When did you notice skin softening and clearer complexion

[Stefani2]

I've been on HRT for 6 weeks, now, and just yesterday broke out. My facial complexion is usually just sorta so-so (I have some blackheads that won't die, grr), but prone to the occasional breakout if I eat certain foods (like hot sauce, which I've had in buckets, lately!).

I'm just wondering when some people on here started to notice skin softening and clearer facial complexion, and how exactly do I tell if my skin is getting softer? I know the rule, YMMV, but I just want to hear when other people noticed this for comparison sake. All I can really say I've noticed from the HRT so far is nipple growth (when I got out of the shower, today, I looked at myself sideways and thought "OMG, I look like a pregnant dog" - still no pain, really, though, is that normal?).

[Edina Rene]

I'm just 3 weeks on HRT so far and have noticed some skin softening to the touch and chin shape is a bit softer, but I know it will still continue and needs to for very noticeable change. I have also seen (and felt) some change beginning in my nipples and breasts. Looking forward to it getting even better with time.

[Theo]

I'm just wondering when some people on here started to notice skin softening and clearer facial complexion, and how exactly do I tell if my skin is getting softer?

You'll notice . Simply by touching the skin that became softer, you'll notice that it has changed: it becomes that much smoother (and that from someone who's skin was always smooth as anything already). My skin was pretty much the first thing that changed, other than mental stuff of course, and 6 weeks sounds about right though. It will start off "patchy", i.e. you may notice that your left upper arm suddenly feels softer or similar, and will take a little while to reach the other areas. In my experience the clearer complexion takes longer, and is a much more gradual process. After 4 months I'd call it "better", but not really clear yet.

As for "chest pain", I wouldn't worry too much, it will probably start soon enough. I started hating leaning against door posts etc.  at about the 2 month mark.

[Sammy]

I was told that I have very smooth and soft skin one week after I was on Spiro... Spiro surely could not be "blamed" for that so quickly, so I suspect that my skin has always been like that for all of my life. Now it is just about time to start moisturizing it

[Stefani2]

Yes! That is exactly it! My left upper arm does feel softer. I am amazed you pinpointed that. I thought I was just imagining it. Cool beans.

[Heather]

My skin started to change in the first month sometime. But I didn't notice the real changes to my skin until about the forth month. That's when my skin really took on a more feminine look and feel. My skin now looks and feels completely different than what it did before. 

[Carrie Liz]

^Ditto. I noticed it beginning to get smoother to the touch at around the 3-week mark, (specifically the backs of my hands and the backs of my knees first,) but I didn't REALLY start feeling like it was beginning to take on the traditional light, smooth feminine appearance until about the 4 month mark. And now at 5 months, I was hanging out with my mom a few days ago, and she felt my hands, and she was completely blown away. My skin's smoother than hers now. I'm still not completely there, but there's a definite big jump in skin texture improvement starting at around the 4-5 month mark. And judging from others' transition videos and accounts, this period of rapid skin smoothing/clearing generally continues until around the end of the first year.

[Sammy]

What I *have* noticed though is that the skin on my face is really dry and I have to moisturize it a lot. That started happening at like... 1 week on hormones? But I had been on spiro only for about 4 months before that, so that probably laid the groundwork for this change. I heard that generally females have skin that's less oily than males, so I guess I'm happy about it becoming like this.

Yes, the exact thing happened to me a couple of days ago - one month on Spiro, two weeks on Estrogen. Less oily, but gets dry. I bought two different day moisturising cremes today .
By the way, is anyone experiencing strange uncontrollable appetite surges?
And I swear, but my eye-lashes are getting thicker.

[Heather]

By the way, is anyone experiencing strange uncontrollable appetite surges?

Yes when the first few months my appetite went up quite a bit then it settled down. But my doc just changed my hrt a little bit and today I've noticed my appetite has returned once again.

[Stefani2]

Yes, the exact thing happened to me a couple of days ago - one month on Spiro, two weeks on Estrogen. Less oily, but gets dry. I bought two different day moisturising cremes today .
By the way, is anyone experiencing strange uncontrollable appetite surges?
And I swear, but my eye-lashes are getting thicker.

Yes! You all want to hear a true fact? I ate 4,300 calories the other day O.O And I woke up the next morning starving. And I am very, very thin (for a while by BMI was 17.something, which is underweight). Guess that's going to change if this keeps up! It is now 18.6 (bordering underweight) and quickly increasing (not going to complain because that will prolly help up top )!

