Hair plays a big role in your feminine image. While wigs can help you achieve any hairstyle, perhaps you dream of having your own full, feminine hair.
For crossdressers and transgender women dealing with male pattern baldness, this can be a challenge.
Gender affirming hormone therapy is one way to help reverse this process…
However, there are lots of other things you can do to promote healthy hair growth – whether you are on hormones or not!
In this blog post, I’ll share 12 tips for MTF hair growth to help you achieve fuller, more feminine-looking hair.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
What you feed your body plays a major role in the health and beauty of your hair.
Protein and amino acids are your hair’s building blocks. This means that increasing your consumption of beans, fish, lean meat, soy, and nuts is critical for hair growth.
Furthermore, if you don’t eat enough protein, you are more likely to experience hair shedding.
2. Do Regular Scalp Massages
Regular scalp massages prevent hair thinning by increasing blood circulation and delivering nutrients and oxygen to the follicles.
Massaging your scalp can also help you relax and unwind – stress is one of the worst enemies of healthy hair!
To give yourself a scalp massage, spend a few minutes per day massaging your scalp with your fingertips using light to medium pressure. Be sure to cover your entire scalp.
3. Keep Your Hair Hydrated
Hair is prone to becoming dry, especially when it is growing. Dry hair can become brittle and break easily, which hinders its growth. That’s why it’s important to keep your hair nourished and moisturized while it grows.
Use a hydrating hair conditioner regularly to keep your hair looking healthy, lustrous, and bouncy. It’s also a good idea to use a hair conditioning mask at least twice a month.
4. Try Hair Growth Supplements
Hair growth supplements contain essential vitamins and minerals that support hair health. These can make a big difference in the strength and fullness of your hair.
Here are some of the key nutrients to look for in a hair growth supplement:
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Biotin
- Zinc
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Omega-3 fatty acids
5. Get Regular Trims
As crazy as it may sound, trimming your hair regularly will result in healthier, longer hair.
Although regular trimming doesn’t change the growth rate of your hair, it gets rid of split ends. Split ends can lead to breakage and can cause your hair to look thin and brittle.
6. Avoid Damaging Your Hair
It can be tempting to start manipulating your hair once it grows past shoulder length. However, dying, straightening, or curling your hair with hot irons can be very damaging to your hair.
These styling techniques damage to your hair at a molecular level and can hurt its long-term growth. That’s why it’s important to limit hair damage, especially in the initial days of your MTF transition as your hair grows.
7. Brush Your Hair Regularly
Brushing your hair for a few minutes each day is great for the overall health of your scalp and hair.
Brushing your hair helps distribute oils evenly through the hair to keep it naturally hydrated. It also promotes circulation for a healthier scalp, which in turn supports hair growth.
8. Sleep On a Silk Pillowcase
Another change you can make to achieve full, feminine hair is to use a silk pillowcase. (Plus, it makes your bed feel so luxurious and girly!)
Silk pillowcases help to keep moisture in your hair and keep it from drying out. This can help to prevent frizz and breakage. Silk pillowcases also prevent tangles, making hair easier to manage.
9. Try a Hair Growth Shampoo
Some shampoos and conditioners advertise “miracle” growth ingredients. Certain products may even be promoted to MTF transgender women looking to enhance the length of their hair.
You should proceed with caution and not expect immediate results. However, when used consistently over time, some of these products can effectively boost growth factors as well as strengthen your hair at the root.
10. Try Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy, or low-level light therapy, uses red and near-infrared light wavelengths to stimulate hair growth.
It works by penetrating the scalp and promoting cellular activity in the hair follicles, which can improve blood flow and reduce inflammation.
The downside is that red light therapy devices and laser caps are expensive, ranging from $600-$2,500. You can find cheaper alternatives on Amazon, though they may not be as effective.
The devices are meant to be used for 20 minutes, several times per week, and hair regrowth is seen after 12-16 weeks.
11. Consider PRP
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy for hair regrowth is a non-surgical treatment that involves using a patient’s own blood to stimulate hair growth. (It sounds scary, but hear me out!)
During the procedure, a small amount of the patient’s blood is drawn and processed to separate the platelet-rich plasma from other components of the blood.
Platelets contain growth factors that can help to stimulate cellular activity in the hair follicles, promoting hair growth.
Once the platelet-rich plasma is prepared, it is injected into the scalp in areas where hair loss or thinning has occurred.
As you can imagine, the treatment can be pricy. A single injection ranges from $250-$750 per session and multiple sessions may be needed.
On the plus size, RealSelf gives PRP for Hair Loss an 89% Worth It rating.
12. Consider a Hair Transplant
MTF hair transplant surgery can be performed alongside HRT to achieve maximum hair restoration. Hair transplants are used to correct thinning areas on the scalp and to create a more feminine hairline.
Hair transplant surgery can range in price from $2,000 and $20,000 based on the location and type of transplant. Check out this RealSelf article to learn more about the procedure, including costs, risks, and reviews.
In conclusion
Your hair says a lot about your female self! The good news is that wigs aren’t your only option for achieving feminine hair.
These tips can help you get fuller, healthier hair, which will also improve your appearance if / when you present as a male.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Take my poll and share your comments below!
Love,
Lucille
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P.S. If you liked this article, you will love my FREE Male to Female Makeup Mini Course.
I use most of the above methods. Looks matter for me. I want to be loved and accepted.
@KatherineSewing on youtube has a lot of good videos on hair growth I highly recommend. Especially if your into historical hair care and how in the victorian are they where able to achieve the long beautiful hair. I have started implementing some of theses things like using a boar bristle brush to distribute the natural oils that our hair needs to be more healthy to grow in growing longer. And hair oil for example.
Just had about 6inches cut off today.It feels better,and I can curl it easier.Also bought a new dress and new bow for my hair.Kimberly
I see some remarks about hats. I concur. I frequently wear hats when out, and I have suspected that they can contribute to hair loss. I try to avoid tight-fitting hats, and that appears to reduce the effect.
My hair has sadly been thinning for some years, but in the last several months it appears to mysteriously be bouncing back. Encouraging signs for an old geezerette!
I would like to do PRP, but unfortunately there is no location anywhere close to where I live that performs it.
I was lucky to have long full straight hair past my bra strap.It is so fun to do different things with or just a pony tail w a a bow.I do need to get a trim. Kimberly
I’ve had great luck with:
1. Not your mother’s shampoo
2. Argon oil drops
3. Moroccan oil drops
4. A nice smelling biotin conditioner