Effects of HRT on face (MFT)

[gonegirl]

Hi there,

I am very interested to hear of people's first-hand experience with the effects of HRT on their face, specifically soft tissue changes. (I know that bone structure does not change).

I'm most interested to know how HRT has affected your facial fat redistribution and skin, possibly increasing the fullness of your cheeks, softening your jaw line, toning the skin on your face and neck, or producing any other physically feminizing effects.

If you have experienced changes, were they subtle or pronounced?, in what time frame did they become apparent?, what types of medications were involved?, and at what approximate age were you?

Thank you so much.

Mac.

[kellycan27]

First all all it's going to rely on the age you start using hormones, How much testosterone damage has been done, and bone structure. My own observations have been.. softer skin and that's pretty much been it after 6 years of HRT. The roundness seemed to do more with weight gain and loss. So.. pretty subtle has been my experience.

[gonegirl]

Thanks for replying Kelly,

I forgot about the age factor, which is important. I'll add that to my OP above.

With regard to weight gain, were you able to have fullness in your face while keeping your body lean?

You look gorgeous in your avatar.

Mac.

[Frances]

I did not have a masculine bone structure to start with. HRT atrophied my muscles and redistributed fat on my face. The skin also got way thinner over time and layer of subcutaneous fat formed. I peeled like I had a sunburn for almost a year. The changes were outstanding in my case. I do not need any FFS.

[kellycan27]

Thanks for replying Kelly,

I forgot about the age factor, which is important. I'll add that to my OP above.

With regard to weight gain, were you able to have fullness in your face while keeping your body lean?

You look gorgeous in your avatar.

Mac.

I was a bit heavy when I began HRT.. (163 pounds @5'6"). I am 125 now and I never really lost the roundness in the face.. When I lost the weight.. it was my behind that suffered. LOL

Thank you for the lovely compliment.

Kel

[gonegirl]

Thanks Frances,

You look gorgeous, also!

The subcutaneous fat and redistribution you experienced is something I've read about in general HRT info on the Web, although Kelly didn't mention experiencing that effect so I guess it's dependent on the individual. The peeling is something I haven't heard of before and sounds pretty shocking. I'm sorry that happened to you, but you definitely had a good outcome in the end!

Mac.

[Inna]

changes I have observed in fatty tissue redistribution and skin thickness and softness had been insignificant in a short while, when in a span of 2 years it had rather changed substantially.
My lips have gained in plumpness and grown outside the original boundary quite a bit. lower jaw and chin area filled with fat and now are much more soft and less angular. Pores have become insignificant where before they were quite substantial.
So in my experience of a 42 year old, I rather gotten lucky, I am really questioning my predisposition to this side of gender divide, I may had way more going for me then just girls brain........................:)

[gonegirl]

I was a bit heavy when I began HRT.. (163 pounds @5'6"). I am 125 now and I never really lost the roundness in the face.. When I lost the weight.. it was my behind that suffered. LOL

Thank you for the lovely compliment.

Kel

You're welcome, and although I can't see your behind from here, your face looks wonderful! :)

I'm pre-HRT, and through exercise and eating healthy I've shed almost every ounce of fat from my body (except my butt, go figure), but I've also lost it from my face :sad: and I am wondering what will happen there when I begin HRT.

Mac

Thank you for replying Inna.

Not to diminish the attractiveness of your brain, but you have had truly dramatic results in the looks department! Another gorgeous woman :)

Did you lose fat in your face when your shed the weight so dramatically from your body, and did it return possibly from the results of the HRT?

Mac.

[Frances]

The peeling is something I haven't heard of before and sounds pretty shocking. I'm sorry that happened to you, but you definitely had a good outcome in the end!

Is was not a big deal nor painful, just annoying. Male skin is thicker all over. HRT transforms even the thickness of the skin.

[Stephenie S]

And there are NO guarantees at all. Some people get no results at all. That's what FFS is all about.

The time for hormone therapy is puberty, no question. So the closer to puberty you can start, the better.

S

[kellycan27]

And there are NO guarantees at all. Some people get no results at all. That's what FFS is all about.

The time for hormone therapy is puberty, no question. So the closer to puberty you can start, the better.

S

True dat! i didn't grow much in the way of boobs either :heehee: ( but i fixed that)

[Nicole Erin]

For me, I have used hormones on and off a time or two -
I don't really know if my skin got softer. I think using a decent moisturizer has the same effect.

The only thing I know is it seemed like facial hair grew a bit slower than normal when on HRT. Not really get thinner or stop but just I would have to tweeze and shave a little less.

[Inna]

Thank you for replying Inna.

Not to diminish the attractiveness of your brain, but you have had truly dramatic results in the looks department! Another gorgeous woman :)

Did you lose fat in your face when your shed the weight so dramatically from your body, and did it return possibly from the results of the HRT?

