Quote from: Kiera on December 29, 2006, 08:58:46 PM
If you were allowed to choose between a great body or a beautiful face which would it be?

I'd choose a female (not necessarily beautiful) face; but only because my body isn't particularly masculine (except for the height), while my face is... at least in my eyes. When I see my body naked in a mirror, I generally think, "Hmmm, not TOO awful, just wish THEY were bigger and THAT wasn't there." When I see my face, I cringe, feel tears welling up, and think, "This is SO cruel..."

Hence... no real avatar photo. Maybe in another 4-8 months if the HRT goddesses are kind to me

Kate

Quote from: Kiera on December 29, 2006, 08:58:46 PM
If you were allowed to choose between a great body or a beautiful face which would it be?

That's a no brainer for me Kiera.  I'd take the body.  If I decide on FFS, I would only do it if the basic features of my face weren't changed.  While I'd love to be considered beautiful, I want even more to be me.  As for my body, I'd alter it in a heartbeat!  I've come to realize the only hope I'll have of having a reasonably passable body is if I get very skinny.  I'll still never have hips, I'll always have broad shoulders but I think slender would help the overall look.  But I don't want to be anorexic either.  I've just got to get back to where I was when I stopped swimming.

Julie

i think i'd trade 6% loss of existing character for 6% gain in feminising character
....& then perhaps i'd become 100% me......

misty.........xxx

i used to swim too julie....i.was competing............feeling zingy
like a coiled spring at the gun..........sprint the crawl
.....trouble was my body got slimmer and toned but some muscle appeared in my calves!!
........so i took up disco dancing instead!!!!!!!!!!!
.....god save abba!!!!!!!!

I'd choose the great body.  I'm fairly happy with my face as it is, but I do wish I had less fat on my body.

Melissa

I think that I'd take what's behind door number two instead.

Cindi

Absolutely. No question at all.

Having studied my Mom and Sisters faces, I can accept that I won't come out of surgery a beauty queen (omg don't tell them I said that!), but if it can take away some of the harsh lines and sharp features then sign me up. They are built in a similar fashion, but just more...feminine. I have a very distinct and realistic image of who I am on the inside, and that's not the person I see in the mirror currently...and this can no longer stand. Regardless, I intend to give the hormones a good long time to do their thing before doing it, so that I can see exactly what I am working with.

Recognizable afterword? I seriously doubt it, and am fine with that too. It is more important for me to be recognized and accepted as the woman I am, than to be remembered by the beasts friends and associates. Who cares if they recognize me, when they didn't really know me in the first place?

Just my two cents  >

It is hard to explain but the changes are profound yet subtle, if you see my latest psot about going back to my old hangout. Everyone noticed how much better I looked but not one person guessed that I had surgery.

IMNSHO worrrying about a "new face" is, most likely, a rationalization. BTW the surgery and recovery for me this time was a breeze.

No i would not have a whole new face,
but i would not mind some more feminine face.

One thing I must mention about Doug's work, pertaining to his noses, from what I have seen, he gives everyone the same nose, I am only one of three patients out of over one thousand that he did not recommend doing a rhinoplasty, if someone goes in for the "complete works" she probably is going to look dramatically different. Being local, I have seen over twenty of Dr O's patients in person, (in the office) I also can spot his noses when I see them on people on the street. It's a very pretty and feminine nose but very distinctive...oddly, very similar to the nose I was born with but a little bit more turned up and maybe just a tad bit smaller.

Quote
Ah, agreed, but the catch is we're are own worst critics and what people think certainly isn't important otherwise why would we do this at all?? If you were allowed to choose between a great body or a beautiful face which would it be?

(p.s. if you ever change your thoughtful muse's photo I want a copy first please!  )

There are a few things l'd like to have done, my eyelids are droopy and I don't like my chin but the answer to your question is a no-brainer for me. I'd have a killer body. My face is fine the way it is. 

I don't know this is starting to sound like one of those genie three wishes questions.

