How long after starting hormones do MTF people usually present female full time?

[Michelle_P]

I was full-time 24/7 about 5 months after starting HRT, faster than I had expected due to changing circumstances in my personal life.  I was effectively full time when out of the house for some time prior to this, due to complex personal circumstances.

When I started HRT I thought I would never be full-time anything.  Circumstances change, and plans do not often survive contact with the Real World.

[Donna]

So true Michelle. Plans seem to last about a nano second with me. Lol
You have to follow your path and throw the plans in the trash IMHO

[kaitylynn]

Thanks for all the interesting posts, I feel like I have a better grasp of it now... and can see there's no one solution. I'll just see how it goes x

This really is a part of transitioning that never got planned...area of the process I thought would take time did not and things popped up I had never considered and I really thought I had thought it out!

The best I have been able to do is set a long term end goal, sans date, that is simple.  I have a point where I will feel that I have worked through the steps to feel complete.  Not an end to transitioning...that will never end and there will forever be growth.  Just a point where I will be able to say, made it.

I finally have a rough planning of how my surgical transition would work well for me.  This gives me steps to stay focused on.  For all of this, I am aware of the randomness of life and there are so many things that can change with very little interaction on our part.

[Donna]

Glad to hear all that. My plans seem to go out the window daily. Surgery was off due to a possible 7 yr wait. Now I got in with a brand new doctor specializing in transgender and that wait has dropped to 4 yrs or less. My eyes have opened to all
The new possibilities with the new doctor so much on board and so passionate about transgender issues. She is not even 30 and interned under one of the best here in the city plus others.
Every corner turned opens new paths and I'll follow them all. My counselor has kept pushing that this journey never ends, you may think you have arrived and something new will be opened up especially with emotions so much evolving. We will never stop becoming for the rest of our days and I'm fine with that. We have a life time of change to catch up on.
Best journey and happiness to you

[Allison S]

If I could pass as ftm in the next year or so I would be happy [emoji28] I feel like my boring short black hair kind of dismisses me right now. I stopped progesterone a week ago today and my anxiety around my gender has improved. I'm still a transgender woman. I just don't want to become bitter through this process and I need to focus on my goals. It could be stopping the med that's helped or that I'm longer on hrt. I'm not exactly sure.
I have a family event tomorrow, I hope to find out then. [emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[RobynD]

Everyone's different of course, I went full time about 3 months before hormones but it was an easy transition as I was already dressing basically feminine. I had a bit of gynecomastia also so there were some curves there prior to hormones. Nevertheless, my hair was still pretty short and I had to shave a lot, but I was determined not to look back.

[Donna]

So very true Robyn. It's great not looking back and once you are past that first fear hurdle it's fairly smooth sailing. Well except to hiccups and bumps in the road. But those make it that much more interesting

[MissyMay2.0]

So very true Robyn. It's great not looking back and once you are past that first fear hurdle it's fairly smooth sailing. Well except to hiccups and bumps in the road. But those make it that much more interesting

I transitioned 11 years ago, and it feels so natural now; and when I think about the pre transition years it feels like a very distant past, but I still remember how very difficult and scary it was when I first started the process.

[warlockmaker]

I never had RLE. After my GRS, Ffs and BA, I then became a tg female and changed my IDs. I wanted to find peace and comfort and to achieve this I felt it necessary not to make others feel uncomfortable, especially other fenales. This meant that I learned to present myself in manners, voice and looks of a female.

[Donica]

Hi Liv!
As you can see from all the post on this subject, It all depends on what your comfortable with. There is certainly no need to rush into anything. For me, I'm soooo tired of living a lie. I started HRT in August last year. Next month will be 1 year HRT. I'm beginning my RLE next month. For me, it's the happiest moment in my life. I just know in my heart I'm ready. I think you will know too when your ready.  Good luck and enjoy your journey.

[LilDevilOfPrada]

Its been 7 years and I still haven't , life can be a real bummer haha. Actually really depressing when I put a number to it . I started end of high school then went on to do a doctorate in my degree so no money yet to take to the next steps.

[Zoe_Kay]

I waited 5 years, but I'm a very patient person, and I wanted to feminize my face and body as much as possible before going full time. If someone is already retired, they have enough savings to comfortably pay for everything related to transition, and their significant other is accepting, etc., then nothing is holding them back, however, for those who rely on their job, don't have a lot of money, have a significant other who is unaccepting, then it may be more prudent not to rush into going full-time.  And while you are waiting to go full-time do some work (e.g., practice voice, deportment, grow out your hair, get electrolysis/and or laser facial hair removal, present as your true self as much as possible, etc.) to ensure success.

You are so wise MissyMay2.0!   Everyone goes at their own pace but slow and steady seems to work best for some of us!

[Bfp2]

I was probably on HRT about six months before going full time.  Didn't have a choice as my body was giving me away by then.

[Faith]

hm, I thought I commented in this thread. I guess it was one of those 'think don't type' situations that I find myself in a lot.

Anyways, I started presenting full ~2 months of knowing myself. I didn't start HRT for ~3 months after that. I couldn't hold myself in. did I look the part, nope and I still don't. But I felt it!!!!!

[Janes Groove]

I started living full time before I started HRT.  At the point I didn't have anything left to lose and so I didn't even give a toss what other people thought.

