This hair recovery timeline is not an endorsement of using Estradiol for hair recovery. Estradiol will dramatically reduce Testosterone production in Testicles and hence serum levels. Estradiol may also permanently sterilize reproductive ability/sperm production (the science is not clear currently). It can also reduce the size of penis/testicles/prostate.
My Testosterone levels are well below castration/in cis female range. I already had kid(s) and felt there was nothing to lose by starting Estradiol since I had already tried every major class of pharmaceutical drug in an attempt to help with issues of Depersonalization, Anhedonia, and Chronic Atypical Depression. Although I did not feel any gender dysphoria, as a shot in the dark I decided to try Estradiol. It was immediately effective in treatment of Anhedonia and NMDA/depersonalization has dramatically improved by 6 months.
20210209 At the time of this writing I believe I am around Norwood 5, recovered from Norwood 7. That said I also believe I am shedding a lot of gains and thinning because of a more recently aggressive treatment.
Hair recovery is slow and it’s always hard to tell, so be gentle if you disagree. I love every one of you beautiful bastards doing your hobby hair recovery science!
Picture 2017, Norwood 7
2mg Estradiol Oral SL (daily)
I started Estradiol not feeling any gender dysphoria, but wanted to see if it fixed my issues with NMDA/Dopamine function.
3mg Estradiol Oral SL (daily)
My anhedonia immediately improved on Estradiol. No changes to NMDA/depersonalization.
Started noticing hair regrowth – surprising
7mg Estradiol Valerate IM (every 5 days)
Still no improvements to NMDA/depersonalization but increased Estradiol dosage.
7mg Estradiol Valerate IM (every 5 days)
Finally noticing some minor improvements with NMDA/depersonalization issues.
My wife says my hairline is marching forward a little each month.
Crazy thoughts… can I regrow a full head of hair?
Started Minoxidil 5%
Started 1.5mm microneedling weekly
I also started to regain feeling in my scalp, which had none previously. This led to me stopping with microneedling thinking maybe Estradiol would be enough on its own.
0.1mg Estradiol Patch (2x weekly)
Doctor said my peak serum Estradiol was too high and dumped me way back to 1/3rd the dosage roughly. Felt horrible until switching doctors and increasing dosage. (labs revealed 81pg/mL Estradiol – not enough!)
Estradiol 0.2mg Patch (0.1mg 4x weekly)
Feeling much better at roughly ~160pg/mL serum Estradiol. Major improvements to NMDA/depersonalization at this point.
Appears hair is thinning, which I thought was lowered Estradiol dosage; however, might have been from Minoxidil/microneedling (stamp).
I was too depressed and stopped hair treatment entirely in the interim.
Definitely shedding/thinning from hair treatments
Restarted Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Started Dutasteride 0.5mg daily
Started Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 (not exactly the same, but as close as I could get from compounding pharmacy).
https://www.reddit.com/r/DrWillPowers/wiki/hair-restoration
Estradiol 0.3mg Patch (0.1mg 6x weekly)
Trying to use up patches the last couple of weeks to switch to 4mg weekly Estradiol Cypionate IM soon. Serum Estradiol ~240pg/mL.
Continued improvements to NMDA/depersonalization issues.
2.28mg Estradiol Cypionate IM (every 4 days)
Increasing hair and face dysphoria.
Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Dutasteride 0.5mg every other day
Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 (not exactly the same, but as close as I could get from compounding pharmacy). 1 day of rest per week due to scalp irritation.
Biotin 5000mcg daily
Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Dutasteride 0.5mg every other day
Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 (not exactly the same, but as close as I could get from compounding pharmacy). 1 day of rest per week due to scalp irritation.
Biotin 5000mcg daily
3.5mg Estradiol Valerate IM (every 4 days)
Letting hair grow out to better gauge recovery progress. Although the photo doesn’t show it well, there is hair, including a lot of terminal hair, everywhere.
3mg Estradiol Valerate IM (every 4 days)
Continuing to let hair grow out to better gauge recovery progress. Still some asymmetry in the front, but starting to even out much more.
Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Dutasteride 0.5mg every day
Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 – EXACT version from Empower Pharmacy in Texas! 1 day of rest per week due to scalp irritation.
Ubiquinol 100mg daily
Biotin 5000mcg daily
D3 1000 IU daily
Ketoconazole 1% shampoo daily
2x RESVERATROL1450 daily
Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Dutasteride 0.5mg every day
Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 – EXACT version from Empower Pharmacy in Texas! 1 day of rest per week due to scalp irritation.
Ubiquinol 100mg daily
Biotin 5000mcg daily
D3 1000 IU daily
Ketoconazole 1% shampoo daily
2x RESVERATROL1450 daily
4mg Estradiol Valerate per week (injected every 4 days)
Not a lot of change it seems like. The camera continues to not pick up finer hairs / details very well.
4mg Estradiol Valerate per week (injected every 4 days)
Started 100mg Progesterone Suppository daily
Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Dutasteride 0.5mg every day
Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 – EXACT version from Empower Pharmacy in Texas! 1 day of rest per week due to scalp irritation.
Ubiquinol 100mg daily
Biotin 5000mcg daily
D3 1000 IU daily
Ketoconazole 1% shampoo daily
2x RESVERATROL1450 daily
Microneedling 1.5mm weekly (stamp)
Dutasteride 0.5mg every day
Dr. William Powers hair recovery topical solution v4 – EXACT version from Empower Pharmacy in Texas! 1 day of rest per week due to scalp irritation.
Ubiquinol 100mg daily
Biotin 5000mcg daily
D3 1000 IU daily
Ketoconazole 1% shampoo daily
1.25mg Oral Minoxidil
3mg Estradiol Valerate per week (injected every 3 days)
Continued 100mg Progesterone suppository daily.
The Oral Minoxidil has definitely triggered a huge shed cycle. Noticing all hair growing faster and also finger/toe nails. Increase in more terminal looking hairs, but due to shedding won’t know more until next month.
3mg Estradiol Valerate per week (injected every 3 days)
Continued 100mg Progesterone suppository daily.
Finally stabilizing from Oral Minoxidil, but I suspect another few months would gradually improve terminalization further. Ran out of time before FFS which includes hair transplant.
Pre-Hair Transplant / FFS
Dutasteride 0.5mg every 3 days
Ubiquinol 100mg daily
Biotin 5000mcg daily
D3 1000 IU daily
Ketoconazole 1% shampoo daily
1.25mg Oral Minoxidil
This is very interesting.