Mac.

Yes, when I started my diet results were quite dramatic, at the beginning no one knew of my inner truth and so as a male I looked seriously bone dry anorexic and sickly. Face went along with the same fat loss. I am fortunate en=ven before the fFS to have a decent bone structure, but it wasn't feminine, at least I didn't think so. Then moment of FFS after 6 months of HRT by which time I have started to get some fat back but still very little. What was actually really interesting, my lips were growing outward, it was visible and kind of still is because the faint line of old crease is still visible. I tweeze out my mustache and by the time I have noticed my lip line encroaching and overflowing my old hair line where some hairs were simply on my lip, it was way goofy but real!

Now after 2 yrs of hormones and 1 year past FFS I am still morphing into more subtle soft, rounded face, some estimate 6-8 years of development and also a big factor being SRS or Orchi, making a huge difference by seriously depleting T more so then even SPIRO can.

[Bree-asaurus]

I started pretty young... and I wasn't super masculine to begin with. Here's an old pic I made a while back that shows some changes (was probably on hormones for a year... and this is about a year old... just guestimating)

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[CharleneT]

Hi, in my case ( the most common ) there are very few changes in terms of "rounding of my face" etc. Fat redistribution can occur, all over your body. It normally takes years though. The results are very dependent on there being fat to redistribute !! I for one am quite skinny, so not much has happened.

The changes to your skin are quicker and -at least in my case- are a lot of the "difference". Getting your beard cleared will have the most affect, it can takes years as well -- GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY -- most will agree that clearing took longer than they thought it would {and longer than the tech told them}.

I have been on HRT (well now ERT) for a little over 3 years.

[morgan51]

From July foward I'm back on ht after a 18 mo. period of no ht. I was on ht. 18 mo. before that I really haven't noticed any change other than the mentasl benefits for me, skin as everyone has mentioned, much thinner and much nicer. My pores are definatly smaller , probably the electro.,and my skin seems less prone to affects of weather and exposure. I do have some before pictures and with weight loss my face is of course much thinner. Really don't see any fat redistribution.Electro has made a huge difference in skin as well, galvanic is what my electrologist uses. It seems to be easier on skin and actually makes it better too,at least in my case. That benefit is amazing and a total suprise to me. Many gg's tell me I have great skin.

[gonegirl]

Dear Nicole, Inna, Bree, Charlene, and Morgan,

Thanks for replying with your experiences and advice.


Yes, when I started my diet results were quite dramatic, at the beginning no one knew of my inner truth and so as a male I looked seriously bone dry anorexic and sickly. Face went along with the same fat loss.... after 6 months of HRT by which time I have started to get some fat back but still very little. What was actually really interesting, my lips were growing outward...

I've seen your "before" photos Inna and your physical change is breathtaking (in a good way). Do you think that if there was a way to lose male muscle mass without also losing all body fat, then that would be a preferable starting point for HRT? Fuller lips sounds good!


I started pretty young... and I wasn't super masculine to begin with. Here's an old pic I made a while back that shows some changes (was probably on hormones for a year)...

Thanks for the pic, Bree. I can see a definite feminizing of your face shape, especially a softening of your jawline. You're very pretty. There's something very different in that last image though, must be the new hair do. :)


Hi, in my case ( the most common ) there are very few changes in terms of "rounding of my face" etc. Fat redistribution can occur, all over your body. It normally takes years though. The results are very dependent on there being fat to redistribute !! I for one am quite skinny, so not much has happened.

That's my fear, Charlene, that I've not enough fat to redistribute! Is this really the most common outcome among people, that a lean face doesn't get much fuller from HRT?


.... I really haven't noticed any change other than the mental benefits for me, skin as everyone has mentioned, much thinner and much nicer. My pores are definatly smaller, probably the electro, and my skin seems less prone to affects of weather and exposure. .... Really don't see any fat redistribution. Electro has made a huge difference in skin as well, galvanic is what my electrologist uses. It seems to be easier on skin and actually makes it better too...

Nicer skin and smaller pores sounds pretty good! Thanks for the electro advice, I'm just starting to check into that and galvanic seems to be a good method.

Thanks again, guys

Mac.

[CharleneT]

By most common I meant that most people don't get a big change in their face from HRT. The skin changes are great and quite nice ;) Significant rounding out or the like is less common.

Over time, maybe, but remember you can only redistribute fat if there is some to move ;) If you face is lean, you would have to gain some weight to change it much. You might want to wait until you have been on HRT for a while before gaining weight. That way it will follow the "new" pattern.

Age plays a huge role in this, I am 54 and so my face is getting leaner looking as time goes on. drat that... If you see pictures of people who start HRT in their teens the results can be very dramatic. As you age, that changes - slowly.

Don't underestimate the advantage gained from the other changes and clearing off your beard.


