Does Testosterone really help libido?

[101trees]

Just that really. Does it work?

I'm on estrogen/utrogestan, it's been a (very) rocky road with HRT. I'm (fingers crossed) starting to feel better in lots of ways, but zero interest in sex. Can't remember what I found appealing about it.

I had lots of interest in sex prior to the crazy changes to my physical & mental health.

I have a lot of issues with hormones and migraines so not keen to mess with things unless it's actually likely to work... Just curious about others experiences, although I realise everyone is different and there's only one way to find out.

Apparently they wont.

Once you have changes they tend to be irreversible.

But it's not like I look like a bear. It's just normal hair growth, just it had disappeared in early peri and I didn't need to shave anymore, now I do again.

Oh I have very strong bikini line hair though!

Who cares. DH certainly doesnt.

Oh really! That seems crazy that it's irreversible.
Does that mean the other changes like hair loss are permanent too?

I'm very non-hairy anyway, but my bikini line seems to be ever expanding, which I do not love. I swim a lot and removing evidence of the ever expanding area is annoying. I feel especially conscious of it with teenage kids and their friends around sometimes.

@101trees I wasn't aware that Testosterone caused hair loss? Only hair gain.

I can't say I've been around many teens in my swimsuit (mine don't like holidays!) but I just shave or wax the bikini line.

Me neither, I just read it on this thread.

But actually my mum has female pattern baldness, and my hairdresser said this happens in some women, especially post menopause when estrogen/progesterone drops, because of a hormonal imbalance where they have relatively high testosterone to estrogen.

So that really adds up !

Yes it works

That's not really a thing.

If you have low oestrogen, you almost certainly have low testosterone. Because testosterone is depleted by the body in the absence of oestrogen.

The hair loss in meno is often related to low iron which many middle aged women have. I certainly did after flooding periods

My hairy thighs haven’t gone. The hair was done before and no when I shave it it feels like DHs beard regrowth.

I’m on my 4th round of laser to get rid of it.

So that’s £1000 it’s going to cost me to undo it.

Fine, not done 😂

Your hairdresser?

Edit: Ignore me. I thought it was a typo.

Female pattern baldness is definitely a thing. It's called Androgenic Alopecia. It's different to hair thinning with age and it is related to the imbalance of estrogen and androgens.

This is from Louise Newson, but it's widely known:

Hair thinning can be genetic and is caused by a sensitivity to a form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If you have an inherited follicle sensitivity to DHT, thinning is most likely to begin around the time of menopause.

Estrogen can support hair growth but as levels decline during menopause so can hair growth, and there can be shrinkage in hair follicles. For some women, the decline in estrogen means the balance between estrogen and androgen (a group of sex hormones including testosterone and DHT) is altered, which can worsen female pattern hair loss.

DHT, not testosterone, is thought to be the active androgen in hair loss.

My mum doesn't just have thinning hair, she has baldness in the same way it would present in a man - increasingly large round bald spot at the top, and and a receeding hairline where large clumps are missing. Its just a form of alopecia, but caused by a hormone imbalance.

Given that both my parents are going bald... I feel it may not end happily for me.

Me too. Helped with other symptoms amazingly but not my libido sadly.

For androgenic alopecia try pumpkin seed oil and saw palmetto supplements, they’re both natural DHT blockers.
Also Nizoral shampoo has an ingredient that blocks DHT on the scalp.

@101trees I stand corrected. Useful information, thank you.

Is the testosterone in testogel the same type?

Unfortunately I have no idea about this, I'm not on Testosterone. I will ask my GP that question if I decide to try it.

My Mum's never had any form of HRT, she's just sensitive to DHT.

Most people seem to gain hair rather than lose it, so I'd imagine you have to be predisposed to it, rather than anyone who uses Testogel.

LN does say 'worsen female pattern hair loss', not cause it.

Have you had issues with hairloss on T ?

That's interesting, thanks.

I do actually use Nizoral shampoo anyway, for Sebhorric Dermatitis.

Interesting that it works for both. Will definitely tell my Mum that !

@101trees I am in Aus, not UK.. prescription of Testosterone is dependent on serum Testosterone levels. If they are high or in normal range, Drs won’t prescribe it. My test results showed extremely low levels so my Dr had no problem prescribing it for me.

@101trees Just read your seborrheic dermatitis comment. Mine cleared up and hair growth has come back with spironolactone prescription. (Had fist-sized bald spots and painful, crusty pimple-like eruptions on face, scalp and eyebrows.)

Early forties.
PCOS.
You end up with a ton of extra androgens floating around,
and aside from having to pluck extra chin hairs (yuck)
I was so flipping horny!!!
No other reason, no partner, nothing else changed, still on birth control, wasn't reading any fantasy novels or watching any naughty TV shows, just horny all the time.
So my guess is that yes, testosterone does increase libido.

Didn’t work for me. But I did grow more chin hair than normal 😂. But I don’t care about having a low libido so it didn’t bother me to stop taking it.

Hi OP,

You absolutely do not need a blood test under 45 as long as you are displaying other symptoms. The reason for this is that hormones fluctuate so much and on the day that you test, you may show higher hormones than what you might have done just a few days earlier for example.

I’m 43 and on HRT (have been for about a year now but taking a short break currently for other reasons), however I’ve also been using vaginal oestrogen which I’m continuing to use during my HRT break. The vaginal oestrogen has definitely given me those urges again, which I’ve enjoyed and I was like you where I really couldn’t care less if I had sex again ever. This oestrogen was given because I was experiencing a lot of itching down there as well as pain when inserting tampons. All caused by low oestrogen and not thrush as I had first thought.

Ive also taken testosterone and had to lie and say I wanted it for libido to get it, however that really helped with mental clarity more than anything. It was great.

Hope some of this is helpful. This peri/menopause is awful.

Worked well for me, no hairiness. Apply to already hair free areas like inner arm or inner thigh.

It isn't a miracle cure though, many women by the time they're in peri and post meno may have difficult relationships and a dh they can't stand anymore so it won't suddenly make you fancy them but if you are relatively happy it certainly helps get the spark back and you should feel the same as pre peri.

Oh that's so interesting to hear, thanks. I haven't tried local estrogen cream. But I do find tampons uncomfortable, so I will try it - thanks !

See this is why I was thinking it might he what's behind the missing urge.

I very much like and fancy my DH. There's zero pressure from him about sex, although I know he'd love more of it, and he regularly makes me feel very desirable. He just says he wants me to want it, not having if doesn't change his feelings about me and I should just let him know when I do.

He can be annoying and a pain in the arse about some particular things, but in general, he's a great husband.

We've only been married for 5 years. I still think he's attractive. It's the idea of sex which feels like a chore. It's a bit sad really, I hope it comes back.

It’s helped me massively and I wouldn’t be without it. For me, it was orgasms. They’d become harder to achieve. Testosterone has restored them.

Have you thought of buying some new underwear? I treated myself to some bits from Bluebella and they really do the trick.