Beginning transition in my thirties?

[AdamFinally]

Hey everyone. I'm new, so I apologize if this is a topic that has been covered. Let me know if you know of threads I should read. My question is around age and transitioning. I'm about 32 and I'm considering starting T just now. Long story about why I've waited so long, but I'm wondering if anyone else is in a similar position, or was, and has some feedback. Will T still help me look more like a man at my age? I guess Chaz Bono was older when he transitioned, but I'm looking for some more real world experience. Ultimately, I'm nervous that my voice won't drop sufficiently or that I won't grow a lot of hair, etc. Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Arch]

I would use the advanced search and see which threads you can turn up. This topic has been addressed a number of times over the years.

Regardless of age, very few guys don't get much of a voice drop on T, and even if your voice doesn't drop ALL that much, you should masculinize over time so that people have no doubt about you. Some guys take longer than others.

I used to pass a lot when I was younger, and then my age and my unhappiness caught up with me, and it didn't happen so much when I was well into my thirties and then my forties--I didn't look like an adolescent boy anymore, and I gained quite a bit of weight.

When I finally decided to transition at 46, I lost a lot of weight, went on T, and had top surgery. Now I don't have any trouble being read as male. None at all. It took me only a few months, but I suspect that I was one of the luckier ones; some guys around here (closer to your age) are a couple of years on T and aren't read as male 100% of the time. But two years is a drop in the bucket if you think about it. So some guys are already read as male and T just adds to that. Some guys take six months, some guys take a couple of years. We are a diverse bunch in that respect.

I wish I'd transitioned at your age, but there was too much working against me. I simply wasn't ready. If you are, then you are at a great age for transition--and a great time, since trans people have been getting better and better resources.

Poke around the site and see what you find.

[Kreuzfidel]

I started T one year and three months ago - and I was 33 years old.  I'm now 34.  So you're not alone.

As for your concerns, I had them, too.  Being on T just over a year, my voice has dropped into male range (not as low as I would like, but I never get "ma'am" over the phone at all, always "sir").  My facial hair is slowish coming in, but sufficient (I have a full under-chin/upper neck beard and a pretty good stache). 

My fat has redistributed almost completely to a male shape - I look at my "before" photos and it honestly doesn't look like the same person.  So don't be worried - the changes will still happen at our age.

[sneakersjay]

I started in my late 40s, so yeah, it's never too late.


Jay

[eVan24]

I'm only 27 and I'm a week on T today so I can't tell you much on the changes but I have watched a good amount of youtube videos and there are quite a few older guys on there that you could watch and see what changes they have gone through. A few you could look at are BecomingAaron, youaretiredithink, ElectricDade, ClosetTransgender, Ian Carter... there are more but those are the only ones I'm currently subscribed to. As others have said, it's never too late to live your life the way you want to live it. Ultimately it's genetics. And from the voices that I've heard that didn't get particularly low, they still sound male (if that makes sense).

[FTMDiaries]

Hi Adam, and welcome!

There's no such thing as the perfect time to transition. The right time to transition is when you have the will, means and determination to do so. It doesn't matter what age you are, although clearly there are more medical complications as you get older. But you don't fall into that category yet.

I'm 41 and I'm in the early stages of my transition too. I'd love to have a deep baritone and I hope I don't lose my hair (although the chances are pretty good that I'll lose at least some of it). I might get what I want after a couple of years on T. But you know what? Even if my voice ends up higher than I might like, my beard doesn't grow in properly & I wind up looking like Captain Picard, I will at least be in a better position than I am now, where I look & sound unmistakably female.

I'm not looking for perfection; that ship sailed when I got the wrong chromosomes. I'm just looking for improvement on my current presentation. And yes, T should give me that, even at my ripe old age.

[Chaos]

I am 36 so i started well after my 30's.you will be suprised with the effects of T regardless of age.Yes its true that the older you are,the harder it will be but its not pointless.I have seen MANY good changes for myself,even at this age and voice is one of them.BUT because of age and many other factors,this is not a choice to be made lightly.Our bodies are at a place in time that needs a foundation that wont keep changing.So to be exact,once the changes of T have ebedded its self deep then there will be no going back or there may be long term damage.Not saying you *cant* but expect to be a completely different person and maybe even keeping many of those male traits.I believe timing is based on fate (personal opinion) and some of us,like myself,do without for so many years but when we are able to discover that,we are much more wise.From everything i have went through for 30 years and before transitioning,i can say that now-i am set in stone with pride,determination and confidence that can not be changed.Its by this time that we *know* who we are,what our goals are and have fought many battles to get there.So scar's are not new to us.But i believe in this sense,we reach rest per say and heal our scar's and that is worth alot.

[Simon]

I'm 31 and been on T for 4 months. I started living full time at 17 but due to health issues that had to be taken care of I had to wait to medically transition. Voice is the first noticeable change that I encountered. Around 6 weeks it started readily dropping. I still have "moon face" that some guys get on T (puffy because of the steroid) but it's slowly resolving itself. Get only sir on the phone and never have anyone second guess my gender in public. So absolutely YES you can have a successful transition at 32.

[aleon515]

I'm *way* way over 30. I don't think that T works quite as well on people over the age of say about 25 or so, but just the same I know guys who have transitioned at many different ages up to 55 or so. All the people I know who are transitioning adequately and have passed within less than 2 years with low enough voices and so on. I have only been transitioning for 6 weeks but my singing voice is now easily tenor (a male voice). My spoken voice goes up and down like crazy.

Too bad if you look like Patrick Stewart!!

--Jay

[Arch]

I'm *way* way over 30. I don't think that T works quite as well on people over the age of say about 25 or so, but just the same I know guys who have transitioned at many different ages up to 55 or so.

I've heard a lot of people say this, and I've never noticed any trouble with older guys. I think it's an old...er, wives' tale.

[aleon515]

The director of our trans center was 35 when he transitioned. He was the youngest ftm that the endocrinologist had ever seen. I am sure practically speaking (health issues seem like a possibility) there might be a "too old" but I don't think that actually there is.

Btw, hair growth is genetic. If you are certain ethnicity you might be either more or less likely to have a lot of hair, say.


--Jay

[Trisha]

I started my transition at 50, a year ago.
My life is a complete mess but the changes to my body after 1 year of HRT are making me happy. 

[spacerace]

I've heard a lot of people say this, and I've never noticed any trouble with older guys. I think it's an old...er, wives' tale.

I think the puberty age mismatch just becomes more noticeable in older guys. 

[ford]

I think the puberty age mismatch just becomes more noticeable in older guys. 

This; the 30+ year old with acne and a squeaky voice might confuse people for a little while, but that'll be temporary. I'm looking forward to this stage myself (I'm 28).

[Robert Scott]

I started transitioning at 40 ... so there are lots of us.  I am having slow differences happening after a year on T but I already had high levels of T in my body ... I was just barely below normal male when I started.

Some benefits when your older I feel like some worries and concerns doctors and therapist have about you changing your mind is less.  Plus I have been on T a year and a half and getting a hysto whereas my son who has been on T for 3 years and is 24 is made to jump through hoops to get his hysto --- Mine just said let's schedule it.  Clearly, I am not going to change my mind and I am not going to have children so there is less concern for regret for doing it.

[mowdan6]

I started my transitioning when I was 43.  The idea that T doesn't work well in older folks is a myth.  I got the deep voice, the muscle growth, and all very quickly.