I'm going to be 19 and hopefully starting hormones by fall of next year. I am trying to dodge more riskier forms of hrt bc my mom had a pulmonary embolism from taking birth control when she was 30. I know that patches are one of the safest methods, but will they be effective enough to get good feminizing effects?? I want to start while I'm younger so that I can get a good outcome.


Any help would be appreciated!

My personal opinion is go for injections.  I do patches and they are a pain in the butt (sometimes literally).  It is impossible for them to stay on for a week and I get a some skin irritation from the various methods I use to keep them on.

Patches work fine.

The ones I use you have to keep on only 3.5 days. They stay on easily that long. They are a little bit annoying sure, but they work. My blood E levels are fine too, so I reckon they are pretty effective.

I'm on patches. I was on pills before, however I was awful at remembering when I needed to take the pills. I add new patches every 3 to 4 days. I keep to the same two days in the week to change them. As I have to alternate patch locations it serves as a good reminder to me if I've changed them or not. I'm seeing good results with the ones I am using and they are pretty much forgotten about once stuck on.

The ones I use are Evorel. These are massive with the dose that I am on (smaller doses are smaller in size), but they pretty much stay stuck on. Other brands can be considerably smaller. What I do find with Evorel is that the patches initially have a tendency to migrate ever so slightly revealing the sticky adhesive underneath. The adhesive can stick to clothes. I also find that with the edges if they crease can become sharp points that can irritate or even cut into my skin.

Patches are fairly cheap (not as cheap as the pills, but still very affordable in generic form), and they do work.  I switched to oral estradiol because of practical problems with the patches: the weekly generics I was using didn't stick after about four days, and I'm covered with bright red circles from prior application points.  The patches also used to itch like crazy.

If you can get the the twice-weekly patches, that might be a good route to try - it'll avoid screwing around with patches falling off etc.  Don't get too caught up in the risks; it's a safe medicine to take in any form provided you're under the care of a qualified medical professional and you don't smoke.  Explain your family history to your doc and he or she will make sure you get the medication in an appropriate form.

But yeah, if you can suck up the hassle of patches (and most people can), then it's probably a good route to take because it does lessen the risks somewhat.

I still have a few of my red circles from the patches four weeks after I switched to the injections.  The patches do work fine, but do know that especially the generics tend to have knack for coming off way to soon. Even if you are changing them every 3.5 days. The patches also allow for a more constant supply of hormones compared to the shots that I'm on are every 2 weeks and causes high and lows in the levels. You can always try the patches first and even try a different brand of them before switching to shots.
Mariah

I started HRT on patches when I was 32. I haven't been misgendered since 6 months into it, and at five years in I'm now 42DDD and curvy. Results are not guaranteed for anyone, obviously, but at least in my experience patches worked as well as any other method could reasonably be expected to, and I got what my genetics dictated.

Plus I do like the safety, convenience of only changing twice a week (I'm forgetful), and steady administration (hormonal fluctuations give me major PMS). I'm now using Vivelle, which is tiny and discreet and sticks beautifully; the generics can definitely be a bigger hassle.

Quote from: Jenna Marie on November 26, 2014, 08:10:21 AM
I started HRT on patches when I was 32. I haven't been misgendered since 6 months into it, and at five years in I'm now 42DDD and curvy. Results are not guaranteed for anyone, obviously, but at least in my experience patches worked as well as any other method could reasonably be expected to, and I got what my genetics dictated.

Plus I do like the safety, convenience of only changing twice a week (I'm forgetful), and steady administration (hormonal fluctuations give me major PMS). I'm now using Vivelle, which is tiny and discreet and sticks beautifully; the generics can definitely be a bigger hassle.

Wow! I wanted to inquire about the Vivelles. I would really love to do the implant method, but I'm not sure that's available anywhere close to me. Are the Vivelles the best and can you get a good dose out of them? I'm also pretty forgetful so I would probably have a harder time with other methods. I feel like the patch would be nice and natural feeling with the steady levels too. And wow 42ddd? Your breasts are huge!!! I'm 5'8" and around 145 lbs but not in muscle, I'm just soft looking with a more feminine figure. I'm praying for a C (my band size is about a 36/will probably end up being a 34 after being on hormones hopefully)

Quote from: lilangel on November 26, 2014, 04:20:27 PM
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I feel like the patch would be nice and natural feeling with the steady levels too.

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I'm 5'8" and around 145 lbs but not in muscle, I'm just soft looking with a more feminine figure. I'm praying for a C (my band size is about a 36/will probably end up being a 34 after being on hormones hopefully)

I was 5'8" before starting HRT, but am now closer to 5'7". I was previously 165lb and now 143lb. I used to be a 36/38 band size, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to 34 band size. After 13 months HRT I am 34C. At 40 I guess I am lucky to have achieved this much, but you have age on your side, so anything is possible.

I also found when I was on pills my moods were up and down like a rollercoaster, but since going onto patches they have stabilised.

lilangel : I don't know if Vivelle is the best of all patches in the world, but of those available in my area, it definitely was; it's about the size of a dime, clear, easy to apply and remove, and the only real catch is that it's kind of expensive compared to generic. (But on insurance that doesn't matter much to me; it's $50 for them and $30 for generic on my plan.) As for dosages, we're not supposed to discuss specific doses, but it's possible to wear more than one patch - which is MUCH less annoying with Vivelle than one that's 1.5" across! Oh, and another benefit is that Vivelle is packaged for menopausal cis women to change every 3.5 days, so there's no fussing about how you're taking "too much" from a pharmacist or insurance; the boxes automatically come with enough to do twice weekly. Patches [any brand] also require less estrogen to get the same effect on blood levels than pills, because it's delivered directly to the bloodstream.

To be fair, I was also professionally fitted as 38DD even though my favorite Lane Bryant bra is 42DDD. Apparently really expensive bras run smaller.   I also started HRT at 5'8", but closer to 200 lbs; I wish I could lose some weight, but I admit it does wonders for the figure to have a bit of padding.

Thanks!! I think I'm definitely going to go for the patches!  I just want them right now!! It probably won't be until next fall though, but just trying to prepare and plan!

Quote from: Leila on November 26, 2014, 04:31:06 PM
I was 5'8" before starting HRT, but am now closer to 5'7". I was previously 165lb and now 143lb. I used to be a 36/38 band size, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would get to 34 band size. After 13 months HRT I am 34C. At 40 I guess I am lucky to have achieved this much, but you have age on your side, so anything is possible.

I also found when I was on pills my moods were up and down like a rollercoaster, but since going onto patches they have stabilised.

Oh my gosh!! I hope I get this and then some! It sounds like we're about the same minus the age difference. I'm a 36/borderline 38 and I'm *praying* for a 34c, I feel like it would be the right size for my frame!