I haven't measured my height in about 15 years. I was always 5'10" (actually, 5' 9 7/8"). There've been a number of threads on height, so I measured myself. Now I'm exactly 5'9".
I stand up as straight as I always did. Is this shrinkage just age, or does HRT actually make you shorter? ???
- The amazing shirinking Kate
I don't believe that taking estrogen will make you shorter.
I was just measured at the doctor's office and I have lost 1/2 inch, but I am also 65 years old, I think it is more age than my hormones.
My sister who is 70 has lost 3 inches due to illnesses (we just talked about it last week).
Sarah L.
Posture can affect height, some girls have talked about the tilt of their pelvis altering a little bit.
And I think that after 35-40 (I think I read that number somewhere), shrinkage due to age may kick in (it's a really slow process though and I have no idea how old you are and I don't guess.. especially not when it comes to women!.. so I think posture is a more probable cause.. but I figured I'd mention it anyway). Earlier if people aren't getting enough calcium and stuff.
I have actually noticed a slight decrease in my height. I've always been 5' 8", now I'm about 5' 7 1/2". I know it's not from slouching or anything, and my pelvis has tilted quite a bit as well so maybe it's that. A lot of changes have happened throughout the process of HRT, so maybe the fat distribution, pelvis movement, and other things may have come together to knock that 1/2" off. Who knows, but I'm pretty sure I've shortened.
~Sarah
I lost a full inch.
Pelvis tilt with HRT? Never heard about that one.
Maggie
More than a few mtf have found they shrank between 1 to 3 inches, a few ftm's have grown a bit as well. Age seems to not matter.
The most likely explanation is a thinning/loss of cartilage and maybe some fatty/muscular tissue on your feet and head.
Quote from: Maggie Kay on September 29, 2009, 01:53:03 PM
I lost a full inch.
Pelvis tilt with HRT? Never heard about that one.
Maggie
I read about it when I was first starting out and thought it was crazy. But, alas, it has definitely happened, no question about it. Although when I started HRT I was only 20, and I'm 24 now so it may be due to my age.
~Sarah
5'11" here.
I'll take all the shrinkage I can get!
Assuming I was the proper weight for my height, if a genie offered to take away one whole foot and the associated weight I'd be all over it.
Alas, 1-3" (hopefully!) will have to do.
My understanding was that posture is at least part of the reason for both hrt- and age-related shrinkage. That doesn't make it any less real: loss of muscle strength means that when you stand up straight, it's just a little bit less straight.
Funny story -- when I went for my appointment to get my first hrt 'script, the nurse who measured my height boxed me in in a funny way so that I couldn't really stand up straight -- basically, the measuring stand was in a awkward location. As a result, I lost a full inch immediately before starting hrt. I'd love to be 5'9" instead of 5'10", but I don't believe it.
Another funny thing: I have been told recently that since I began transitioning, I stand up straighter and slouch less. So maybe hrt increases height! :laugh:
I'm 5'11-5'12!!!
And I hope hrt doesn't take away from my height, now-a-days men are becoming less awkward with tall girls and actually find tall girls sexy! :embarrassed:
From a transman's perspective (who stands at about 5'6), there are so many tall girls these days, I feel even worse about my height because they want taller men. What chance do I stand? I think with the fact that people are getting bigger and taller these days, you all will do just fine, and blend in for the most part, particularly in the US. Now, as for me, to blend in I'm going to need to move to Europe or Asia. :P
I measured around 9 months or so into HRT and had lost almost 2 inches, wonder what it is now a yr later ha. I've really been noticing alot of taller girls lately (or maybe it's that I'm shorter) in the stores, mostly teens, it's a confidence builder for sure!
Quote from: V on September 30, 2009, 12:33:29 AM
From a transman's perspective (who stands at about 5'6), there are so many tall girls these days, I feel even worse about my height because they want taller men. What chance do I stand? I think with the fact that people are getting bigger and taller these days, you all will do just fine, and blend in for the most part, particularly in the US. Now, as for me, to blend in I'm going to need to move to Europe or Asia. :P
Preferences about a mates height is just that, a preference, not a deal breaker (usually).
I just mentioned in another thread I have lost a full inch+ in height since starting hrt (now @ 5'10"). I'm not sure if posture had anything to do with it because both times I measured by standing with my back against the wall and my heels against the baseboard. I assumed it was from general muscle shrinkage.
Quote from: V on September 30, 2009, 12:33:29 AM
From a transman's perspective (who stands at about 5'6), there are so many tall girls these days, I feel even worse about my height because they want taller men. What chance do I stand? I think with the fact that people are getting bigger and taller these days, you all will do just fine, and blend in for the most part, particularly in the US. Now, as for me, to blend in I'm going to need to move to Europe or Asia. :P
It's common for women to want men who are taller than they, but after becoming Kate the first man I had a crush on was three inches shorter than me. (I saw him last night. He's still 3 inches shorter than me and I still find him oddly attractive, but I think I'm getting over my crush. ;))
In the little town I live in, I know two women with advanced degrees, each of whom is married to a shorter man who works in construction. (What're the odds? ::))
So if you've got what it takes, height isn't important. :D
- Kate
In general, age makes you shorter. Gravity operating on your joints and vertebrae will very slowly compress your body as you age. HRT is coincidental to that. In fact, a lot of women are even given estrogen after menopause to help guard against Osteoporosis. So, if anything it might actually help a little.
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
but I measured just before HRT and again recently, and again just this morning. That's only about 7 months so not that much age! lol ;D In general I've been fortunate with HRT and don't see how I ever lived without it. If it makes me shrink a little, oh well. :laugh:
Quote from: Kristi on September 30, 2009, 01:48:22 PM
In general, age makes you shorter. Gravity operating on your joints and vertebrae will very slowly compress your body as you age. HRT is coincidental to that. In fact, a lot of women are even given estrogen after menopause to help guard against Osteoporosis. So, if anything it might actually help a little.
