Height

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

I was watching some videos on this YouTube channel which I found really amazing and helpful.

She does mention that HRT (for MtF) tends to make you a little shorter. Has anyone experienced this? I'm 5'9" so my height isn't something I cringe over, but I'm curious to know if anyone else has shrunk a little in height after a few years of HRT.

[Dena]

I have heard it said but you can't prove it with me. I was 6'1.5" before I started HRT and I now measure at 6'2". I was slouching the first time I was measured and the second time I was using correct posture. I don't think my hight changed a bit.

[cindianna_jones]

Too shorten, you'd have to lose some size in your bones or crush some disks I would think. I can't imagine that happening from HRT. Bones grow out not in.

[Devlyn]

Men learn to stand tall, stand straight, stand proud. They carry themselves that way.....we learn to stick our boobs out! 

Lots of folks say they lose a little height, lots of people say it can't happen. It doesn't really matter, right? 

Hugs, Devlyn

[IdontEven]

Yeah I really can't tell. I feel like a lot of stuff regarding my posture and skeletal alignment has changed, but I'm not sure the overall effect on height. I've had a few people ask me if I've gotten taller since the last time they saw me like 10 years ago or something.

The slimming effect of fat-redistribution and muscle loss changes the height:width ratio, so it can give the appearance of being taller. And while that's going on there is some pretty decent evidence, in my opinion at least, that pelvic tilt/hip rotation occurs over time on HRT as the muscles and ligaments and bone structure changes a bit. That will make you a bit shorter. I know my stride length seems to have shortened up a LOT. Your bones won't shrink, but they'll fit together a bit differently, I think.

I've gone down 1.5 shoe sizes since I started in October, for example, but on the surface that would seem impossible because there's no way my bones shrank. There's so much stuff going on, and it's not very well researched. If you really need to know, I suggest keeping accurate measurements and taking photos at regular intervals. It can be a bit dysphoria inducing to do that though, so I've kind of avoided it, though I am curious as to what quantifiable changes I've had.

The best I can get is a subjective comment like "You have the body shape of a tall skinny chick now" from people who see me occasionally. Which is total lies, but it's still nice to hear

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

Oh okay. These are some interesting replies. On that youtube channel, she states that she is yet to come across a transgender woman who hasn't become slightly shorter after HRT. Weird.

I'm really not fussed enough to take measurements, I'm perfectly happy with my height. I was just kind of curious about it.

[Ms Grace]

I think the only way you'll lose height on HRT is if your muscles and overall body size reduces, there would probably be a fraction of an inch or so in that that would redistribute through your spine and posture.. I was 6'3" to start and believe I still am although people find it hard to believe, possibly because I'm narrower in build.

[IdontEven]

I think the only way you'll lose height on HRT is if your muscles and overall body size reduces, there would probably be a fraction of an inch or so in that that would redistribute through your spine and posture.. I was 6'3" to start and believe I still am although people find it hard to believe, possibly because I'm narrower in build.

Yeah, musculature changes and body size (as in fat) reduction has some interesting effects. My arms probably aren't any shorter, but shirts I wore 10 years ago have sleeves that come to my fingertips now. I actually had a very sudden change when I noticed this, not sure if I've posted about it before -

I was walking on campus one day and I was wearing one of my old button-down long-sleeved shirts, and suddenly I felt like I was wearing someone else's clothes, like just out of nowhere and all at once. When I put it on it was MY shirt, when I took it off it was...his.

I've yet to find replacements I feel like I look good in, so I'm still wearing them just because there's no point in spending money on things that aren't really an improvement. And as I'm still very much in a transitionary period I kind of hate to buy any clothes because every time I do they don't fit the same a month later. But as long as the old clothes I have are way too big they're not nearly as dysphoria inducing.

I'm probably going to be old and gray and still wearing the same clothes at this rate :p

[April_TO]

I believe the usual culprit in losing some height over time is how we somehow train ourselves to tilt our pelvic. I believe I've seen it in some thread before.

[Jessie Ann]

I have lost an inch and a half of height. I've gone from 6'2" to 6' 1/2 inch in height.

[Sydney_NYC]

I did lose some height and it's in my chart. I was 6'7" when I started HRT and I dropped almost 2 inches to 6'5¼" after a year and half on HRT. That was a year ago and it's stayed at 6'5¼". My pelvis does tilt more and also since muscles become less stiff on estrogen, the spacing between the vertebrae decrease causing some lose in height. My HRT doctor says that she has had several MtF patients lose an inch or so, but I've lost the most of her patients, but I'm also the tallest patient she has.

[cindianna_jones]

We do lose some height as we age and our disks compress. That happens for both men and women. This usually happens later on though.

[melissagirl]

I lost about an inch and went from 5'10 to 5'9. I was around 30 at the time, so I don't think it was age related.

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

I lost about an inch and went from 5'10 to 5'9. I was around 30 at the time, so I don't think it was age related.

Yup!
I don't think aging has everything to do with it considering a lot of people on HRT are young and still end up losing an inch or so in height.

[CrysC]

I went from 6' 2" to a bit below 6' 
My shoe size shrank also. 

I've been on hormones for quite a while now though.  At varied degrees since 2008 and full proper dose since 2013. 

We are all different but it's interesting that we can shrink.  And yes, I stand straight.  I like my girls leading the way :-)

[IdontEven]

I believe the usual culprit in losing some height over time is how we somehow train ourselves to tilt our pelvic. I believe I've seen it in some thread before.

Hmm, are you sure it's an intentional thing? I'm not sure "train" is the word I'd use. I mean don't get me wrong I would if I could, but I don't think it's something we really have any control over, is it?

[mmmmm]

I will believe it when I see any actual proof. The only way to have actual accurate measure is to take measurement early in the morning, and if you stand perfectly straight, and stretched as much as possible. No tilting anything, no bending spine, no anything like that. Imagine school boys at age 10, everybody wants to measure as high as possible. And thats the only way you can objectively tell if you lost or gain any height. I was 5'11 before transition, and Im still 5'11 years later IF! I measure correctly. Now, if I stand as I normally do (I dont normally stand like 10 year old boys during class measurement), and if I measure myself in the evening, than I miraculously lost an inch!! And if I really really try to make myself even smaller, I can try to tilt my pelvis and spine and what not, and I just might lose another inch, and then Im 5'9. In reality Im still 5'11 if I measure like I should. When I will notice height loss, I will ask my doctor to test me for osteoporosis...

[melissagirl]

Unless I stand on my toes, there's no way I can reach my old height. Even going off hormones for a while didn't seem to make me magically grow an inch, though there's a lot of other physical characteristics I didn't get back either. So I'm really not sure as to the why part of it. Maybe the weight of breasts, which didn't shrink up all that much? Maybe permanent effects of being on hormones for years?

To whoever didn't lose height, not everyone's experience is the same. My muscles or strength never really decreased, but they don't seem to be an issue either.

[April_TO]

I have trained myself in standing upright with my chest out, back almost leaning back and my pelvis tilted back. Posture is definitely something you can train yourself.

Hmm, are you sure it's an intentional thing? I'm not sure "train" is the word I'd use. I mean don't get me wrong I would if I could, but I don't think it's something we really have any control over, is it?

[Rachel]

I have lost a little. I was 6'3" and am 6'2". We have a health assessment at work each year. I am going by their measurement and it was done at 0700 (that is when I schedule my assessments, when they start their day). My foot went down too, from 13 men's to 13 woman's.

I do not wear my old men's shirts  (they are in trash bags for future donation). I did buy a woman's light hoodie when I started transition. This morning I wore it and the sleeve went to below my thumb so I folded the sleeve to fit proper.