Quote from: AngieT on November 05, 2016, 09:25:13 AMI disagree. People worry so much about facial features, but that will change and it's WAY too early to make such a conclusive statement. Looks are telling, but self confidence and voice are infinitely more important. How I looked starting HRT, after 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and 10 years are all worlds apart.
I didn't transition until my mid 30's, but I got my voice perfect and I believed in who I am. I didn't have FFS, but I haven't been questioned nor have I gotten weird looks in over a decade. Dress appropriately, be comfortable in your own skin, SMILE, mannerisms, presenting yourself appropriately, don't think of yourself as transgender, believe that you are really female, and in time everything will work out just fine.
People sense fear. People sense when you're outside of your comfort zone. Those are more damaging than a forehead ever will be.
These are all true, to a point, especially what you say about voice.
But not all faces are created equal. And, furthermore, not all of us have time to wait for HRT, which only changes skin and fat distribution, not the shape of our bones. A lot depends on one's individual dysphoria, too -- a year of waiting on my part was practically an unbearable eternity, and I say this as someone who got her voice down first, before even getting on hormones. I had no problem passing before facial surgery, but afterwards it was like a whole new world opened up. It especially had a profound impact on the people who knew me from before.
And, there's something else to consider... namely, that women aren't always appropriate. Nor should we be. Sometimes I'm cranky, short-tempered, rude, sick, tired, insecure, lazy, uncomfortable, frowning, and clumsy, and often that's just getting out of bed, let alone how the rest of the day will be. But I don't have to be "on" to be gendered correctly. It happens automatically now, regardless of what I do or how I feel. There is tremendous freedom in that.
