My gender therapist was concerned hrt would not do what I hoped due to the fact that I'm in middle age.
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start?
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
* Help the texture of your hair?
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
* Give you a more feminine figure?
* Allow you visible breast growth?
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
That seems kind of an odd thing for a gender therapist to say. Do you have ridiculously high expectations or something?
There's no evidence that age has anything to do with HRT results. Urban Legend #3: The younger you are, the better you'll do (http://t-vox.org/index.php?title=Hormones_:_Urban_Legends#Urban_Legend_.233:_The_younger_you_are.2C_the_better_you.27ll_do_.28FTM_and_MTF.29)
Hi agfrommd,
* What age did you start?
HRT? 61
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Yes
* Help the texture of your hair?
Body hair, yes. Considerably finer and lighter. Also the need for body shave has gone from 6-8 weeks to 6-8 months.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
See above
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Yes. Bum still getting bigger, thighs thicker, below waist fat redistribution, slightly more hour glass waist.
* Allow you visible breast growth?
Yes. Considerably. from a B- to a C+. I'm currently 2 cms short of a D cup.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Absolutely. Undoubtedly the most positive and major change. I feel substantially more feminine than ever before. I read men completely differently, as a woman would.
Hope this helps you.
Huggs
Catherine
Please define middle age.
* What age did you start?
HRT 54
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Yes
* Help the texture of your hair?
Yes. Hair grew faster and filled in some
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
Finer and lighter
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Somewhat. I would have a better figure if I could lose the belly fat
* Allow you visible breast growth?
Definitely. B cup and they are still filling out
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Oh yes. Especially after orchidectomy.
I also hope this help, sis.
I assume I would qualify as middle aged, somewhat.
I started hrt just before my 41st birthday. And yes, it did make my face look more feminine and even younger. My hair is fine and curly and I don't think it changed the texture much although it did help to stop the balding and grow a lot of it back. My body hair did lighten and even disappear in areas like my chest, stomach and lower back. It lightened significantly on my legs and arms. it did help give me a more feminine figure, but I think mostly by reducing my upper mass as I still don't have any real fat on my hips, they are still rather bony. I'm still a small A, but so is my sister and I've always been thin and still smoke after doing so since I was like 11. My self image is better, but I still have issues with a lot of things. I don't know if I feel as other women do.
Age doesn't really play that big of a role if you start after puberty has done its bit on you. The rest is mostly just up to how your body responds to it due to genetics and maintaining overall good health.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM
My gender therapist was concerned hrt would not do what I hoped due to the fact that I'm in middle age.
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start?
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
* Help the texture of your hair?
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
* Give you a more feminine figure?
* Allow you visible breast growth?
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
What kind of therapist is this woman? any therapist dealing with TG/TS patients should know the answer to those questions. Either she was sleeping in class or has not done her homework.
I say: "dump the dummy"
Basically, it boils down to your genetics and physiology, despite the urban legends, age helps but it is not the main determining factor.
Like many biological phenomena, HRT responses follow a bell distribution, a few lucky ones get great results, the majority sees improvements and changes, and few unlucky ones see no change.
* What age did you start?
49
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Yes - although laser and electrolysis helped too. Getting rid of the moustache's 5 o'clock shadow REALLY made a difference as does plucking the eyebrows.
* Help the texture of your hair?
Yes
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
Less body hair
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Yes. My waist to hip ratio is 0.8 and the male range is 0.9 to 1.0 and I used to be about 1.2 as 'him'. My boobs are only a A but my figure is 41-33-41 which for my height of 5' 8" is OK. I look slim and fir a UK size 12/14
* Allow you visible breast growth?
Yes. A cup at present and still growing
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Yes.
In any case, as you know I cannot really answer your questions at a personal level as I have not reached middle age yet! >:-) :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Quote from: peky on November 10, 2012, 08:37:19 AM
In any case, as you know I cannot really answer your questions at a personal level as I have not reached middle age yet!
Darn kids!
>:-)
I wanted to know the OP's definition of middle age, but here goes:
* What age did you start?
I started HRT at 42.
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Yes, but my features were already very neotenous. I looked odd for an adult male.
* Help the texture of your hair?
Yes, but it especially made it fuller. The hair line is still not great.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
I was incredibly hairy and did a ton of laser before HRT.
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Somewhat with HRT, but a whole lot more with SRS.
* Allow you visible breast growth?
A little. A year and a half after SRS I started Androcur again (progestin) out of frustration and they finally got somewhere.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Everything about HRT felt right to me and was welcomed.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM
My gender therapist was concerned hrt would not do what I hoped due to the fact that I'm in middle age.
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start?
37
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM* Did it help your face look more feminine?
