I turned 20 years old a couple months ago and I have been on estradiol + spiro for close to 6 months. Prior to estradiol, I was on spiro for a year. Is it safe to say my body is done growing and won't masculinize anymore if I stop taking HRT? Family issues are becoming a problem and I fear I may have to stop HRT soon, and I am just worried if I stop that my body bone structure will masculinize. I know soft tissue can change, I am just curious if the bones will become larger or not? I'm pretty sure I am done growing but I just want to know other opinions. Thanks so much!
That really depends upon the individual.
I've never taken any hormones nor antigens, but until I was 20, I remained small framed, more or less smooth face and rounds where it mattered.
In male clothes I was often mistaken for female. In female, I was taken as such.
Then it all happened. Bulk, voice in the pits, facial hair that needs cutting twice a day. But thw worst is the smell.
All depends upon your individual genetic makup.
Personally, If I were in your position, you would have to lock me in a dungeon before I stopped takeing those medicines.
I've no experience with hormones , but I would say that being as young as you are is an advantage. You might masculinize a bit off the for awhile, but I've certainly seen plenty of people who started fro the first time after 20 and they looked very feminine. I was always thin with delicate bone structure anyway and found myself being taken for a teenage girl until I was past 30.
It would be a big compromise to go off hormones, but have you considered compromises that would keep you on them? If being on the is important enough, perhaps you could make some familial concessions and stay on them. A 20 year old can get decent employment, too, even if it means dropping out of college.
Since time is not on your side here, it might be best to make some big sacrifices to stay on them.
Life is full of compromises.
Done height-wise likely, but remember that masculinisation doesn't stop when you're twenty. If you still produce testosterone, it will have effect.
If you can, continue with the Spiro. It will stop the masculizing of the body.
Masculinization will continue for years. Probably only in spurts at this point but it happens. I was very andro looking and pretty faced without trying until my early-mid 20s when all of the sudden things had gotten worse. I agree with Janet.
Quote from: SilverFang on February 06, 2010, 07:19:27 PM
Done height-wise likely, but remember that masculinisation doesn't stop when you're twenty. If you still produce testosterone, it will have effect.
Yes it is the Testosterone that causes masculinisation and as long as that's being produced some form of masculinisation will occur.
Stardust
I was always the smallest child in the class. I certainly continued to grow past the age of twenty and I am now average height (5'9"). Now I am transitioning, I could do with losing a couple of inches.
Stopping hormones could be the wost thing for you to do. Definitely speak to your Doctor.
In short, nobody really knows for sure, so I think it's best to consult the doc. I've put down my personal experience below, in case you're interested. Simply put, you'll very likely have more growth due to you beyond the 6 months you've been on HRT. How much more, nobody really knows.
I've been on estrogen DIY on and off for 2 years, then 4 years supervised gradually increasing to some progynova a day and spiro. I basically started at age 20. At first when I hit 2 years I was thinking oh man...I'm still completely flat. 2 years after the proper regimen I had some development, but it was inadequate. At this point, my hormone levels were already on the high-ish end of the peak in the female cycle and my T levels were within the female range. Right now I'm still experiencing some growth, though I'm still largely flat (ugh). I guess it doesn't help that I've not gained any weight in all those years, so this is probably the best my body can do with the available fat. haha.
Oh, boobs, I thought you meant height.
It can take up to five years for genetic girls to fully develop. My development has gone in fits and starts, it is not a constant thing.
I would be patient and see what happens.
You should expect a bra size a cup size less than your Mum or sister. If they are well endowded you should be fine. If they have small breasts so iti is likely you will as well.
Quote from: Pippa on February 15, 2010, 02:00:49 PM
You should expect a bra size a cup size less than your Mum or sister.
Good news for me!
Slightly OT... I like your name, Princess Jasmine! :D
Toodles
~Jasmine :icon_chick:
If you are talking height, you are probably done growing by 20. If you are talking breasts, they should restart growing when you restart the hormones.
I didn't have to shave regularly until age 24, and then only because they drafted me into the Army. Still, I was able to wear a full beard much of my adult life pretending to be a man. (It helped me pass.) As the others have said, masculinizaiton will continue as long as you have male-level T in your system. If you can take spiro but not estrogen, you may not masculinize any more.
Good luck, Jasmine.
- Kate
Remember that FTMs who have never been masculinized at all can achieve bio-male levels of masculinization in their 30s and 40s and probably even older. We don't get taller, but everything else, including our faces, changes naturally as a result of testosterone.
That's what you can expect if you reintroduce normal levels of testosterone into your body by stopping HRT - you'd see changes like those an FTM your age would experience.
Wow Kyril, very good comparison I must say. That's the way things work, no matter what age you are T will "attack" your body so keep this low but not too low because too low is also not good. My T is "naturally" far to low but there is nothing to do about it. ???
Done growing by 20? Maybe, maybe not. Height wise, probably.
I was a small male until i hit 28. I weighed about 140-150 lbs, had a thin relatively feminine face, and so on. When i hit 28 I had another growth spurt and "filled out" to around 175 lbs. Then I had to watch what I would eat as I would gain weight at the drop of a hat.
I was pleased with the growth spurt, but now I can't stop thinking about if I had only known about my GID at the time (late bloomer here) I could have done something to prevent that growth spurt. Oh well :P