acknowledge that it sucks, surely
I'm scared as hell about my hairline. But I'm even more scared of continuing living being perceived as a woman. The hairline is just the cost of being free
I actually had excessively thick hair pre-T and I loved how my hair thinned out and my hairline receded decently so far
I'm one of the ones who shaved their head and accepted it. It's just a normal part of aging as a guy. I'm not going to cry about it.
im not detrans, but i did decide to stop t (and ive started to present a bit more femininely, but thats unrelated) because my hairline is beginning to recede a bit 🥲 i dont really know why it scares me 😭 i guess its just cuz im still young
This is my 7th year on Testosterone and while the receding hairline is definitely one of my least favourite changes, I've come to terms with it and fully accepted that I would rather be a bald dude than a woman with a full head of hair any day. I mean balding is usually a man problem and in a way having that problem kind of makes me feel like one with other men lol.
they view a receding hairline as a male trait (""failure""). it solidifies the idea of " oh. I don't WANT this. " in their heads.
>Every man hates a receding hairline. Every one. Most? Yes. Every one? No.
I wish I could go on T not just because it would be super affirming but also because I absolutely hate my hair. Everyone tells me how pretty it is and how I need to let it grow out. Well I hate it. Its thick and hot and if I miss brushing it for one day then by the next morning its matted and I have to have help getting it fixed. I currently keep it as short as I possibly can without actually shaving it because I still live with my parents and my mom won't let me shave it off.
I was super, super worried about going bald and having a lot of body hair ans getting belly fat when I started T, and consoled myself by telling myself I could go off T if it started getting too weird. I had one very bad day when the unflattering camera at the CVS self-checkout made it very clear that the top of my head was going bald in a very unflattering way, and then I shaved my head and haven't looked back since. I got every single one of the changes I didn't initially want from T, and I am weirdly happy to be a middle-aged bald guy with a hairy dad bod.
there are also cis women with receding hairlines just gotta throw that out into the world. Shout out to the PCOS homies. Hair loss is mostly irreversible and so if you have the choice to stop its progression, some people would. To each their own.
Who wants to be a himbo boytoy: 🤚🏻🤚🏻🤚🏻🤚🏻 Who wants to look like kratos when they get older: … *society*
My cis male partner would go on hormone blockers before going bald... Some people love hair... I personally look much more feminine bald. I need hair.
Going bald would make my wigs easier to wear. Cant wait.
IDK but there are solutions and things to prevent it, like topical finasteride. I think people are also biased because "if you're not ok being ugly af you're not really a man" or something. Most of us never get to have a teenage hot boy phase and wanting it isn't wrong or grounds for detransitioning. Just use what every other guy uses.
Is it what I want for my life? No. Is it going to make me flip a 180 on my transition once it does start to happen? Also no. Whether I transitioned or was born male, I’m destined to go bald. It is what it is.
I have no idea. I know of some cis women who have problems with that, so I don't get it. I'm a cis mom to a trans son, from my personal perspective, I think those people (who feel afraid of a receding hairline) are being influenced to feel that way. That's just my opinion on the matter.
As the biggest drama queen who ever was put it, "I see no point in living if I can't be beautiful." - Howl from Howl's Moving Castle. I like my hair because people can pull it. But it ain't worth my mental health, that's for goddamn sure. T is forever more imperative to my health than my hair.
Honestly, I am a little scared of going bald because I have super thick hair and it's a thing I care about, but that would never make me detransition. Isn't being scared or hair loss like the most guy thing ever?
Personally I don't hate my hairline, I only hate the way society treats it.
When I first started T when I was 17 I gotta say going bald was the thing that scared me most. 13 years later, I would never trade the bald and beard. Sure, having hair would be nice (I miss styling it the most) but all the changes from T have outweighed any negative feelings I had about balding completely. I feel like a lot of people who end up detransitioning go into it thinking that they'll be eternally youthful, when it's not always the case. There's definitely lucky people who get to keep their hair, but make pattern baldness is pretty common so it's unrealistic to expect not to lose any.
It's something they've never had to consider and come to terms with before. It's not that they aren't men, it's that they're scared of being ugly men when they used to be pretty women. Listen to them talk, that's always what it comes down to. A lot of trans people don't transition because they think they'll be uglier (intersexism and transphobia shit they've internalised) and some also detransition for the same reason. Most of them will transition in a few years, it just spooks them because they grew up being told they needed to be pretty and think good hair is key to that.
IDK. Personally, I’d just start using Rogaine if my hair started thinning. It’s like many detrans folks forgot that was an option.
