HRT-overstated?

[GhostTown11]

I see a lot of before and after pics where a lot of you gush about how much each other has changed and for the most part you're right. However, to what end is it just the way you style yourselves? I can pinpoint most of your changes to a good eyebrow trim, facial hair removal, and facial expression when taking a photo.

[mementomori]

It defiantly can be dramatic on its own if you start very young

[Sarah Louise]

Hormones work slower, faster, different, a little of everything, but they usually do what they are supposed to.

Breast size is not always determined by family.  All I have to do is look at my two daughters to see that, one is a small B (and she has two children) and the other is a full D (and she has no children).

You get what you get.  Obviously the age you start does make a difference in how hormones are going to affect the rest of your body.  My bone structure was already set before I started hormones, but the hormones have softened the features of my face and made it look more feminine.  And yes, growing my hair long, shaping my eyebrows, etc does also help the over all passing.

[Stephanie_b]

I think it's like playing a lottery.  Some people get lucky and win $10, $100, $10,000, second prize, or the jackpot.  Age matters, but so does health and genes.  Some people have dramatic results (perhaps many) at early ages, some do not have dramatic results at an early age.  The same can be said of those in their 20's or early-mid 30's. 

Also, a big factor is facial bone structure.  Some pre-hrt mtf's already have more feminine looking faces to start with, some others-not so much.  Those who have a good jaw, smaller nose, little or no brow bossing (and the list goes on) will see more dramatic results because their features are soft from a starting point.  The hrt will soften those feature even more, so no ffs would be likely necessary, but perhaps still desired.

That's how I think about it anyway.

Besides that, like others have stated hairstyle, eyebrows, clothing, makeup and attitude/confidence can and do go a long way for passing!

[Padma]

Also, just arriving in your truer self after fending it off for years can make you look different, because you relax.

[mementomori]

I think it's like playing a lottery.  Some people get lucky and win $10, $100, $10,000, second prize, or the jackpot.  Age matters, but so does health and genes.  Some people have dramatic results (perhaps many) at early ages, some do not have dramatic results at an early age.  The same can be said of those in their 20's or early-mid 30's. 

Also, a big factor is facial bone structure.  Some pre-hrt mtf's already have more feminine looking faces to start with, some others-not so much.  Those who have a good jaw, smaller nose, little or no brow bossing (and the list goes on) will see more dramatic results because their features are soft from a starting point.  The hrt will soften those feature even more, so no ffs would be likely necessary, but perhaps still desired.

That's how I think about it anyway.

Besides that, like others have stated hairstyle, eyebrows, clothing, makeup and attitude/confidence can and do go a long way for passing!

i personally think body results matter more than face becuase its harder to change the body with surgery , soften muscles , fat distrubution to create hips etc 

[pretty]

Yes and no. The fat redistribution from HRT can have a big effect, especially if the person taking the HRT doesn't have any outlandish features.

But still, a lot of MTFs for whatever reason do not put enough work into beauty, hygiene and fashion. Because that part is just as or probably more important than HRT. Good makeup and clothing choice can make almost the manliest man look like a passable or mostly passable woman overnight. 

[JoanneB]

Most photos taken outside of a studio setting cannot convey the full details. Lighting can make a world of difference. So you are in a sense correct, you cannot see the real differences since they are so subtle in a photo.

However, to what end is it just the way you style yourselves?

With the vastly increased self esteem and self image that comes after being on HRT it will definitely be reflected in how you dress. The greater self confidence you now have, as well as far greater experience in developing a sense of style that works for you, will certainly be projected

[Jamie D]

Also, just arriving in your truer self after fending it off for years can make you look different, because you relax.

Good point.  Relax and smile.

[Alainaluvsu]

I have done stuff with my eyebrows, but my facial hair hasn't been removed yet and I still get maamed no matter what mood I'm in and what I'm wearing. A friend of mine that hadn't seen me since I was 2 months into HRT told me that he could tell instantly that I was transitioning. I believe him because for whatever reason, the subject of transsexuality and drag queens came up quite a bit before I came out. Another friend of mine saw a picture of me from 1 month post HRT (my school ID, which was dangling in front of her face) and said "Wow... you look COMPLETELY different!". In fact, I hadn't started getting maam'd in boy mode consistently until about 3 weeks ago, which was maybe a month or 2 AFTER I had done my eyebrows.

Yeah, a bunch of passability comes in presentation, but don't underestimate hormones. Yeah, they can only go so far, but they do thin the skin, dry it up, and even the tone out. They do put subcutaneous fat in certain places. The do grow boobs. I can totally tell, with me anyways, that the fat on the lower part of my jaw is gone, and the fat on the sides of my face above my lower lip is growing.

Passing does require work, lots of it. Gotta work on your voice, make up, hair, manners. But IDT I'd ever have passed without HRT.

[Jamie D]

I think it's like playing a lottery.  Some people get lucky and win $10, $100, $10,000, second prize, or the jackpot.  Age matters, but so does health and genes.  Some people have dramatic results (perhaps many) at early ages, some do not have dramatic results at an early age.  The same can be said of those in their 20's or early-mid 30's....

So Stephanie, in the HRT sweepstakes, is it a good thing, or a bad thing, to win the ...

booby prize??