Myself, I am going to do whatever is within my power to have a pretty face (done!) and a nice body. I am tall and have broad shoulders but I have managed to trim my waist and my breasts are nice. In fact, I come across as the most feminine when I wear tight jeans or capris and a form fitting top, which I don't get to do often because it is always chilly in San Francisco.

Anyway time to do some light body toning (doing arms and buns today) then get to work.

Hell yes.  What Kate said.  I have never had any desire to look male whatsoever.  Give me my ladyface, or give me death!  This is about transformation, as far as I'm concerned.  I want to be a woman, through and through, anything less is not satisfactory.

I'm in a strange position FFS wise, I have major crainial problems which means that most major work is not possible, however I don't really need/want much and it's only something I'd do much later if i had the money spare and the time off work/studies to have it done and recover without major issue, I'm very bad at reading my own facial feminity, some people say I'm unreadable though I don't quite buy it, there are plenty of things I dislike like my very recessed slightly too square jaw my brow ridge and my hairline which is a bit too square for comfort.

I'm told a nose job makes the biggest difference FFS wise but I find it hard to see on myself, I don't particularly take issue to my nose it's like a slightly bigger version of my sisters nose in line with how much bigger my head is.

here's a pic of me to judge for yourself:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1139/photo114vg4.jpg

Quote from: Maud on January 10, 2007, 06:31:21 PM

here's a pic of me to judge for yourself:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1139/photo114vg4.jpg

WOW. Gorgeous!

Very nice Maud. The way we look is something a transsexual cares about very much. We're concerned with being accepted by society as the person we feel inside. However, we also get to the point where we have to learn to accept ourselves for who we are and be proud of that. If you can do that then society will judge you for the person you are.

Though saying that I'm most certainly planning on having work done.

Quote from: Maud on January 10, 2007, 06:31:21 PM
I'm in a strange position FFS wise, I have major crainial problems which means that most major work is not possible, however I don't really need/want much and it's only something I'd do much later if i had the money spare and the time off work/studies to have it done and recover without major issue, I'm very bad at reading my own facial feminity, some people say I'm unreadable though I don't quite buy it, there are plenty of things I dislike like my very recessed slightly too square jaw my brow ridge and my hairline which is a bit too square for comfort.

I'm told a nose job makes the biggest difference FFS wise but I find it hard to see on myself, I don't particularly take issue to my nose it's like a slightly bigger version of my sisters nose in line with how much bigger my head is.

here's a pic of me to judge for yourself:

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1139/photo114vg4.jpg

Here's a completely honest opinion about your face.  Just remember, this is only my opinion.  First of all, looking back at some of your posts, it looks like you have been on HRT for only 3 1/2 months.  Expect lots of facial changes.  For instance, you may have some fat help fill in sharper features like a brow ridge.

Next, your nose is fine and looks female--no work needed.  I can see the brow ridge and although it is slight, if you are uncomfortable with it, you could have that reduced.  However, it is close to the female range, so you may get away with it just fine, especially after more time on HRT.  Your chin and jaw look fine to me.  It's hard to tell, but it looks like there's a little shadow from facial hair.  If that's the case, it will make a big difference.  The inside part of your eyebrows should be directly over the inside part of your eye.  I'm not sure if it's just the angle or not, but if they aren't align, a little plucking will help.  If you are to get any facial work done, you might look into getting an upper lip lift.

So, for the most part, if my assessment is correct, most of the work needed is just removing facial hair and a little plucking.  I bet after more time on HRT and more facial hair removed, you'll have absolutely no problems passing.  Personally though, I would say avoid FFS unless you are absolutely planning on going stealth.

Melissa

Maud omg!

You look stunning hon, don't beat yourself up too much. It's funny I found this post just now! I just got back from one of my classes, and had spent the whole time wondering how some of those natal women pass as female in the first place. I suspect a lot of our worries are in our heads, some of those girls have more prominent brows and jawlines than I could ever imagine. Most people just don;t look I think, and certainly not as closely as a transitioning Mtf. I am inclined to think that as long as you have mannerisms and inflection down, you'd be impossible to spot.

