I'm Curious

[Guest Andrea-M]

Hi all,

I’m curious......let me explain. I have decided not to transition fully for a few years due to constraints at home (i.e. to protect my kids from any ridicule whilst they are at school). I have started now to wear a lot more make up to work and present myself as female since I now have a 38A chest (yay). (My customers know me as Andy so being called Andi is ok for Andrea ,If they ask I explain).

I also present myself as female at any time that is not connected immediately with my home locally and in connection with my kids, so it could be said to be sort of transition already.

As to me being curious , up until a fortnight ago I would get Sired most of the time and sometimes Maamed (generally stores/petrol station etc........this last fortnight most people havn’t said maam or sir ...................Is this a good or bad sign...............is it more make up ..........my chest , or am i confusing people. Therefore I would be interested in your opinions. I have posted some photos here and would like you to rate how feminine you think i look. Don’t worry about upsetting me I won’t get upset and will not hold it against you. So rate 1 through 5 (1 as very feminine and 5 difficult to tell).

This is not a test for passing that is not my agenda, basically i just want to enhance my femininity as much as I can prior to FFS and try and guage my presentation. I have been taking HRT for 2 months . I’m not sure Laura will allow me to post this (Hi Laura).

I hope you can all help , please be totally honest. Loads of love and hugs.

Andrea

[Guest Snow Angel]

I think you are taking this "test" way too early. 2 months on HRT won't make any significant changes. It could change your face a bit in about a year.

Anyway I rate you a 3. Your eyebrows and hair are nice. In my opinion, it's the longness of your face, especially the chin. Also, the nose. Those 2 things give you away. It's nothing you can control though until surgery, so just be happy with who you are until then.

[Guest Amanda_Henderson]

I think you are taking this "test" way too early. 2 months on HRT won't make any significant changes. It could change your face a bit in about a year.

I do agree it is to early, I would rate on a 2, You look beautiful.

[Guest Andrea-M]

Thanks for your honesty...Just wanted to include a photo of what I looked like 6 months ago.

Hugs Andrea

[Guest Leah1026]

I have posted some photos here and would like you to rate how feminine you think i look. Don’t worry about upsetting me I won’t get upset and will not hold it against you. So rate 1 through 5 (1 as very feminine and 5 difficult to tell).

This is not a test for passing that is not my agenda, basically i just want to enhance my femininity as much as I can prior to FFS and try and guage my presentation. I have been taking HRT for 2 months .

Hi Andrea,

Normally I try not to comment on these things, but since you're already planning FFS I will. I think you're a great candidate for FFS and will get tremendous results. You're doing a good job with what you have, I especially like you using a fringe to mask the hairline. If I had to give it a number I'd say 3.5-4. Not horrible, but lots of room to improve (with FFS).

People: HRT can only do so much. Whe you're young it does a better job of hiding things, but the older you get the more that underlying male bone structure will make itself known. I know woman on another board who passed fine when they we younger, but as they aged they started getting clocked big time and FFS reversed that. In Andreas case it will help improve her hairline, get rid of the brow bossing, reduce the size of the nose and reduce the bulk of the lower jaw.

Andrea I hope this helps.

[Guest louisehoffman]

I think you are taking this "test" way too early. 2 months on HRT won't make any significant changes. It could change your face a bit in about a year.

Anyway I rate you a 3. Your eyebrows and hair are nice. In my opinion, it's the longness of your face, especially the chin. Also, the nose. Those 2 things give you away. It's nothing you can control though until surgery, so just be happy with who you are until then.

Hello Andrea,

Don't worry about the "long face". Just think of Celine Dion. From your photos I would say that she and you have alot in common and you definitely resemble her. I think so anyway. In any case it's not that much about how you look, more about how you present as a female - as a woman, and give people the "feeling" that they are dealing with a woman, not a man trying hard to be one. Be as confident as you can be. Then even if you looked like a bulldog (which you don't!) people would still perceive you as a woman, even if they were thinking "poor girl" !!

Louise

[Guest Snow Angel]

Andrea dear, thank you for the kind PM. Yes, as you realized, I wasn't meaning to put you down. Don't worry, I need FFS too. I think honestly a little FFS could benefit us all unless we started HRT at 13.

I also have to say I am amazed at the improvement from your 6 months ago picture to your today picture. It is quite an astounding improvement.

I think many people are empathatic, and as long as you act female, act your age, and have a nice voice; it is the difference between people treating you like a man dressing as a woman versus treating you like a woman, even though they can tell. At the very least, they'll tolerate you, or not confront you, and just keep their hate in whispers among their friends.

I think you will be very beautiful after FFS. I want you to check out this page, and see the before/after FFS photos so you might know what to expect.

WARNING: PHOTOS OF BLOOD, BANDAGES, AND SURGERY. NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH.

http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/~mirror/FFS/LynnsFFS.html

[Guest Andrea-M]

Thanks for your honest replies.

[Guest Zenda]

Kia Ora Andrea-m,

A study carried out in the UK found that a simple nose job on the MTF transsexual made the world of difference to their appearance...

Where you're at right now is the HRT androgynous stage ie, where people are unsure of your gender and in the same day you will be sired - ma'amed and blanked several times even in the same shop...The androgynous stage can be weird and wonderful-not knowing how you're going to be percieved from one day to the next...

I'm fortunate because of my pre transistional androgynous facial feature, HRT alone worked well for me-Even though at first [for vanity reasons]I desired FFS, I had found society sees me as female 'no questions asked' so no FFS was needed-an expense I could not afford anyway...

I lived in the 'male mode' androgynous stage for around 18 months, however it was when the general public ma'amed me more than sired me that's when I went 24/7..In a sense I had no choice...and I was happy that was the case...

In the long run Andrea...It's your face - you do what you feel comfortable doing....However, I would give it at lest 18 months on HRT before getting any facial surgery...

BTW on your rate chart you are around a '2/3' but in saying that-go out into a shopping mall and look at the genetic females-they are all feminine and all have slightly different facial features ...why not wait a bit and let the hormones do their shape shifing first...

Metta Jendar

[Sakura]

a great way to gauge how well you pass is to probe GGs friends friendly co workers you mom your sister tell them to give you their utmost honest opinion they will give you the the best feed back i hate to say this but the trans community isnt the greatest place to affirm wether or not you pass well i observe that even if a girl is absalutly un mistakable in that she looks like a man in a dress ( which im not saying that you do) 95% of tgirls just have the inability to hurt each others feelings (AKA support) and im not saying you girls are lieing to andrea its just that if the tgirl in question has a few more attributes that make her seem more feminine we look at those versus the rough spots and automaticly precive them as passing well

Sakura

P.S i give you a 3 you have a few minor things to clear up i dont think they make you unpassable but a few tweaks make a heck of a diffrence

[Guest Leah1026]

a great way to gauge how well you pass is to probe GGs friends friendly co workers you mom your sister tell them to give you their utmost honest opinion they will give you the the best feed back

While I agree that the community tends to do a lot of cheerleading, family and friends are no better. They have a vested interest in keeping you looking like the person they've always known. In my opinion your best off listening to your own heart and if you must have an outside opinion.... go with how strangers react to you. They don't know you (no vested interests) and they will give the most honest reaction/opinion.