---> I just went and looked at your profile picture. You already have a fairly feminine face, pretty rounded... not what I would call lean. I would not worry at all.

[Inna]

There is no way for anyone to adjust what goes and what stays. When body is starved of calories and energy supplied externally it goes into a lean mode and starts feeding of it self. But while on the extreme diet both muscle and fat are being burned at different metabolic rates, so it is really up to individual of how it all connects. Muscle tissue is quite nutritious and so it starts to be converted into fuel. So in the essence some fat is kept for the critical burn when most muscle is exhausted. Now this is providing that there is no exercise of any sort. Now it gets more complicated, as muscle is lost there is a danger that vital muscle such as heart will decrease as well, so it is extremely important that food you consume has the most punch for the calorie, such as vitamins, omegas, good fatty acids, protein etc. But this whole process will be totally different if T is present, Testosterone promotes muscle regeneration, absence of T and Hormone therapy will help lower muscle and promote fat redistribution, so HRT for an individual who needs to feminize is a MUST!

I know what you seem to point at, but without HRT feminization will not occur, and with it, feminization may be very little or if you lucky fair. Without FFS I would had been pretty miserable and so every aspect from diet, through HRT to FFS were a necessary ingredients of who I am now!

[gonegirl]

By most common I meant that most people don't get a big change in their face from HRT. The skin changes are great and quite nice ;) Significant rounding out or the like is less common.

Over time, maybe, but remember you can only redistribute fat if there is some to move ;) If you face is lean, you would have to gain some weight to change it much. You might want to wait until you have been on HRT for a while before gaining weight. That way it will follow the "new" pattern.....

---> I just went and looked at your profile picture. You already have a fairly feminine face, pretty rounded... not what I would call lean. I would not worry at all.

Thanks for clarifying that, Charlene.

My profile pic was taken 9 months ago and I look very different now :sad:. I might have to gain some overall weight if I want to get some fullness back in my face. That's a bummer because my body looks far more feminine now since losing muscle mass and what fat I had, but the trade off is my face leaned out a huge amount. I'm not sure what to do now...

Mac.

[Diana L]

I'm 64 and have only been on hrt 3 weeks. I'm wondering if there will be any effect on ear hair and the wild bushy eyebrow hair that tippically effect older men?

Diana L

[kellycan27]

Thanks for clarifying that, Charlene.

My profile pic was taken 9 months ago and I look very different now :sad:. I might have to gain some overall weight if I want to get some fullness back in my face. That's a bummer because my body looks far more feminine now since losing muscle mass and what fat I had, but the trade off is my face leaned out a huge amount. I'm not sure what to do now...



Mac.

A lot of girls say that they experienced weight gain after starting HRT so all might not be lost. LOL

[sandra-leigh]

It is difficult to say whether I've had any facial changes because of HRT itself, as opposed to just plain aging. I started HRT about 20 months ago (I was 49 1/2 then). I have not noticed any change in skin softness or pore density; certainly not even a hint of a change in lips (darn.)

What has happened to me in that time frame is that the underside of my jaw has gotten a bit rounder, making the jaw a bit less angular. It is not a big physical change, but it is a visible change. If you rest your fingers along your jaw, knuckles upwards and at your chin, fingers towards your throat, and move your fingers slightly upwards to push the flesh under your chin up a small bit, even just 1/4 inch, then you get a visible change in the angularity of your jaw line; I got the opposite, that the jaw line let down a bit. Standard middle-aged jaw line sag. My mother and sister got it as well (really, they both had much bigger facial changes than I have had so far.)

When I look at pictures, I can see that I have had other changes, but they are subtle and difficult to quantify, and might well have happened anyhow. I have some pictures from just a few months before I started HRT and visible changes had already happened by then.

I do not seem to have gotten much (if any) layer of fat on my face; when I try a pinch test, I still feel fairly lean that way, except in that area right under the chin.

[Stephenie S]

I'm 64 and have only been on hrt 3 weeks. I'm wondering if there will be any effect on ear hair and the wild bushy eyebrow hair that tippically effect older men?

Diana L

Well gee whiz, dear, ya gotta take care of yourself. Don't want those bushy eyebrows? Just what do you think we do? We tweeze, wax, or electrolyze them. Simple. Ear hair? Same thing, hon. This beautiful face of mine doesn't just happen. It takes a bit of maintenance. Taking a pill won't do it. There is no such thing as a magic beauty pill.

[Bree-asaurus]

Well gee whiz, dear, ya gotta take care of yourself. Don't want those bushy eyebrows? Just what do you think we do? We tweeze, wax, or electrolyze them. Simple. Ear hair? Same thing, hon. This beautiful face of mine doesn't just happen. It takes a bit of maintenance. Taking a pill won't do it. There is no such thing as a magic beauty pill.

