What's the scariest aspect of transition?

I'm a tad worried about things changing- *looks left. looks right* - down there. *lightning flash*
Not really because I'm opposed to change, but because it's such a strange and sensitive part of the body, I'm worried about how everything will feel.

I feel you on the hair worries- I have a thick and luscious head of hair, but my dad is balder than the noble patron bird of our fifty united states. He has dreams about his flowing blond hair and cries when he wakes up- he used to be the envy of all the schoolgirls, and now he doesn't have a follicle to comb. You think I'm joking.

 

Oh man. Yeah, I recently found out my biological father (who, I wouldn't say, boasted anything particularly amazing in the hair department but he once had a head full of it, so....) went bald, and he's got to be no older than his mid-forties.

I mean, I'm okay with building a hat collection. But I have this really nice, thick hair. Hoping I can keep most of it. Heard hair loss has something to do with too much estrogen- might look into blockers if it actually helps.

Body hair, I want more of it. I've got a happy trail I'm fond of. :lol: I feel like a damn hairless mink. And genetics, hey, I'll probably have something. I'm just hoping I don't look like a Yeti, you know?

I'm honestly kind of worried about losing my singing voice. I'm willing to part with it if that's what it takes but I used to have some pretty impressive pipes. Hoping I can still sound okay, or at least not look like an idiot at karaoke.

 

Actually hair loss is due to the conversion of testosterone to dht, a very potent form of testosterone. I've got the male pattern baldness, and it's a nightmare!

---------- Post added 12th Jan 2014 at 04:38 AM ----------

Baldness cones from the mother

 

Downstairs, and also my voice.

 

I keep putting off doing anything because I'm totally terrified of other people - how my friends and other people I know will treat me. I know that it's just my head making me nervous but I feel too scared to do anything major.

 

For me, prior to coming and actually starting Hrt, it was the people in my life, friends and family, and especially the idea of transitioning at work. That positively terrified me. Now I worry about my voice a little, and mostly how far Hrt will take me.

 

Assuming we've already come out to everyone close to you?

I'd say my voice!!

 

I'm scared of my receeding hairline. Hard to pass as a female with that!

Voice, though it can be changed.
Body hair, since I'm very hairy and it's a nightmare to get rid of.

---------- Post added 12th Jan 2014 at 04:23 PM ----------

I know the feeling!

 

I'm just scared I'll have to jump through a ton of hoops before getting HRT...
Oh, and weight issues. For some reason a lot of trans people are overweight.
Including me. Listen up, gender therapists! Most kids are going through puberty at my age, so let trans kids do the same! It's only fair.

 

" For some reason a lot of trans people are overweight."

I guess, and I am really guessing here I base it on nothing but personal experience, that if that is true it's because before transitioning you sort of give up. I know I'm hugely over-weight because I couldn't see the point in getting fit when I didn't ever want to look like a 'fit' guy (and yet somehow I didn't figure out I'm a girl...?) so now I'm fat, trans and working on losing some...

 

If you're scared of losing your hair you can always get a prescription for a low dosage of finasteride. It is commercially sold to men as Propecia, but you can get generic 5mg for significantly cheaper. It won't negatively impact your testosterone treatments at all, and it will prevent the formation of DHT at the hairline which is what causes male pattern baldness. As for body hair ... that's just part of being a man lol

 

I'm sorry to say this to all the trans guys worried about going bald, but, it is probably likely that you will eventually. This is because the male pattern baldness gene is on the X chromosome and trans men have two X chromosomes. Essentially, that means if ANYONE in your family has ever had male pattern baldness, you have it too. Of course DHT fuels this process and is converted from testosterone, so baldness doesn't really start affecting you until you are on HRT.

I am not a geneticist though so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

Ellia ... Don't feel bad about never figuring out you were a girl for a while. My mom had a script for estro when I was in high school. I wanted to take it SOOOOO bad. I didn't cause i knew if get my arse kicked. I played almost exclusively with girls at recesses in grade school. Liked my female relatives more. Liked braiding girl friends' hair ... On and on and on ad nauseum. I just figured out I'm a girl at age 32! If that makes you feel any better ...

 

Android platform won't work in an iPhone ...

 

Oh man, tell me about it. I honest to god sound like Mickey Mouse. There's not a lot I can do about it, I've always just tried not to think about it, which has gotten pretty difficult in the years since I've gotten into theatre. I'm just worried that it won't go down enough when I start HRT.

 

"I honest to god sound like Mickey Mouse."

Trade? My cold has turned my already low voice into friggin Barry White... :'(

 

I have an uncle who I have always had a good relationship with. I'm probably not going to tell him about me because he's very religious conservative. He doesn't talk to me a lot any more anyway.

I can handle ignoring him and moving on with life if he does find out. But he will probably raise a big stink with the rest of my extended family. They will probably roll their eyes, but it essentially means I'll have tons of e-mails and communications I don't want coming in for a few months. I've dealt with enough of that already.

 

Deal, and I'll pay for shipping. Sorry about your cold and everything; being sick sucks enough without extra dysphoria.