I'm not sure, this was me after 10 months of hrt, then I had ffs:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2Fth1213846493.jpg&hash=6b7d061dfd421f7f98397e0dbd5547bdcd9454b8)
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM* Help the texture of your hair?
I think in the beginning it did, now it's all old looking and I hate it. My endo is like "do you know how many women in the 30's and 40's come to me with the same complaint?" and I'm all like "THEN FIX IT!!!!!" lol. It's fine, I'm over it.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
Yeah, it slowed it down quite a bit. I epilate my legs like once every other week. It doesn't do anything for the face though.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM* Give you a more feminine figure?
Uh, not as much as you'd think. One thing you really shouldn't expect is your shoulder to waist ratio to change. When you look at girls in bathing suits vs. boys, the main difference in the ribcage. Take a look. The larger rib cage isn't going to change. What changed for me is my butt and thighs and hips got bigger, my shoulders and upper body did get smaller, but the rib cage doesn't change so hourglass isn't what it could be if you had a genetic 24" ribcage.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM* Allow you visible breast growth?
For me it did. I'm a natural 34B. It took about two years and then I've gained a half cup since SRS in July of this year.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
A lot better than it was. I still have issues with my body but it's much better than before. Before it was like strong and had muscles and lines and it's a lot less so. I still feel like my biceps are big, but not muscles, just kinda fat. My shoulders are too wide, my ribcage too big, etc, etc. But you know, we accept what we have and move on.
If I could give you any recommendation it would be
do NOT depend on hrt to change you significantly because if it doesn't, you'll be suuuper disappointed. If you set your expectations low, you'll be happy with whatever you get :)
* What age did you start?............53
* Did it help your face look more feminine?.............Somewhat as opposed to totally masculinized as it had become. I had an upper eyelid lift and a neck lift later.
* Help the texture of your hair?........Not really, I've lost a lot lately and could use a wig but don't give a rip at this point!
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?.............Don't have any except underarms and crotch. No longer shave my legs as it's stopped growing there.
* Give you a more feminine figure?.........OMG yes, been on HRT 16 years and it's still changing!
* Allow you visible breast growth?..........Big and full still growing see my link below for pix.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?........Yes to an extent, I still vacillate back and forth with my mental self image while my emotional being is totally at peace with the feminine side.
This is exactly the feedback info I have been wanting to ask for also!
I am hoping to start HRT next year and I don't expect drastic changes but these comments make me feel much better about what to expect.
Absolutely nobody can guess my age, it's like my body has been in some weird time warp over the years lol ;)
At 58 the most I'm looking for is perhaps a bit of facial feminization, that would make me quite happy :)
If I could afford it I would love to get these evil testosterone generators out of me now!!! Grrrrr
* What age did you start? Late!
* Did it help your face look more feminine? Yes but not enough, I needed FFS.
* Help the texture of your hair? Definitely, along with the scalp reduction, my nice head of hair might be the thing that most helps me "pass."
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair? Chest hair virtually gone, some light hair on arms comparable to what many cis women have.
* Give you a more feminine figure? Somewhat.
* Allow you visible breast growth? Yes but not enough had BA.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image? Definitely.
With the face lift I had and HRT, I look ten years younger. My girlfriend was always commenting about how soft my skin was and since she is a lesbian, this is in comparison to other women.
I started HRT 3 months before my 42nd birthday. I noticed effects within about 2 weeks, but these weren't visible: they were emotional changes.
I'm at 17 months HRT and I don't quite have A-cup breasts. But, they are growing and my cleavage albeit minimal is real.
My daughter and ex-wife have both said my face seems rounder, but I'm also heavier than I've ever been in my life. So, the rounder face might not be due to HRT. At this point, I do not have any plans for FFS. I like my face. You don't know how long it took for me to get to the point where I could admit that to myself and actually mean it. I don't think that my assessment of my face has changed because of HRT. It's more like just transitioning has changed that assessment. The sheer act of starting to transition was a huge confidence booster for me.
I haven't really noticed any changes with regards to my skin and hair. Shortly after starting HRT I finished 2 years of laser on my face and neck, so that took care of my facial hair.
I think the emotional changes have been the changes I've noticed the most. Things have steadied out now and I no longer cry for little or no apparent reason. I feel like I have a broader and "more real" emotional experience these days.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM
My gender therapist was concerned hrt would not do what I hoped due to the fact that I'm in middle age.
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start?
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
* Help the texture of your hair?
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
* Give you a more feminine figure?
* Allow you visible breast growth?
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
I love the timing of your post. I am 49 and just took my first HRT dose today! I would add to this list:
Did you see a decrease in back/chest hair through HRT or did you have to rely on laser/electo?