True that. Double true! :P

Even when I was pretending to be a metrosexual gay guy, that kind of maintenance is NOTHING compared to the stupid friggin maintenance I have to do as a woman. It's a pain in the butt. I'm too much of a tomboy to do all this facial clensing, eyebrow tweasing, hair management, earring selection, makeup application... god.

My mom was visiting last week and told me I need to put in a little more effort and do a little natural looking eyeshadow at least because it makes me look so much prettier (her words, not mine). I whined and complained... "but I ALREADY do mascara and eyebrow coloring! Isn't THAT enough??? Gah... Waaaahhhh... I dun wanna!" ;)

I also had to tear open my ear piercings because I went too long without wearing earrings lol.

She was right though... it does make me look prettier. It just adds more silly things I gotta do.

[gonegirl]

A lot of girls say that they experienced weight gain after starting HRT so all might not be lost. LOL

Crap, so in the meantime it's back to hotdogs and beer???

I figure a keg should just about do it until HRT if I time things correctly. :)

Mac.

[Badtranny]

Mac, It's been over two years for me now and I have no idea how much change the HRT has wrought. I'm sure it's done something but I just don't know. It seems like I'm just now beginning to see some feminization so for all I know this could take years. My only advice to you is don't dawdle on the electrolysis. Get started as soon as you can because you'll be doing it for a lot longer than you think.

[gonegirl]

It is difficult to say whether I've had any facial changes because of HRT itself, as opposed to just plain aging. I started HRT about 20 months ago (I was 49 1/2 then). I have not noticed any change in skin softness or pore density; certainly not even a hint of a change in lips (darn.)
What has happened to me in that time frame is that the underside of my jaw has gotten a bit rounder, making the jaw a bit less angular... When I look at pictures, I can see that I have had other changes, but they are subtle and difficult to quantify, and might well have happened anyhow.... I do not seem to have gotten much (if any) layer of fat on my face; when I try a pinch test, I still feel fairly lean that way, except in that area right under the chin.

Thank you for sharing your experience, Sandra-Leigh, that's good info to know.


Mac, It's been over two years for me now and I have no idea how much change the HRT has wrought. I'm sure it's done something but I just don't know. It seems like I'm just now beginning to see some feminization so for all I know this could take years. My only advice to you is don't dawdle on the electrolysis. Get started as soon as you can because you'll be doing it for a lot longer than you think.

Thank you for replying Misty. Regardless of how you did it, you sure look girly to me. Oh man, I know you're right about the electrolysis. I just wish it weren't such a big deal with regard to cost and time.


Well, so far with our local sampling, with regard to my original question, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of uniform experiences from HRT. Please keep your responses coming though as it is all very useful information and I'm extremely grateful to everyone for sharing.

Mac.

[kellycan27]

The reason for "no uniform response" is that the effects of HRT are going to vary from individual to individual. Some people get subtle changes some experience some pretty dramatic changes. HRT is a crap shoot in regards. When I was in high school some of the jocks called me "pretty boy" so I am assuming that I have always ( facially) looked kind of girl-ish. Body wise I would have described my look as.. short, stocky and fire plug-ish. LOL I believe that the combination of HRT, diet and an almost obsessive exercise regime ( which I started at age 20) went a long way in helping gain a more felmale looking shape. (diet and exercise @20, hrt @24)

[StephanieC]

Well, starting HRT at an early age is also a big advantage.

[gonegirl]

The reason for "no uniform response" is that the effects of HRT are going to vary from individual to individual. Some people get subtle changes some experience some pretty dramatic changes. HRT is a crap shoot in regards. When I was in high school some of the jocks called me "pretty boy" so I am assuming that I have always ( facially) looked kind of girl-ish. Body wise I would have described my look as.. short, stocky and fire plug-ish. LOL I believe that the combination of HRT, diet and an almost obsessive exercise regime ( which I started at age 20) went a long way in helping gain a more felmale looking shape. (diet and exercise @20, hrt @24)

Thanks for replying Kelly and Stephanie,

I don't have the advantage of being young, but I am young at heart!

I'm hopeful that HRT will help align my mind and body (GID really sucks) and when combined with my (also somewhat obsessive) exercise regime, good things will happen with my body. Since I'm writing my wish list, with a bit of luck I'll end up looking cute too :)

Mac

[Allsteamedup]

Skin-not only does it become thinner, the pores become very small, making it look younger and it can become pinker (which is alright if you are fair-complexioned but my SO had olive skin- where the two met was discernible.

Softening-I wll say, rather than fat redistribution. Certainly the jawline, chin! end of nose, edges of ears! and length (longer).

Lips- these were on the inside of the mouth so voluptuous lips were my first clue, together with a fleshier area under the nose, which in turn raised the top lip. It would take a GG to notice this!

Eyes-crowsfeet went! Eyelids raised slightly. Longer eyelashes.

Is that enough? SO said he couldn't see a thing....