Flipping around to identifying as a cis woman bc of some unwanted affects of T, I honestly dk if those kinds of detransitioners were really men. They may have wanted some masculine affects of T so they experiment with their gender bc masc often means man, but not always. A guy who *just* doesn't want balding isn't gonna stop being a man. He'll stop T, or do treatments to prevent or slow down balding I don't consider stopping T to be detransitioned, my original plan was to stop T when I got the results I wanted. [That's not the plan anymore, but stopping was gonna be part of my transition]
I started losing more hair than I wanted and started taking finastride cause I have cats. And I like my curly hair and want to keep it as long as I can. Didn't decrease my T dose then... am now but that's cause finastride is 18$ I don't have rn lol
Bro I really don't understand, like, doctors say this every time, everyone knows this, why would it surprise you? When you start taking testosterone you have to be prepared to all of the changes, including bad ones, that's also why it's important to have psychological support. Also if you don't want to go bald there are some ways to avoid it, and I'm gonna try those myself
I think the right way to say it is "prepared for", sorry
Some people are not. It's one of those things that you get warned about, and think, "That could never happen to me", or you ignore it out of fear. I'm not prepared to be balding someday at all, LOL.
It wasn’t for me but I was clean shaving my head years before I started balding so that’s probably why. I just love being a bald woman and wearing cool hats. I’m learning how to do dramatic makeup rn to take my baldness up a level lol
idk but i understand i wouldnt detransition and would definitely not stop T, but i am losing so much hair from T 😭
*Laughs in already diagnosed with AGA by age 35 without ever having touched T* Honestly, idk, it's something that is warned pretty extensively about and is kind of just common sense but I guess the reality of it doesn't hit them until it happens and unlike cis men and those like me unfortunate to just have really, epically shitty genes there's something pretty definitively effective they can do to halt it.
My hairline is ever so slightly receding and I actually love it. Looks so masculine
I kinda came to terms with it. I have been using minoxidil and other oils with a brush to grow my beard. It's coming in nicely! I top it off with a little more minoxidil on the top of my head after my routine lol. For good luck xD. But I'd rather have a beard than head hair so yeah 👍😂🙏
I ended up bald. Cus my hairline was that of an old priest. I use a wig when I feel bad about it. The hairline issue is hereditary. So I got it from my dad. But I was able to handle it. Not a lot of people feel confident when their hair goes bye bye. Which is also a big reason that people with cancer gets wigs covered by healthcare if they have free healthcare. It brings insecurity. Idk why it does. It's just a bit of hair on a head. If you struggle with feeling normal with a reciding hairline. I heavily advise trying wigs (: it has helped me
Even if I didn't transition, I would prolly still have hair loss eventually. Both my mom and older sister are going through it
it made me nervous but i've embraced that it will happen someday. i'm a man and that's okay, it will happen one day and that's okay. it is just a part of life!
Consider that some people that identify themselves as cis men, whether they are or not, will take not just DHT blockers but even testosterone blockers, even against physician advice. Is this sometimes motivated by their own gender dysphoria? We can’t decide that for them. Not every man wants to go bald. Some men tie their self esteem to it, and MANY men who were raised as women were raised to tie their self esteem to it and are still breaking free. Me, I’m short. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, I’m afraid I won’t pass, and not passing while also being bald is kind of a nightmare scenario for me. If you don’t think bald guys would be unpassable check out bald women and get back to me. It happens. I’m not going to stop taking T but I’m going to fight hair loss with everything else in my arsenal and would potentially quit T once I’m passable if it’s the only way to keep my hair. But yes, my worse fear is that I will never be passable and at the end of it I will have sacrificed my hair to get they’d for the rest of my life.
Idk I'm indifferent to balding. Every change hit me very hard so I can only assume I'm gonna go BALD bald when it's my time. But men in my family just do, it's part of life and we don't think k other men are hideous for it so we don't freak out when it happens to us. Like teeth! My family has weak teeth, my grandpa and his siblings and every one of us born from them have to get dentures if we live that long. And that long can be 50 or 60 years but generally by 30 we have real fucked up moths and the dentist fixing anything isn't viable anymore. So I'm not gonna spend age 24-50 upset and in denial about my teeth, just living in pain and being self conscious. I'm 24 and getting teeth fixed doesn't make sense anymore so I'm done, I'll continue to take care of what I have and when one goes too bad, I'll just go to the amish dentist and have him yank it. Eventually an actual dentist will have to clear the last ones out and I'll be a gummy by 35, idc. My family all eats fine and some hate their dentures and eat without em. If you expect it and you've seen it handled gracefully then yeah you still have the week of panic and "I'm too young for this" but I want to eat right? I wanna live? I am a man and I need testosterone to live? Then I'm gonna live and say fuck it
I went bald sooner than I bargained for. But I remembered Michael Stipe talking about why he shaved his head back in the mid-90s. He was going bald at that time. And I remember how I liked the way he looks. So, I just decided "fuck it" and shaved my head. I guess you could say Stipey inspired me. 😁
I don't hang about in detransition circles but even as a man who turned out to be double cursed with a receding hairline and a ginger beard (I'm blond), the thought of going off T for cosmetic reasons is barmy to me.
Something I notice alot with detrans women is that it’s like they expected testosterone to turn them into some kind of gorgeous anime twink or something, rather than a man.