Hi all. So here's my situation: I'm 24, mtf transgender, and I'm pre-everything. I've been trying to do what I can to pass without hormones for the time being, and I've come to the conclusion that there's one thing that keeps me from looking pretty much 100% female: I have no fat in my face. Like practically 0. I've seen several before and after pictures of people on hormones and I've noticed that this is something that hormones fix, but here's my question:
Once I start hormones, will I have to eat more and gain some weight in order for this to work? I'm a relatively healthy eater and I don't eat fatty foods or sweets or anything, but I'd be more than willing to start if it meant that my emaciated monstrosity of a face will get more volume to it :)
I say, let the hormones do their work and keep on eating the way you do. You should be fine. ;) From everything I've come across so far, it seems the greatest culprit for increasing fat deposition is carbs due to the fact that it increases insulin secretion.
Hormones will effect everyone differently.
I was lucky in it made my face round out nice.
The theory is HRT will remove fat from one area and place it in another
So can or can not work but most i know have seen improvements in there faces.
Doesnt it only work for new fat that's added to the body? Not fat redistribution but reassignment
In my case the face got more angular and slim than before.
I wouldnt count on it!!
My face got quite angular, and my cheek bones are even more visible than ever... but I have lost some wait too lately.
I started HRT in 2004. At first I gained some weight all over and my face got rounder, could have been due to the cyproterone acetate I was taking. Then post-op, on mostly just estrogen, lost a lot of weight but face remained round, then eventually, lost some weight in the face area and it became more angular, older looking, sunken cheeks and eyes and temples then increased my estrogen, face got fuller again and I gained weight...so this is my story. :)
I'm only 6 months on hormones and I started with a face devoid of fat and I think it pretty much stayed that way. Face fat is also the most important issue for me as far as I'm concerned.
Whenever I gain weight, it goes straight for the belly, the waist, the butt... and that's where I lose it first as well. If I really puff up then a bit goes to my breast and then goes away if I eat thin again. Face, nothing so far... so personally, I haven't had any success with the gaining weight strategy, and gaining weight makes me not like my body shape and not feel as good physically as I do when I eat thinner.
i.e. when I eat low fat high carb (basically a lot of whole fruits) I've got energy and I can run and feel light and athletic, when I eat high fat foods I feel heavy and get more depressed...
And I think, the transition is hard enough as it is. Sure, the fatty food provides instant comfort, but then I feel horrible for a few days. I found it better to do what makes me feel good right now and hope some fat will reach my face eventually. At the moment, it seems I would have to gain way too much weight for my own comfort level to get face fat.
So I'm just focusing on eating healthy, getting all my nutrients and make sure to get all my calories and that they come from good or at least decent sources and be active - running every 2-3 days for 30 minutes or more and doing a bit of aerobic exercise every day. Sports and good nutrition help take my mind off the transition a bit and stay a bit more focused on taking care of myself.
Before I did this, I was just crying all the time non-stop and wanted to die. Perhaps the estrogen increased my tendency to be depressed. It's really dangerous to feel like I did and I don't want to go back to feeling that way all the time.
The fat doesn't really "redistribute," although it'll look that way - you lose fat in male places and gain it in female places, rather than fat cells actually moving around. What this means, of course, is that you do need to put on a bit of extra weight to see it appear somewhere else (though sometimes HRT slowing metabolism is enough to make this happen).
I had no trouble gaining weight, alas. :) My face filled out nicely, along with boobs and butt, but so did my belly...
So many different kinds of answers :o
Conclusion: your mileage may vary, although a chocolate bar and a double cheese burger every now and then might be a good idea :)
Was just about to go out for groceries
Added chocolate bars and hamburgers ;D
I've been on HRT (estradiol only) for 16 years and I started in my 20s too. Facial fat development has been minimal for me. However, I know some people who developed massively (no pun intended) over maybe 1-2 years. So everyone's different.
Quote from: Ataraxia on July 28, 2014, 09:59:44 AM
Hi all. So here's my situation: I'm 24, mtf transgender, and I'm pre-everything. I've been trying to do what I can to pass without hormones for the time being, and I've come to the conclusion that there's one thing that keeps me from looking pretty much 100% female: I have no fat in my face. Like practically 0. I've seen several before and after pictures of people on hormones and I've noticed that this is something that hormones fix, but here's my question:
Once I start hormones, will I have to eat more and gain some weight in order for this to work? I'm a relatively healthy eater and I don't eat fatty foods or sweets or anything, but I'd be more than willing to start if it meant that my emaciated monstrosity of a face will get more volume to it :)
I been on HRT now for 3 months, and I want to now loose some of the fat in my face. In my case I gained a lot of weight in my face, I think to much. I also gained a lot in hips thighs and butt. Which I am very happy about. I am over weight to begin with, but I also noticed a lot more energy on HRT. I have been working out regularly and I've lost almost 30lbs, which is more weight lost in 3 months on HRT. Then I lost in 3 years. So in my case I gained a lot in my face, but everyone is different.
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Bone structure is also a factor. Fat can redistribute but it does not always hide male bone structures, and it does not redistribute the same way for everyone, either. Some react better to hormones than others, and some see more feminization than others. There is no way to say for sure what it will look like until it happens.