@ikea_femme thanks for this. I actually feel really different already but it hasnt translated to my looks quite as much as I had internalized or so I found last night when I glanced at the mirror, thus that post

@Eve Yeah, you definitely get a flood of feelings early on, both because you're doing something big, and because your brain has new hormones flipping some switches.

In the first months, I definitely was so obsessed with finding differences, and I think I did imagine or exaggerate things. But when I settled down, not only did my expectations and perceptions get more realistic, but the changes sped up. And when I wasn't searching for it, little things felt great, like seeing a woman in window reflections when I wasn't trying to force myself to see one.

I'm at 9 months HRT right now, for context.

@ikea_femme this is good to hear. I'm about 4.5 months and starting to see substantial changes, but somehow it seems like I thought HRT would be an instantaneous magic bullet and it's not quite that (of course). I think I just need to spend more time thinking about other things for a bit, which should be quite doable :)

@Eve @ikea_femme my boobs, which are quite ok now, didn't start to get to where they are today until about 7 yrs maybe? i changed regimes a few times, injectables and the like. progress was slow, but looking back at like, year 2, i changed a lot for the better since then.

one time my ex (7 yr relationship) was like, haha, we looked way worse when we started dating

@alyx @ikea_femme that's interesting because recently a lot of people (some I dont know at all) have told me how young I look, or just asked me randomly about my age ... maybe there is a general looking better effect? but I guess just give everything time ... :)

@Eve @ikea_femme yeah, i get the "you look much younger!" (than 38) very often. get used to it.

related, also told i have "great skin," even though i do literally nothing to care for it. most recent to say this was the freakin' surgeon from facialteam

so yeah, estrogen is good stuff ✨

@alyx @ikea_femme someone should market it as antiaging :) I'm happy with this effect though ❤ great skin is good too ❤ ❤

@Eve @alyx @ikea_femme a good chunk of it is mindset, i think... like, once i started figuring this shit out, just the way i *exist* in the world has changed significantly

a couple months back, my partner looked at me in a dress and asked if i'd started HRT without telling her. (nope!) that was... flattering

@rey @alyx @ikea_femme mindset seems right to me too. it's about the body but it's not just about the body ... (maybe this is obvious but)