timeline M2F ???

[cyndi13]

Just curious of a timeline to transition M2F I understand it's very individual, but looking for generalizations

Psychological Therapy before referral letter is created

where does one go once the letter exists? I'm assuming hormone treatment starts immediately

Once on hormones, when does one consider FFS? elecrolysis, breast implants and finally SRS? (At what month of HRT does one consider each step)

I'm sure I may have missed a few steps as well, please enlighten me.

[traci_k]

A good place to start to get your questions answered would be the WPATH guidelines and protocols. You can find them on the web. I think most legitimate and competant therapists and psychiatrists will follow them pretty closely. Timing will then be pretty much up to you and your finances.

Best Wishes and welcome to the forum.

Hugs,

[Jorja]

You are correct it is different for each individual. Checkout tsroadmap it might help answer a lot of questions for you. http://www.tsroadmap.com/index.html Start hair removal yesterday! It is going to take a long time to do.

[stefan37]

It takes Forever

[LeaP]

... and ever. Start electo NOW (seriously).

There are many routes and timelines. Conventionally,though (this is from a US perspective):

3 months or more of therapy before an HRT letter. Some doctors prescribe immediately, some want bloodwork first. Some ramp up over time (mine did), others do not. Your regular physician may prescribe, if comfortable, or may send you to an endocrinologist.

The steps you take, when and if you take them, are not dependent on HRT timing, with the exception of SRS (and there are exceptions even here).

FFS - Depends entirely on need, however construed. Some maintain it's something of a crutch. It's often considered in connection with going full-time. The longer hormones have to work on you then MAYBE the less need for FFS. (Hormones are a crapshoot.) Your bone structure will not change in any ways relevant to FFS and probably not at all. Soft tissue may, especially if you are young. The length of time on hormones influences some people's timing, not others.

Full-time - Whenever you are ready, hormones or not, FFS or not, electrolysis or not. (Etc.)

Implants (and other such) - Often done with FFS. Not everyone wants or needs them, though most seem to. Once again, hormones' maximum effect may be a matter 3-5 years. Few will wait that long to go full time.

SRS - Surgeons generally look for you to have lived at least one year full-time (real full-time, not "full-time" except at work or with other exceptions) AND to be on hormones for at least one year.

People are all over the map on steps, timing, needs and priorities, and physicians approaches. You will be too ...

[Angela Campbell]

I agree, too many variables to consider. Some doctors do things one way some others, your needs will be different from mine, and in time your needs will be different from what your needs were before.

For me, I spent 50 years first getting over the fear, then things sped up dramatically. In truth it will depend on how bad you want it, and what you want from it, what you look like to begin with, how much you are willing to spend in both time and money. Some things just take a long time, figure best case 2 to 4 years. For many of us the rest of our lives.

Here is mine just for an example.

I began by losing weight, a lot of weight...130+ lbs. I spent a year doing that and getting better at my appearance. Learned makeup, gathered clothing, joined support groups. Still at this point I was not sure if I could get the courage to completely transition, even though I was working toward that as hard as I could.

After nearly a year of that I came to the point where I was sure I was going to transition. I found a therapist and began therapy. She referred me to a specialist in transitions. I began hair removal. After a couple of months with the new therapist I got my letter and began Hormone treatment. The therapist helped me choose the doctor from the ones in the area who do this. I continued hair removal.

I began letting my hair grow, spent more and more in time dressed as a woman, and began conversations with my employer. I was about a year in at this point.

That was last June. Since then I continued all I was doing, came out to my entire family and began working on my voice. I had FFS last week and will get my legal name change in a week and begin full time at work. I have been living as a woman for months now but "Full time" really begins for me in about a week. 20 months so far.

I will continue hair removal, continue working on my head hair and taking hormones for 1 year then I will have SRS, if I can work out the finances. (I will) Then the transition really begins. That would be about 32 months or close to 3 years, and believe me I have been moving at lightning speed.

[celeste26]

Can I repeat it too often about the electro? That and the hormones will greatly affect the facial look so absolutely no FFS before all of the rest is done. Women's faces are not that much different than men's and going and doing the electrolysis goes a long way toward the looking feminine. The other thing of course is that afterwards if there is any sort of regret having removed a beard will not prevent you from maintaining a male look.

It is long, painful and expensive but that is sort of a first "test of will" just to see what a person is willing to do to change.

[cyndi13]

thank you all for the info... I did remember reading that one should NOT start electrolysis before HRT, as it's a waste of money, as hair will just come back (is this true?)

