Transfem

Hi!

I would suggest you take a look at the following two links:

• https://diyhrt.info/
• https://genderdysphoria.fyi/en/second-puberty-fem

The first talks about how to do diy hrt, and the second talks about the actual effects.

Hairloss will stop once the dht (a form of androgen/male sexual hormone) in your system is gone or useless (how long this takes varies depending on how you do HRT). You might see some hair come back, but there are no guarantees.

Starting now will indeed make a difference! Any further masculinization will stop, and you will start feminizing instead. Your voice isn't really changed by feminizing hrt. If HRT is something you want, I would advice starting now. There are no benefits to waiting.

Your dosage will depend on how you take HRT. The typical routes are oral (avoid), sublingual (under the tongue), transdermal (through the skin), and injections. Each has a number of plusses and minuses, but imo the two best routes are transdermal and injections with the latter being the most convenient and cheapest route.

I am personally doing something called monotherapy with injections, which means I take a larger dose of estradiol (estrogen) which suppresses my bodies natural testosterone production without hormone blockers as they can have uncomfortable side effects.

How quickly you get noticeably more fem varies. It can take months for your breasts to start showing, but a loose hoodie can hide breasts for a long time. I'm almost a year in and only those I've told am aware that I'm trans. Other effects like a more fem face and body isn't really something your parents will notice, and can also be easily hidden with a hoodie.

I also recently started a local HRT community where there are even more links and resources for you to check out!

I'd suggest starting a full dose as soon as possible for a couple of reasons.

First, people who know you are actually less likely to notice changes than strangers. So long as you're not super close to them anymore, they might not notice that you pass as a girl if you aren't being overtly feminine. Even if you stop being able to pass as male to the world, you might still pass to your parents.

Second, there really isn't much benefit to being at a lower dose, as our body prefers to be dominated by one sex hormone or the other. We're a bit less healthy at lower e in an e dominant system, or lower t in a t dominant system. There is wiggle room, but at the cost of numerous systems that function best in either sweet spot.

That said, e regiments start off at a tentative dose anyways, as that's both safer for most meds, and how natural puberty begins. There are even arguments that starting lower has better results, but that science isn't as settled.

You're probably fine with starting out as is typical, especially since you're moving away in a few months anyways. Even if you see rapid progress, you'll probably be able to cover for the effects, especially in winter clothing. It also takes time to find a supplier or a doctor, whether you do DIY or informed consent. You'll stop hair loss so long as you have proper testosterone suppression, and for that, you want to act quickly.

Start as soon as you possibly can to start neutralizing the effects of testosterone as soon as possible and to have your bones grow in a feminine manner before they fuse such as your hips.

There is some debate on starting with lower dosages or not and how that can affect transition. Every body is different. You will need to take a form of estrogen, this typically comes in tablets, patches, injections and gels.

You will also need something to block your body from producing or absorbing testosterone. There are a few types of drugs you can take for this. The most prescribed one in the US is spirinolactone. Some boards recommend waiting to start spiro and starting at a lower dose as there has been reports of it causing breast buds to fuse too early.

A medicine that you can start right away without having to wait and you can get from any doctor is finasteride. It can help restore your hairline and stunt any masculinizing effects you receive from DHT, a byproduct of testosterone. Once your testosterone is fully suppressed you can stop taking it as there won't be any testosterone to convert into DHT.

Here is some light reading to help understand the process.
https://diyhrt.wiki/transfem
https://diyhrt.market/transfem-hrt-guide
https://transfemscience.org/
https://transcare.ucsf.edu/guidelines/feminizing-hormone-therapy

You should probably consult with a doctor before messing with hormones.

My hair is receding, idk if starting a low dose earlier instead of an avg dose later would help me keep more of it?

Unambiguously yes. I implore you to start HRT as soon as possible if for no other reason than this alone.

Congrats on the egg crack and I'm so fucking sorry to hear about your parents. But, what you do with your body is your choice and only your choice. Coming out to them, if ever, is a totally different hurdle than taking medication that makes you feel better in your body.

I was so scared of taking HRT at first too, it feels like such a giant step. But my only regret was waiting as long as I did. Just a shade under three years now and it was the best thing I ever did for myself. Physical changes are one thing, and slower than any of us would like but holy heck are mental and hormonal are it's own bliss!

If you can go to a doctor and get blood levels first, that would be for the best. They will start you on a lower dose that builds up. But, having said that the majority of trans women are on 200mg estradiol and 100 mg spironolactone each twice a day. I hope you do not have to go underground to get your medication, but I urge you to not delay. You're future self will thank you. If it eases your mind, just remember the vast majority of changes will stop AND revert if you decide to stop taking HRT.