QuoteI wanted to know the OP's definition of middle age, but here goes:
not sure if the OP agrees but this is what the wikipedea says
QuoteAccording to Collins Dictionary, this is "... usually considered to occur approximately between the ages of 40 and 60". The current edition of the Oxford English Dictionary gives a similar definition but with a shorter span: "The period of life between young adulthood and old age, now usually regarded as between about forty-five and sixty." The US Census lists middle age as including both the age categories 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, while prominent psychologist Erik Erikson saw it ending a little later and defines middle adulthood as between 40 and 65.
Quote from: Isabelle on November 10, 2012, 03:50:57 PM
not sure if the OP agrees but this is what the wikipedea says
Thanks. I finally stopped fighting it at 42. I am 46 now. That's me on my Avatar. I guess I fit right in the category.
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start? 39 (I am currently at 17 months HRT)
* Did it help your face look more feminine? Yes
* Help the texture of your hair? Grows a little faster and had a lot of regrowth in thinned areas, hair is also drier along with my skin.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair? Yes, slowed body hair growth and now I have very little left.
* Give you a more feminine figure? Yes, narrowed my waist, but could use more in the hips and buttocks
* Allow you visible breast growth? Not nearly enough, only about an A cup so far. No change to nipple size either but much more sensitive.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image? Yes, mental changes were big and I feel calmer but at the same time more emotional.
For ladies who started hrt in ancient age:
* What age did you start?
61
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Less angular, forehead less fatty, cheeks rounder and softer.
* Help the texture of your hair?
Now baby fine and grey if I don't get my color job regularly
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
Even less, and twice a year shaving if that often
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Except for the beer gut I am still working off. Hips & Boobs great!!
* Allow you visible breast growth?
42 B in girl shape, and at 38 months E have started growing again.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
40 months of finally getting the stuff working right.
* What age did you start?
44. It has been about 8 months now.
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Yes.
* Help the texture of your hair?
No change, I luckily have a full head of thick hair.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
Not so far. Still have to shave every couple of days.
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Not as yet.
* Allow you visible breast growth?
A little so far. Nowhere near an A cup yet.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Hard to say. My wife has ALS and I am her full-time caregiver. I have a lot of depression issues related to that, on top of existing depression issues. Also, right after I first started HRT, I started worrying that I was making a huge mistake. I got over that, but I am not as confident as I was pre-HRT. Again, it may have more to do with my wife's illness. I am still in boy mode most of the time as caring for her leaves me exhausted. I am content to wait and let the hormones do their thing. It is going slowly, but in my current situation, that is okay.
Hope this helps,
Paige
My gender therapist was concerned hrt would not do what I hoped due to the fact that I'm in middle age.
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start?
50
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Yes
* Help the texture of your hair?
No, mine already fell out :P
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
Yes, especially arms and legs. It looks like trunk is slowly decreasing? I had back lasered and it's gone. Didn't take much to kill it off.
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Yes
* Allow you visible breast growth?
Yes, a small B cup + still growing and I had ZERO boobage before. I mean totally flat chest.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Yes, changed me into a kinder, less hostile person.
Started this summer.
* What age did you start? 61
* Did it help your face look more feminine? Softer skin and very minor change from fat depositl
* Help the texture of your hair? Regrew a very little bit of fine blond hair, and at 61 it's gray.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair? Dramatically for me. Chest hair is almost gone.
* Give you a more feminine figure? A bit.
* Allow you visible breast growth? Absolutely. Even after loosing weight my breast are bigger.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image? Have trouble when the E gets too low. It makes me feel feminine (like I want to look
Kathy
For ladies who started hrt in middle age:
* What age did you start?
around 47-48
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
yes, a bit
* Help the texture of your hair?
not really, i have mpb and it was on the way out.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
hair growth slowed down dramatically on my body
* Give you a more feminine figure?
yes, my fat redistributed and my skin changed. When i look down I see a much more feminine body now.
* Allow you visible breast growth?
yes, i have some A cups now.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
i started low dose HRT to calm my dysphoria and the racing persistent thoughts in my head. I am bigender and I do have a female self image when in girl mode (and she's happy with the changes) so I guess my answer would be a qualified yes.
Just what do you call "Middle Age"? My wife is constantly reminding me I am NOT 29 y/o. As far as my expectations:
- Piece of mind. I went on low dose HRT several times since my late teens in search of that elusive goal. Only to have the S#$%! scared out of me when I achieved it
What it did?
- I started at around age 53. On HRT for 3 years now
- Better align my feelings and self image - You bet! See above. I started for the emotional relief. Never stopped like I had in the past.
- Anything hair related is a "Don't Care". MPB started at age 14. Never had much to start with, on top or on my body. If only on top grew as good as in my ears....
