Effects of Estrogen

[authoress]

Hi,

This is my first post so go gentle on me
I'm 33 and I've only just come out to myself but I've secretly been wanting to be seen as a woman for as long as I can remember, especially since puberty, possibly even before.  My parents don't know,they are very conservative but I have a feeling my mother senses something.  I think they will accept it fairly well though.   I've struggled with gender issues for years but because of the relationship I was in, I stifled them.  We're temporarily split up at the moment and so I decided to do something about this once and for all. 

Before I split up with my ex, I had bought some feminine perfume which made me feel lovely, but after, I went out and bought lipstick, a long blonde wig, and got false nails and eyelashes.    I only wear the wig in private, it's not good quality enough to leave the house in, but the feel of having long hair just made me feel and to some degree look so instantly feminine it was amazing.  I can't wait to get a better quality one, or grow my hair long,  I am considering getting hair extensions but I don't know how much they are, I will need to look into it.

Next I plan to buy some heels, looking online as we speak, and oh, some stockings and a bra and panties, but I'll definitely need to shave my legs first, they are so hairy and icky.  I'm thinking of getting some lazer, but that might be another cost I can't afford at the moment.

  Anyway my question (and worry) is this; I have rather coarse, masculine looking skin and to boot I am fairly hairy, not so much on my face because it doesn't grow too thickly there , but on my neck and my body.  Will E make my skin more feminine, as at the moment, even if I totally remove most of my facial hair my skin still looks incredibly masculine, and will it soften my face shape up a bit, because, at the moment I think my face is a bit too square to pass, even with full make up, hair, etc.

Also will Estrogen actually increase my breast size, and change my body shape?  How much of the effects of testosterone can it actually reverse?

Also I have decided to contact the Gender Clinic for a consultation, and I've researched androgen blockers so I know that those are usually prescribed along with the estrogen, but still  I wondered if, in the meantime, and I know it sounds really stupid, but  would it be so bad  if I took a woman's contraceptive pill every day to get some much needed E into my body?  I am so, so  desperate, please help with some advice on this if you can, as I do want to start hormone therapy as soon as possible.

One good thing is that I'm lucky in the respect that I don't have to leave the house much as I'm a freelance author/ journalistXD  I don't make much at the moment but it's enough to pay the bills so this should make my transition a little smoother, I'm hoping.

[Emily Aster]

I really wasn't on E long enough to answer most questions you have, but for me personally, my skin definitely got considerably softer after about 3 months. I noticed it first on my arms and to be honest it kind of freaked me out at first because I was really sure that the E wasn't doing anything. Imagine my surprise when it actually was. I was only on them for about 6 months in the past, but I did notice some breast growth even in that short time. It seemed my nipples were always itching. All that's left there for me now is fat though since I've been off hormones for about 10 years now.

I would not look for alternatives to getting the E. That's a dangerous, possibly life-threatening road. I wouldn't go down it no matter how desperate the situation seems. Go through the proper channels.

[Jamie D]

Authoress, we have lots of informational topics in the Transitioning section of the site.

Self-medicating is a bad idea.

[Sammy]

It is not only Estrogen, but also Spironolactone, which helps to clear out and smooth the skin. I alswyas had very nice skin (I never realised it in my male mode), but only a couple of weeks on Spiro and I could see additional effect. Now, almost three months in the HRT, my skin has improved a LOT, but there is still place left for more softness . As a natural side effect, expect that You will need to moisture Your skin- You will feel it tighten at times, especially under direct sunlight, also it will get thinner, heal longer and bruise/graze easier .
As regards Your body hair, as one of the effects of the HRT, the hair on legs, chest etc will thin out and might even eventually disappear.  At least, epilation will really start making sense, since each time the hair will regrow, it will get weaker, thinner and might not regrow at all.
Neck... If You meant the back of Your neck, then I believe it follows the same rules as the body hair. If You meant the beard, then no, You will have to do laser or electro treatment.

[kathyk]

Please don't take pills without getting a prescription first.  I made that mistake and regret it, especially after ending up with a persistant cosmetic problem from taking something.   

Make that appointment with the gender clinic.  They sometimes have a Doctor/Therapis on staff you can talk to, or they'll refer you to someone.  And if insurance doesn't cover your visit some of them will charge on a sliding scale based on what you can afford.  Don't be afraid of talking to them since they want to help.

K

[Andaya]

I found Wikipedia to be superbly helpful in listing all the changes and non changes as a result of HRT:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormone_replacement_therapy_(male-to-female)

But like everyone said, taking random contraceptive pills is a really bad idea - you don't know what health risks it carries, you can't be sure the dosage is right and it will mess with your hormone levels such that even if you do get a prescription later, the doctors will have a tough time measuring your normal hormone levels and deciding what to prescribe you. You're already close to doing this the right way with the clinic appointment, don't fall off the correct path at the last minute.

Good luck

[Miss Jill Thorn]

thanks for sharing,it was very helpful

[Devlyn]

I found Wikipedia to be superbly helpful in listing all the changes and non changes as a result of HRT:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormone_replacement_therapy_(male-to-female)

But like everyone said, taking random contraceptive pills is a really bad idea - you don't know what health risks it carries, you can't be sure the dosage is right and it will mess with your hormone levels such that even if you do get a prescription later, the doctors will have a tough time measuring your normal hormone levels and deciding what to prescribe you. You're already close to doing this the right way with the clinic appointment, don't fall off the correct path at the last minute.

Good luck

Our Wiki covers quite a bit of territory: https://www.susans.org/wiki/Category:Hormone_replacement_therapy

[Sybil]

I've always found this site to be incredibly helpful/informational, and accurate to my own experiences: http://www.transgendercare.com/medical/resources/tmf_program/tmf_program_6.asp

[Kelly-087]

Please don't use contraceptive pills

They come in varying formulas and are not intended to feminize you. It's a different form of estrogen than what can work wonders on us.