I have started losing weight, and looking locally for a therapist as I am unsure where I stand. Though I feel I've always been female, I have always given in to social requirements and obligations

[Angela Campbell]

No it is not true. HRT does slow down facial hair growth a little but not much, and not being on HRT may make it take a little longer, but to put it off is wasting time. Start yesterday. I started electrolysis before I was on hormones, and I know quite a few who have done laser and will never be on hormones.

[JohnH]

In my case I don't think facial hair removal is necessary since I don't have a beard shadow even the next day after a shave in the morning. My skin is ruddy and most of my whiskers are grey and white with only a few having a reddish color. My body hair is fine and slow growing. Everybody is different.

And I believe one should hold off on breast implants until at least three years have elapsed since starting HRT. I started M2F HRT with Estrogel in Sept. 2011 and went to injectable estradiol in Sept. 2012. Right now I wear C cup bras and I am still having breast growth pains.

Johanna

[LeaP]

I can't imagine keeping facial hair regardless of shadow.

Grey/white facial hair DOES shadow ... It greys the skin.

[Amy A]

The problem I find that's just as bad as shadow is the texture of skin that has hair growing through it. Even white/grey hairs look bad when they start growing through makeup. Plus shaving every morning is a pain in the *rse and not great for the skin.

[Angela Campbell]

I live as a woman. Women do not have facial hair, so I remove it.

[Lisa O]

Depends where you are. The UK NHS model seems very gatekeeperish and difficult for some. Elsewhere it depends and the timetable can be in the hands of the "support" team. That said, seriously get onto facial hair removal. It doesn't require anyone's approval except yours (some have SOs that object - never got that). Electrolysis is a serious financial and personal (pain and endurance) commitment. I am coming up to 2 years electro and am almost there - Phew!.

The thing with electrolysis, clothing, make-up and voice is that it can be worked on while you are ticking boxes with the approval profession. If you find yourself in a approval process that takes time and to can't or don't want to try alternatives, there is a huge amount you can do to progress things and keep your transition going forward.

[JohnH]

Electrolysis is a serious financial and personal (pain and endurance) commitment. I am coming up to 2 years electro and am almost there - Phew!.


I don't think for me going through the electrolysis is worth it to me given my facial hair is fine, inconspicuous, and slow growing. I'll keep shaving in the morning. If I used foundation the whiskers would not push against the foundation until bed time.

Shaving does exfoliate the skin which is desirable thing.

Now makeup and clothing are very easy. I always wear makeup for church and business. As far as voice is concerned I am working on changing the resonance to the head and using feminine speech patterns and having more breathiness in the voice. I will not raise the pitch of my voice however since I sing bass in the church choir. I do not have separate masculine and feminine personalities so I really do not want to have two different modes of speaking.

There is Alexis Arquette who is a trans woman that has a deep speaking voice. My speaking voice is slightly deeper than hers.

Johanna

[Kathryn Martin]

Oh good God, facial hair needs to be removed. Johanna do you live full time 34/7/365-6 in your chosen sex? This was about transition timeline if I recall. In my case OP, it took from July 2010 to May 2012 SRS included. I am still going to electrolysis..... but I am almost done.

[PretzelGirl]

I would be surprised if there was anyone that didn't mind electrolysis after transition. It just doesn't match up with a full time presentation. And it is not a quick process, so any waiting just means more than can be while you are full time. Not a palatable solution. I haven't heard it a lot here, but I also believe that after starting HRT, your pain tolerance gets worse. Another reason to get as much of it done before HRT as you can.

[KellyJameson]

Here is a wpath link http://www.wpath.org/uploaded_files/140/files/IJT%20SOC,%20V7.pdf

[JohnH]

One last comment about electrolysis of facial hair - for most genetic males transitioning to female - facial hair removal should be done. I really do notice beard shadow in most cis-males. But there are a few individuals like myself if they shave daily there is no beard shadow at all and the skin complexion is smooth. Most cis-women my age have some facial hair present even if it is only peach fuzz. Compared to a lot of cis-women my age my facial hair visibility is much less with my daily shaving. My wife teases me of having a baby face.

Sure daily shaving is an inconvenience. But it is nothing compared to the pain and expense of facial hair removal.

I mentioned this concept since a few (and only a few) of us who would not have to undergo facial hair removal to look convincingly female.

Johanna

[Inna]

timeline

1. Make plans
2. start plans
3. rethink plans
4. throw plans out the window
5. plan on sticking to it regardless of timeline
6. plan on sticking to it regardless of anything
7. tell everybody how your timeline worked