- If it weren't for a new employee ID pic I would not have realized the subtle changes that took place in my face after 2 years.
- Most dramic change was in my skin. No more oil gushing out of my pores. Much smoother. Best of all, not stinkin like a guy
- Being VERY prone to weight gain all my life, much of it going to my hips, thighs, and breasts; I lost about 40 pounds during the time I started. I have a good A cup, maybe a B. It depends on the bra. I stll have the big hips and butt. Though sitting on hard surfaces is a bit more of a pain now
According to "dictionary Peky," as some dude in another thread labeled me ::), middle age can be from 35 to 45 , or from 40 to 65, depending who you are talking about.
Like other labels this is but a societal construct with no bearing on biology.
I guess we could say there are pre pubescent and post pubescent humans.
Age has more to do with the state of your body and mind rather than the number of years after your birth.
Are you really 58, 43, or 62? What is really to be old? or young? physically? mentally?
I started transition at 36, does that count?
Well for what its worth...
- what age did you start
*36 - I am now 13 months in
- Did it help make you face look for feminine?
*Yes it did, your complexion changes along with skin tone and texture. I lost quite a bit of weight from my jaw and chin area. My eyes appeared a lot more of a feature than they did before. I recently had some FFS as I wanted to go fulltime without worrying too much about passing as I have a very public facing role
- Help the texture of your hair
*A bit. It certainly makes your hair drier than before. Hair became a little more glossy
- Change the growth rate of texture of your body hair?
*Yes. I started epilating a few months after commencing HRT. Now the hair on my legs and arms grows back much slower and so much more finer. The hair is so weak you can pull it out with your fingers. I epilate now every 14 days or so. I have had to have some laser on my chest though. I was a very hairy boy :(
- Give you are more feminine figure?
*Before I started HRT my stats were 42-35-35, 14 months in I now measure 36-28-36. I have some curves, but I lost a lot of weight. It didn't matter what I ate or if I exercised or not. My body continues to change
- Allow you visible breast growth?
*Yes some, but not enough for my liking. Losing weight has compromised breast growth I am sure of it. I have an A cup and do have to wear a bra
- Better align your feelings with your self image?
* Absolutely. I feel like I have woken up. Emotions are switched on again.
Quote from: agfrommd on November 10, 2012, 07:05:20 AM
* What age did you start?
At conception, unfortunately, they were the wrong hormones. It started on the correct hormone is 2011, at the age of 55, low dosages, and continued for six months until health issue forced me to stop.
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
Nothing can help my face!
* Help the texture of your hair?
I have very fine hair. Nothing changed.
* Change the growth rate or texture of your body hair?
I never had a lot of body hair, and hated what I had. It did slow the growth (probably due to the AA I was on).
* Give you a more feminine figure?
If looking 5 months pregnant is feminine! I need to continue to lose the excess weight. In the short time I was on hormones, I did recognize some development in the butt.
* Allow you visible breast growth?
Yes, but nature had given me a head start with noticeable gynecomastia. Six months of low dose 17 beta estradiol by patch added about a cup size, and much more glandular tissue growth.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Yes. My self image, however, is not purely female. I'd day 60-40 female over male. The purpose of my HRT was to feminize and to address the dysphoria. When I was forced to stop HRT, the dysphoria returned, but not as strong on most days. Perhaps, because I shave less often. Perhaps because I have started to accept the complexities of who I am.
Hi agfrommd,
* What age did you start?
57
* Did it help your face look more feminine?
It is beginning to.
* Help the texture of your hair?
The rate of body hair growth has noticeably slowed. It has also gotten finer. There is been no change to the hair on my head.
* Give you a more feminine figure?
Too early to tell. Plus, I've been on an aggressive weight-loss program – so I'm seeing more change due to that than anything else.
* Allow you visible breast growth?
Very, very little.
* Better align your feelings with your self-image?
Yes and no. Psychologically I'm better off in most ways. Depression and anxiety are down. I'm far less disconnected. My self image, however, includes what I see in the mirror – and I still don't like that!
Yep!!! all that stuff!!! started at 44
Thank you so much, all, for your helpful responses. Of the replies:
95% said it improved their feelings
84% said it improved their face
79% said it improved their body hair
79% also said it improved their figure
74% saw visible breast growth
47% saw improvements in the hair on their head.
Quote from: MeghanAndrews on November 10, 2012, 09:16:42 AM
37
I'm not sure, this was me after 10 months of hrt, then I had ffs:
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi184.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx153%2Fmeghanandrews%2Fth1213846493.jpg&hash=6b7d061dfd421f7f98397e0dbd5547bdcd9454b8)
I think your cheeks look fuller now.