And, yeah, I have noticed a change in my eyelashes, which doesn't seem to make sense cuz there wouldn't be enough time for regrowth. I had quite full lashes (like both of my parents) to start with, but now they seem, I dunno how to describe it. Different. My eyes feel like they look different somehow.

[Jamie D]

Yes! You all want to hear a true fact? I ate 4,300 calories the other day O.O And I woke up the next morning starving. And I am very, very thin (for a while by BMI was 17.something, which is underweight). Guess that's going to change if this keeps up! It is now 18.6 (bordering underweight) and quickly increasing (not going to complain because that will prolly help up top )!

And, yeah, I have noticed a change in my eyelashes, which doesn't seem to make sense cuz there wouldn't be enough time for regrowth. I had quite full lashes (like both of my parents) to start with, but now they seem, I dunno how to describe it. Different. My eyes feel like they look different somehow.

Though I don't recommend a 4,000 (!) calorie per day diet, you will want to put on a little weight if your want to develop curves and boobies.  If you think about females athletes, such as gymnasts and swimmers, who have such low body fat, they often are flat-chested.

[Stefani2]

@Jaime,

I do not make it a habit XD I was insanely hungry that day! Here's to getting puberty right, this time!

I want to get up to around 145-150. I was as low as 126, recently, but am now up to 138. I still feel thin (since I'm as tall as I am), but it's not NEAR what it was before I started gaining weight.

[BunnyBee]

My skin was not oily anymore after abt a month.  It kept softening more and more over a long time, maybe a year.  I didn't really have complexion issues before, so that wasn't really a thing.  This, along with all HRT effects, is such a ymmv thing though, so don't be discouraged or anything if something goes differently for you than for somebody else

[saraharmstrong]

Actually, that is a good topic, most people mention that when you start hormone in earlier stage, you can easier to achieve the maximum feminine effect. Stefani is lucky to start estrogen when she is at such young age.  I started at 26, but stopped a few months later due to mood swing problem.  I do feel like that my skin was softer and more smooth.  It took about 2 months. how about you all girls? I am not sure about estrogen can stop the oily skin problem, anyone got any experience about that?

[kyh]

Actually, that is a good topic, most people mention that when you start hormone in earlier stage, you can easier to achieve the maximum feminine effect. Stefani is lucky to start estrogen when she is at such young age.  I started at 26, but stopped a few months later due to mood swing problem.  I do feel like that my skin was softer and more smooth.  It took about 2 months. how about you all girls? I am not sure about estrogen can stop the oily skin problem, anyone got any experience about that?

My skin is a lot drier than before. I used to never moisturize but now I have to otherwise my skin is really dry and sometimes even itchy. So yeah, the hrt has definitely made my skin less oily.

[Joanna Dark]

I used to have really oily skin and by three weeks that was gone and has not returned. My skin is still softening. I am only at 15 weeks and I didn't think people would notice so soon and they did.

[Jean24]

Yes, the exact thing happened to me a couple of days ago - one month on Spiro, two weeks on Estrogen. Less oily, but gets dry. I bought two different day moisturising cremes today .
By the way, is anyone experiencing strange uncontrollable appetite surges?
And I swear, but my eye-lashes are getting thicker.

Sammy, would you mind telling me what kind of moisturizers are working best for you? 

[Jamie D]

Actually, that is a good topic, most people mention that when you start hormone in earlier stage, you can easier to achieve the maximum feminine effect. Stefani is lucky to start estrogen when she is at such young age.  I started at 26, but stopped a few months later due to mood swing problem.  I do feel like that my skin was softer and more smooth.  It took about 2 months. how about you all girls? I am not sure about estrogen can stop the oily skin problem, anyone got any experience about that?

It is not so much that estrogen stops oily skin, but that androgens can cause oily skin.

What causes oily skin?

[warlockmaker]

My upper arms, upper thighs and my stomach have definitely changed in texture - its been 3 months. I shave twice a week so the face is much softer as the shave seems to completely remove the hair and stubble. I believe the big changes occur after 4 months.

[smile_jma]

What's up with the upper (left) arm always seemingly getting soft first?  AS with most people YMMV holds so true, but to sin softening, it's almost like a law that that part of your body will get soft first or 2nd.