Dear, I'd be more than pleased to have your look post-op. I really woudn't sweat it in your shoes, enjoy your gift 


~Mandy~

Quote from: Melissa on January 10, 2007, 09:54:20 PM
Here's a completely honest opinion about your face.  Just remember, this is only my opinion.  First of all, looking back at some of your posts, it looks like you have been on HRT for only 3 1/2 months.  Expect lots of facial changes.  For instance, you may have some fat help fill in sharper features like a brow ridge.

Next, your nose is fine and looks female--no work needed.  I can see the brow ridge and although it is slight, if you are uncomfortable with it, you could have that reduced.  However, it is close to the female range, so you may get away with it just fine, especially after more time on HRT.  Your chin and jaw look fine to me.  It's hard to tell, but it looks like there's a little shadow from facial hair.  If that's the case, it will make a big difference.  The inside part of your eyebrows should be directly over the inside part of your eye.  I'm not sure if it's just the angle or not, but if they aren't align, a little plucking will help.  If you are to get any facial work done, you might look into getting an upper lip lift.

So, for the most part, if my assessment is correct, most of the work needed is just removing facial hair and a little plucking.  I bet after more time on HRT and more facial hair removed, you'll have absolutely no problems passing.  Personally though, I would say avoid FFS unless you are absolutely planning on going stealth.

Melissa

Well, I have abolsutely no trouble passing as is unless everyone who's seen me in the last three months is super tollerent because I've not had one of those looks like there's something not quite right with me in 6 weeks and i've never not once had anything remotely transphobic said about me or directly to me, however i've not come out to anyone who I didn't know since pre FT so i've yet to gauge their reaction to it.

This would be entirely for personal reasons, I'm FT and have been for a while. As for facial hair I only have side burn hair and it's on the very high side of the female range, I can't quite afford the electro at the moment and it would be for personal reasons not passing reasons, I have a little hair on the upper lip too but again it's entirely in the female range so I deal with it as any gg would, it's just the top part of my face is still kind of sun burnt from the summer but the bottom is not so it looks a different shade, however there is no shadow there.

Thanks for the honest assessment, I do appreciate it. Though, as amanda says we often forget that natal females can look male too and we often look to be seen as perfect, I fully expect to be able to go stealth as and when my social situation allows it.

I do plan on being as stealth as I can be I have zero intention of being known as anything other than female other than to those who need to know, so far the biggest barrier to that is voice work which I'm making headway on and I have my first proper voice lesson the friday after next.


Oh and as for alighnment I'd need my face to be straight first, due to said crainial problems the left side of my face (right in the pic as it's a webcam shot) is sunken down so I'm a little distorted, most people don't notice it and it's one of those things I can't fix and I just need to accept it's just it causes some issue with a few things.

For a different view here's me how I look raw if i'm woken up by a 5AM fire alarm :0

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/5342/photo141ut6.jpg


Oh and one point I didn't make before which applies to both pictures is that these are raw pictures of me with no makeup whatsoever at no particular special angles this is just how I look on a day to day basis.

Maud,

Here's my honest opinion.  If you aren't totally grateful for that beautiful face, I'm going to come over there and knock you on your noggin with a wooden spoon!  My gawd Maud, you are beautiful.

I can't see what you would ever worry about with your face.  The rest of you, I can't comment on. But girl.... quitchyer whinin and love life.  Hear me? 

I mean this only in the most complimentary way, you know?

Chin up!

Cindi

Don't get my wrong, I totally do, and as I said this is a maybe in the future if I had the money spare type thing besides the fact that invasive ffs is not even possible with how messed up my skull is, I am content with my looks and I don't worry about it constantly.

As for my body the measures at 37 hips 29 waist 34 underbust 39.5 overbust, I wear a 34A which fits snugly so if that could be considered anything but female then i'd like to know about it, I was fairly hourglass under the loose clothing I used to wear before hand, HRT has just made it all come together.