[Northern Star Girl]

@Liv_J
Dear Liv_J:
At the risk of me telling you what you may have already heard... here is important stuff for you and anyone that is considering HRT or at the beginning their HRT journey should be aware of...
...here are some of my thoughts as it may relate to what you might expect.

As has been stated over and over here on the Forums... and by me in many of my past comments on various posts, HRT will work uniquely in your own unique body.
What you read about other transitioning members experiences with HRT most likely will not be identical to your own experiences.

Some will experience more significant changes more quickly and then some will experience less significant changes more slowly....   it is all up to your genes and how your body reacts to the HRT.   Your doctor will  undoubtedly be looking at your frequent blood test results during your journey to determine if any alterations in the HRT regimen are needed.

The adage that you have probably already heard regarding HRT and how it may work for various individuals  is "YMMV"  meaning that Your Mileage May Vary.
   
PATIENCE is definitely required.... usually not much happens very quickly with HRT... but changes will happen.  Do some reading of other transitioners posts and look at many of the posted HRT timelines and the before and after pictures. ....  they can give you a rough idea of what you MIGHT expect.

Many times the very first noticeable changes can be felt and seen within the first 2 to 6 months... breast tenderness, breast bud lumps forming under the nipples and possibly changes in body hair growth, your own body and urine smell, changes in erections becoming less intense, libido, etc.

Without a doubt this can be very "EXCITING and SCARY all at the same time."   One needs to hang on for an amazing ride.  Some of my best and most appreciated and dramatic body changes happened at about the 5 month point through the start of year #2 of my HRT journey.   
Even though I was able to very successfully pass before I went full-time... when I did go full-time at the 1 1/2 year mark I have been passing 100% of the time.  Of course that is just my experience, I suppose I can thank my unique body makeup and my genes for all that.

We are here to rejoice with you in the good times and to support you in the not so good times.
One more time.... PATIENCE is required.   The attitude of many people today is "I want it all and I want it now" ... that will not apply to HRT.   You might want to re-read what I just wrote so you can get a good grasp of the details that I mentioned.

I will be looking forward to your continued updates as you feel free to post them.   
Hugs and well wishes
Danielle

Hi there, I know there's a similar thread.. and was reading some of it and it's interesting. But I was wondering specifically how long after starting hormone treatment people usually go 'full time' presenting clearly as female - presumably you get to a point where the changes are kind of obvious and it would be awkward not to?

I am expecting to start hormones in August, probably. But I've done various body hair/beard laser sessions on and off for years and have been wearing a lot of not-too-obvious women's clothes for years and wear mostly androgynous women's stuff or the odd neutral and not too masculine men's thing, and I pluck my eyebrows and remove body hair etc, so don't exactly look massively masculine. But it's not really obvious, unless I add more androgymous touches like nail polish or ear rings etc, which I only occasionally do and only with friends, not eg. at work.

But at some point after the hormones have some effect and maybe after a couple of more beard sessions etc, I'll need to sort out my hair, start dressing more obviously female and using some make-up, asking everyone to call me Liv, etc, but I've not quite decided exactly what timeframe I should be looking at yet. I'm looking at my calendar and thinking - could I take a bit of time of work at such-and-such a time to start my social transition without too much stress, and will I be in a female role for such-and-such a thing that's coming up towards the end of the year etc.

[Liv_J]

@Liv_J
Dear Liv_J:
... We are here to rejoice with you in the good times and to support you in the not so good times.
One more time.... PATIENCE is required.   The attitude of many people today is "I want it all and I want it now" ... that will not apply to HRT.   You might want to re-read what I just wrote so you can get a good grasp of the details that I mentioned.

I will be looking forward to your continued updates as you feel free to post them.   
Hugs and well wishes
Danielle

Thanks so much, sorry I didn't reply to this before, probably because for various reasons I suddenly decided I probably wasn't going to go further with my transition and didn't visit here much. But now those reasons don't seem as daunting to me at the moment x

[Chanteur]

I would say your milage may vary. Each person develops differently.

In my case I never really did produce much T during puberty... So I was spared a lot of the effects. My voice was female to begin with, as most the time I was called the right pronoun (female). Plus I had gynocomastia form elevated estrogen levels. They were so elevated that my endocrinologist believes I was on HRT before.

So I went full time pretty quickly. I have only been on hormones for about 8 months. But I went full-time even before hormones.

[CarlyMcx]

Kaiser wouldn't pay for facial hair removal until after I'd been on HRT for six months, so that kind of set the schedule for me, as no amount of makeup would cover my mostly black beard shadow.  I spent months seven through twelve doing laser facial hair removal to get all the black ones.

Then, thirteen months after starting HRT, I went full time everywhere except at work. (I am an attorney, so that part took a lot of preparation due to the legal name change).

I made the decision to go full time at around month sixteen, but legal issues around the name change (care, custody and property issues with my parents, both of whom are invalid) took around four months to iron out.

I came out full time at month 20.  Then at just over two years in, I started electrolysis to get all the grey hairs and the black ones that were tough enough to survive ten sessions of nuking with the laser.

I am still doing electrolysis.

[Linde]

I think I was full time before I even started HRT. Or it might have been at pretty much the same time.  But I had already the same size boobs at that time that I have now.