My grandmother has osteoporosis.
Her full young adult height: 5'6"
Aged 89, advanced osteoporosis: 4'6" and significant amounts of pain
Estrogen doesn't build as much bone mass as T, so your normal age-related shrinking might have been slightly accelerated. Muscles do not make you taller. I doubt it does very much, unless you are young enough for it to stunt your growth.
SilverFang
You can measure a good inch taller in the morning than in the evening, try it, measure yourself first thing in the morning then again at night before bed. Good old gravity, on a daily basis. Also, more weight may shorten you, lots of fat or muscle, either way.
Dang I'd love to gain even an inch on T, but I'm not holding out hope.
As several people said, as you grow old the discs in your back loss ther density and water storage, the pressure makes them comporess, you lose height.
If you measure just as you wake up you'll be taller, if you measure after a full day, you'll be shorter, again, discs compression.
Astronauts actually get taller in space by few inches.
I'd doubt HRT would make you shorter at all, not sure what the hip tilt means, is it just a different pose of standing? if so it won't affect height as you will stand straight, if it's what I think it means, that women usually put more weight on one side of their hips as they stand, which is quite true in my opinion and I noticed I do that too for a lot of time (not sure if after hrt or before) then iot won't affect measuring, you stand straight during that.
Well, Alex, you are right. When I read your post I remembered that in the service we had a really short officer. He had very much wanted to go to the academy but was too short. He convinced the recruiter to measure him when he first rolled out of bed in the morning and so just squeaked in. He was a good officer.
I just measured myself again. I've been up about an hour. I gained 3/8" from when I measured in mid-day. Rats. I don't mind being long and lanky but was looking forward to being a little less so.
And Alex, if I could give you a few inches (and a few other things), I'd gladly do it. ;D
- Kate
Oops. Sorry, Myself. Your post was on the next page and I didn't see it until after I posted the above. You are right, too. I'm going to try to remember to measure tonight before bed. Maybe I'll be down to 5'8 1/2". ;)
- Kate
One thing that HRT might affect is how well your bones absorb calcium. Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis, (which would affect your height) so if you aren't already you should start taking calcium supplements twice a day. It would be no good for you to finally start living your life as yourself, only to end up being taken out by a broken hip. ;)
This goes for all you ladies, btw. Bone loss usually starts by the time you are in your early 30's, and most women don't get enough calcium in their diets to prevent it. *Ends lecture* :icon_nerd:
OK k8 I want a few inches, your peeter and your BMW thanks!
Somehow K8 I can't see you as male, you're just a very cool lady.
One thing gals can do for bone mass preservation is weight-bearing exercise. By this I mean stuff like the squat, the bench, the deadlift. The estrogen regimen should give you only the muscle-mass capability of any other gal, which means you won't get big muscles, but you'll do your bones a big favor.
The other thing I'm thinking is, a good calcium suppliment. But those are expensive, so one thing I am thinking is, save eggshells. When you have a bunch, put 'em into a blender or coffee grinder, and powder 'em. You can even do this by hand. Then stick into empty gelatine capsules you can buy, hey presto you have an expensive calcium suppliment for cheap. Take one or two a day, they're eggshells, not gonna hurt you. Priced OsCal or CitriCal lately? Ouch.
Alex, you can have the other stuff, but I'll keep the Beemer for now. :D
Alex and Jamie: Good advice. I started calcium supplements the day I started HRT. I'll try the weight-bearing exercises; that makes sense to me.
Before I started HRT I looked down the list of probable effects. I think that loss of bone density and the resultant increased risk for osteoporosis was one of only two that made me hesitate. (The other was loss of upper body strength - never all that great for me anyway. ;))
And Alex, if you're ever in town you can ride my bike as long as I get to be your mama - you know, that decorative feature on the back that requires food and drink occasionally. ;D
- Kate
I started calcium back when I started HRT too. Dr. McGinn also recommends it and even told me I should get a bone density check. I just get those little chewy chocolate calcium/Vitamin D supplements they sell at Target (along with my gummy bear vitamins lol) and they're not too expensive.
BTW, I did measure myself first thing in the morning. I've still lost an inch in the last year. Maybe my measuring tape is faulty.
K8 - OK that's fair, I'll get me a KZ1000P and watch the traffic part like the Red Sea in front of my big bad cop bike :police:
Actually as far as I know estrogen is better for bone restoration comparing to testosterone.
But at old age, women stop producing estrogen which make them more prone to have that problem than men.
Men lose testosterone, but apparently less.
That's why some women get estrogen replacement therapy. Others don't due to many reasons, like, calcium is easier and safer, estrogen means cancer risk, although it's a bit confused.
Possible explanations for height lose could be posture, rotation of the hips some people mentioned that happened, muscles lose might not pull the spine as before slightly?
Who knows what other effects estrogen and testosterone might do to the body that are not well researched, the bone is much more dynamic than usually started.
I was reading, mainly because of the hips subject, and found that for example, hips seems to constantly change through life.
So other bones might do too.
Cartilage does.
It's probably getting older that does it. Your body is less able to resist gravity, I think.
Quote from: Myself on October 07, 2009, 12:26:17 PM
Actually as far as I know estrogen is better for bone restoration comparing to testosterone.
But at old age, women stop producing estrogen which make them more prone to have that problem than men.
Nope pretty sure testosterone is better at bone maintenance. And spinal cartilage plays a big role in shrinking.
SilverFang