Hello! This is going to be long but I feel like this is important information as transitioning should not be a spur of the moment kind of thing.
Back when I was a toddler I would put on my sisters clothes and my mom would get mad at me because I didn't understand the difference between gender and I thought I was like my mom and sister so it made me very happy. I felt like I was more like them than my dad so I figured I was one of them. It wasn't until I hit the age of 8 that I learned I had different anatomy than my sister. I felt confused because I had always felt like a girl. When I was going through puberty I felt like I had been cursed, simply put. That's why I've been considering switching. I hope that would be a good enough reason to want to transition, I don't know, What do you guys think? :)
Also I'm going to attach some pictures, can you tell me if HRT will make me look more like a girl? I seen other people's timeline and they look so beautiful! :D
http://vvcap.com/8wuFDiSbnCb (http://vvcap.com/8wuFDiSbnCb)
http://vvcap.com/yr26pfRf9lb (http://vvcap.com/yr26pfRf9lb)
Please let me know what you think! :)
Welcome to Susan's Place. The pictures are dark and grainy so it's hard to tell for sure but I don't think you need to rely much on hormones. Between proper makeup and hair, I think your face may already be feminine enough that you should be able to pass as long as you pay attention to the details.
As for whether you should transition, that is a personal decision but for me, how I looked was less important than becoming a woman.
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Hey Polarbear!
Welcome to Susan's :)
Ultimately the only person who can make that decision is you, and you're right that it isn't a decision to take lightly or make quickly. Transition is rarely easy and often comes with difficulties you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. But it can come with a whole lot of benefits if your approach it with realistic expectations and a lot of confidence and determination. It sounds to me though that you know what you would like to do.
As for whether HRT will make you look more like a girl, it is again impossible to give a solid answer. How your body respond to HRT depends a lot on your genetics. For some the results are great, others not so much and for the rest it is mixed. You won't know until you know and that can take 18-24 months. Transition isn't all about HRT though, a lot of other things factor in. Check out the before and after threads.
I give my dearest thanks to for the advice y'all have given me. I feel like I was thinking about the process so shallowly. Also I would like to point out that I don't think being female is all about the looks, it's just that it would play a big factor on if I wanted to transition or not. I truly, truly, want to be a female but it would just make it easier to make the final decision to do it if I knew I would have a satisfying love life as one. I will read as much as I can from this forum and eventually go to the doctor to learn all I can. ^_^
polarbearx8,
Welcome to the site. I think, like Dena said that the person you have to ask and work with is yourself. Not trying to be mystic or elusive. It is a decision and a journey you have to make on your own. This is a very supportive site and full of people with a lot of information. I am sure there are many here who can give you similar or dissimilar stories to your own and that may encourage you to transition, it is still up to you.
That being said, you can ask for advice and I highly recommend therapy. Many people find a good gender therapist invaluable. Sometimes a general therapist is helpful in guiding you through the maze of decisions you have to make. Are you currently in therapy?
The term transgender is an umbrella term that covers a lot of spots along a spectrum. Some are fine with dressing as the other gender or mixing to an androgynous level; some find under dressing helps and maybe eliminating (or growing) body hair helps; others go the path of HRT; still others go through all the surgeries. You have to find what works for you.
I won't really respond to the pictures. I find that while HRT is great to help mental dysphoria, it can become a path some follow just looking for physical femininization. The trick is, it effects everyone a little differently. Some start to question if it is working because they don't seem to be changing fast enough. While it would be nice to look like an attractive cis woman, it comes down to does it ease some symptoms. That's just my opinion.
I wanted to post some threads that we like to pass along to our new members. If you have not had a chance to read them, please take a moment:
(As I was proof reading my post, Dena already posted them.)
Welcome to Susan's. Look around, continue to ask questions and join in. I hope you find what you are looking for.
With warmth,
Joanna
Thank you Joanna! :)