Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
(GAHT)

Estrogen is a naturally occurring hormone that is typically produced in all bodies. Different bodies produce different amounts of estrogen. The type of estrogen most commonly prescribed for gender-affirming hormone therapy is called estradiol (or 17-beta estradiol); it is structurally identical (“bioidentical”) to the hormones produced naturally by the body. Taking estradiol will decrease the amount of testosterone your body makes, and will lead to specific changes to your body that we’ll detail below. These changes may seem small at first, but can help you to live as your authentic self. Estradiol is vital for many people’s gender identity and gender expression.

Testosterone is a naturally occurring hormone that is typically produced in all bodies. Different bodies produce different amounts of this hormone. Plume prescribes synthetic bioidentical testosterone to encourage physical changes in your body. These changes—both dramatic and subtle—can help you to live as your authentic self by changing your gender expression to reflect your gender identity.Most folks start to notice changes like lower voice, facial hair growth, and stopping of monthly bleeding after 2-3 months on T. While there are many things that contribute to our mental health, many folks notice feeling better emotionally shortly after starting T. In particular, they notice decreased anxiety and increased confidence. Physical changes will occur more gradually and become noticeable after six months. Most folks will max out on physical changes somewhere between 2-5 years after starting T. Not all of these changes are irreversible, but this can vary for each individual. Typically, the changes that are most likely to be irreversible are lowered voice tones and coarse hair growth, such as beard growth. The degree of these “masculinizing” changes is different for each person’s body. Your results will vary, based on your genetics.

What is erectile dysfunction (ED)? Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It’s sometimes referred to as “impotence,” but this term is now used less often. ED may be occasional or frequent: Occasional ED isn’t uncommon. Many people experience it during times of stress or as the result of a recent nutritional or lifestyle change. Frequent ED, however, can be a sign of health problems that need treatment. It can also be a symptom of emotional or relationship difficulties that you may want to address with a professional. Patients suffering from erectile dysfunction should first be evaluated for any underlying physical and psychological conditions. If treatment of the underlying conditions doesn't help, medications and assistive devices, such as pumps, can be prescribed.

At Anew, we provide various treatments for scalp hair loss prevention and restoration. Hair pattern changes from person to person; we can help with hair loss, if that is important in your gender journey. Testosterone is one of the main causes of hair loss. This is true whether we are trying to block testosterone that we naturally produce or increase our testosterone by taking it via supplementation. This means hair loss can affect us all. Hair loss is also strongly determined by family genetics. The medications we use are most effective at preventing further hair loss, though they may also help with regrowth. The most commonly prescribed hair restoration treatment is finasteride, an oral medication which blocks the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT).