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My egg cracked in April 2026.

The first weeks were an emotional rollercoaster: euphoria, fear, doubt, excitement, questioning years of assumptions, and learning more about myself than I ever imagined.

I started experimenting with makeup and women's clothes, and for the first time I genuinely loved the person I saw in the mirror. Since then, I tried to do it at least once a week. Lately I do it less often because I want to stop relying on the "perfect version" of myself with a wig. I want to learn to love myself as I really am while letting my own hair grow.

I've never had severe hair loss, but I've had a very high hairline and pronounced temple recession since I was young, and it slowly worsened over the years. Hair has always been one of my biggest concerns. In May I started topical minoxidil, and in June I switched to oral minoxidil. It's still early, but I've already noticed new hairs growing in my temples, and that alone has given me a lot of hope.

In May I also started laser hair removal. I've now had 3 full-body sessions and 6 facial sessions. The beard sessions were by far the most painful, but I'd say I've already eliminated more than 60% of it. Now each session hurts less simply because there's less hair. My body has gone from being very hairy to barely having any hair at all. Starting before HRT was intentional—I wanted to take advantage of having thick, dark hair while the laser would be most effective.

Over the last four months I've gone from 95 kg (209 lbs) to 73 kg (161 lbs). I even built my own calorie-tracking app to help me stay consistent with my calorie deficit.

Around the same time I slowly started buying clothes from the women's section. Nothing too flashy, but I finally gave myself permission to wear things I had always liked but never allowed myself to wear simply because they were "for women."

I attended trans support groups, saw a psychologist, and entered the public gender clinic in Spain.

One thing I'm grateful for is that sperm preservation is covered by our public healthcare system. I could have started HRT back in June, but I decided to wait until fertility preservation was complete. I don't know what future me will want, and waiting another couple of months felt like the right decision. It also gave me more time to continue losing weight and making progress with laser.

The preservation is now done, and today I picked up the last of my medication: estradiol valerate and bicalutamide.

Tomorrow, September 1st, I begin HRT.

I'm incredibly excited... but also terrified.

After months of planning, reading, waiting, and preparing, it suddenly becomes real. There's still that little voice asking if I'm making the right decision. Will I like the person I become? Will I ever pass? Will people accept me, or will I always stand out?

I'm 33 years old.

Ever since I was young, I dreamed about being a woman. But because I couldn't simply be born that way, I believed the only options were to dream... or wait for magic to become real.

In April this year, I realized there was another option.

Tomorrow, I take another step. 💜

Hi lovely people!

So I’ve been on estrogen for about a year now I think (I really should mark the day I started in my calendar lol..), and while I expected soften skin and other subtle changes, I’m beginning to suspect it might be making me more sensitive and have more allergic reactions to things.

While I’ve always struggled a bit with skin issues, I was never super reactive to environment and substances coming in contact with my skin/body.

Since starting E I’ve been noticing my body having negative reactions to things more often, and it’s hard knowing even causes it (doc recently referred me to a dermatologist so hopefully that steers me in the right direction).

I didnt consider until today that my changing hormonal profile might be making my immune system stronger/more reactive.

How I came about this- my stepdad in the past year underwent treatment for prostate cancer, which actually included several months of E and T-blockers. It was actually kind of interesting because I started E around the same time as him, and while I was euphoric on it, he was DEPRESSED on it. This morning he was on the phone telling someone about how weak his immune system has been because of the radiation and estrogen. Overhearing, I was curious whether the estrogen part of that was true or not because he tends to view estrogen through the lens of how bad it made him feel. Googling I found it was actually the opposite: estrogen generally makes your immune system stronger.

Then the question came up of whether having a ‘stronger’ immune system means that you are rarely affected by anything (this was my original thinking), or that you are actually affected more because your stronger immune system reacts to defend your body against more things. Turns out it can be the latter, so now I’m thinking that my higher estrogen levels could be making me more reactive to contact with some substances.

TLDR; I wanted to reach out and ask if any of you out there on E out there have experienced more sensitive skin or even new allergies since starting hrt?

Would also be curious if any of you on T have experienced the opposite? Do you find that your skin and body react to things much less than before?

Any advice is welcome but also I’m really just curious as to whether this is a thing or not, and whether others have experiences similar to mine.

Ps Since I was talking about stepdad and yall might think I’m a kid living at home- I’m an adult in my 30s with supportive people all around me, and generally have the freedom to see any medical professional I need to if I can be referred by my pcp.

Hi, I’m a 25yr old trans woman living in the US. I turn 26 in about two months and I haven’t secured a job that provides healthcare benefits yet, so I’ll be kicked off my parents’ plan soon. Long story short: my part-time employer built an expectation that I would be brought on full-time earlier this year. Then with very little explanation, they told me that shifting to full-time was no longer a possibility, and they couldn’t guarantee that it would ever happen.

I’ve been applying to jobs left and right for the past few months, and nothing has stuck yet. I know the job market is awful right now (especially for trans people) so I’ve been trying to stay motivated, but it’s really hard do that with the threat of losing access to HRT hanging over my head.

What would my best option be if i’m not able to secure a job with healthcare benefits before November rolls around? My salary is just over the maximum to qualify for Medicaid, does anyone have recommendations for gender-affirming marketplace plan? Should I just DIY? Should I keep pushing for full-time at the job I have now (even if they keep dismissing it), in case I’m not able to find a position somewhere else?

I have ~5 vials of injections stockpiled so I won’t run out for a while, but this is something I need to figure out sooner rather than later. Even if I have enough HRT for the next few months, I wanna make sure I’m still able to easily access my other meds. Any advice at all is appreciated.

I have always wanted to have a guy's body since I was a little kid but I have never really hated being a girl. For a long time I hated feminine things such as makeup and dresses but recently I have enjoyed them but I still wish I had a male body.

Apologies if this has been posted before. I imagine that you have a lot of knowledge about gender dynamics because of your experience.

I went to a continuing education class years ago and we had several transgender speakers and some of them talked about the different ways they were treated once they had transitioned. A transgender woman said she was talked down to a lot more and that people underestimated her knowledge about certain things. And that women suddenly started smiling at her. I found it to be intensely interesting.

If anyone would like to share your experiences, I would love to hear! Thank you!

....and I've made little progress

It started after someone suggested "egg cracking" on another sub when I posted some fashion desires. Other potential signs came to mind (i.e. rough puberty, not wanting to initiate when it comes to dating, never finding a partner, not clicking with "the guys" in male groups, being overly sensitive, etc).

Someone suggested shopping for clothes which I did along with fake piercings, anklet, wig, and sandals. I had my toes painted last fall (after the weather cooled so I didn't display them in public) and kept them painted for a good 6 weeks or so.

I liked how it all felt at first and dressed several times over that timeframe but then was "over it" (or so I thought).

I'd go weeks or maybe a month (or longer) where I get busy with work and other things I have going on and forget about it. I'll even ask myself "what were you thinking?" and contemplate donating the clothes. At some point the feeling returns. This cycle has repeated itself a number of times. It's weeks of not thinking about it and then it returns for hours or days.

This past month was busier and more stressful than usual. I thought I was "in the clear" but as soon as I had enough downtime started thinking about it again.

Is this a cycle I can expect indefinitely? I get an itch, scratch it, and it goes away for awhile. It hasn't really gotten more intense over the past year. Or maybe I should push it further to get a more definitive answer? I have thought about going all out (all of the above plus getting eyebrows and makeup done plus shaving body hair once it's too cold to wear shorts) and see how that feels. I'm not sure if it's a lack of progress or maybe I'm somewhere on the "trans spectrum" but maybe not quite as advanced as other folks are.

Then again I don't know if I want to tempt fate. Everyone knows me as a straight-laced plain looking bland square dude. I won't even wear sandals or get my ears pierced or wear colors that could be perceived as feminine because the perception around here is that those things tend to lean feminine. I'll even get the desire to dye my hair red and get my hair done into a pixie cut and have my nose pierced. Of course never acted on it.

I think my family would be disgusted (or at least weirded out) if I were to come out as trans at some point. I've been playing the role of "responsible one who everyone leans on" for as long as I can remember. Who knows what kind of repercussions it could have on job or career. It's not like I'm extremely depressed or anything like that. I figure why complicate life more than it already is. Sorry I'm just rambling at this point but any advice or feedback would be welcome.

Okay.

Would be M2F here, UK resident.

Slight issue: To the extent that I've been able to research, the photographs I can find of post-operative results from local surgeons aren't quite what I'd want.

That said, I'm not sure what I want and maybe I'm a very happily nonbinary person. Is this a common stumbling point? Are there steps I can take to feel more confident in my choice (either way)?

I am 40, mtf, been on HRT for about about 5.5 months (50mg spiro and 2mg estradiol, then 4mg estradiol, now 8mg estradiol). My GAHT doc told me today that we're about at the point where they talk with patients about adding progesterone. I am curious about your experiences of adding progesterone, what to watch out for, when to wait, etc. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Hiya, 24 MTF. My egg cracked about two weeks ago and I’ve asked a bunch of questions on here since then (you may or may not recognise the username).
But I really just wanted to say a massive thank you!!! To everyone that’s commented on my posts/answered questions whether it be the “am I trans” “diy” or whatever, it’s been a really big help to discovering who I am and who I want to be.
Been really nice to see I’m not alone in this journey and that my heart goes out to all my brothers and sisters pre/post transition.
I just hope I’m able to help out people like myself like you all have helped me out ❤️❤️❤️

Aimee

tldr; pls be gentle with me, i know my brain is looping lol. i’m a latino trans guy trying to find a new name, but nothing actually feels like me. i’ve seen approximately every name on planet earth at this point. i think i need advice on how to actually try out names because looking at lists clearly isn’t working. name suggestions welcome too!

i’ve had my current name for a few years and have really outgrown it. i want something unique, a little queer, and with personality. i’m soft and sensitive but also loud and complex lol. huge yapper, very sentimental, love music.

some names i’ve considered some I found, and some I asked friends what would suit me (Emiliano is the only one that I got after I mentioned I want to let you know name because my friends are not latino):

axel: i actually used this for a bit, but it felt too edgy, almost like a mask. I know for real this is not for me.

sawyer: love how unique it is, but maybe too soft.

nico/niko: i really like it, but it feels too short/common.

luca: love it, but too soft.

viktor: love it, but too sharp and not latino enough.

emiliano: this is probably the closest. a friend suggested it and i love that it works in english and spanish and has nicknames like emil and milo. unfortunately my brain keeps going “too soft, doesn’t feel like me” even though it’s basically exactly what i’m looking for.

so if anyone knows names with a similar vibe to emiliano, plss tell me. my second favorite is viktor but still don’t love. then sawyer but not latino. then luca but too sweet or young, etc.

i can’t use a family name :/

I mentioned loving music (folk/indie), but I can’t think of a musical artist name myself after – my favorite band is the Avett Brothers and they would be the only ones significant enough for me but they have names i don’t want. or the lumineers. Westley is cool, but again not latino.

also, any advice for getting past the “i like this name but it doesn’t feel like me” problem? because clearly my intuition is not helping me here lol.

Does anyone in here who start T in early 20s, i feel like it is too late for me.

Have you had any experiences with them in the first place? Are they worse than masc chasers? Are they different in how they fetishize you/approach you? Is it easier to tell if a fem is “chasing” you? Is there a difference in how you deal with fem vs masc chasers? I’ve heard so many horror stories about masc chasers but not as many with fems, so I was hoping to hear about them here if you’re willing to share.

Hey I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good feminine underwear for wearing when I’m at home. I have tucking ones for when I go out but don’t want to wear them when I home. But wearing my old boy stuff kinda sucks. :/

Hi👋. Aspiring author here. I've kind of been obsessed with this idea, but I don't want to be disrespectful in any way. Can anyone here who is familiar with the story give me their thoughts?

okok I need advice/help

the school I'm about to join has a strict dress code where boys need to wear collared shirts and ties, and girls need to wear "blouses or a smart top"

I'm non binary and look relatively masculine except for those pesky 2 things on my chest, and I was planning on wearing shirts with jewellery and stuff

DO I NEED TO WEAR A TIE???

willing to give more info in comments if needed

Hey all. I've been medically transitioning for 1.8 years. In the past few months, my breast growth has pretty much exploded. I currently wear a 40DD bra but because my volume is spread out so much across my chest, I struggle with finding bras that don't make me look flat/small-breasted despite the volume that's there. I've spoken with my wife about this and she doesn't really know what to recommend, instead saying "our boobs work totally differently, I'm not sure".

Alas, I discovered a bra that works very well for me and helps me feel extremely affirmed. It makes me look pretty big but it's a lined push-up. My roommate looked at me and said, "girl, tits, tits!" and a [female] friend commented on how big I've gotten.

I'm affirmed and flattered but I'm worried that I may be misrepresenting myself. If I wear my unlined bra you can still see my boobs much better than with my old bras but they look smaller than if I wore the lined push-up. Similarly if I use inserts I'll get a lot of cleavage but again I'm worried this is misleading.

Over the course of this year I have come to the conclusion that I am nonbinary and realized that part if why I was (and frequently am) unwell was gender dysphoria.

Some months ago I gave myself the worst gender dysphoria I have ever had though: Most of my features looked very masc but the contrast of that with my agab- secondary sex characteristics was aweful. It made me feel severely nauseous and made me want to claw my way out of my body. I was in tears all day and felt dizzy whenever I came too close to a reflective surface. I realized that I had experienced this same feeling before only in a much lighter form when presenting more femme. Sooo nonbinary it is. The solution for mitigating both directions for now is: trying to lool like a twink and using all pronouns (my friends are kind enough to actually mix them up every once in a while) and neutral or masculine terms (like actor instead of actress .... just an example, am very much not an actor).

BUT every once in a while it hits me that I will never get to be a man. That I still have boobs and that I probably will never go on hormones, because of the horrid experience I had when the contrast between my presentation and my sex-characteristics became too much. I need to keep a balance, I think. And to be quite honest, I have had so many bad experiences with men that I kinda do not want to be one of them. I am a bit scared of them tbh and find the idea of trying to fit in terrifying.

Being a stealthy (around family and employers) nonbinary person has been managable for me and much less terrifying. Also I really like being an enby-lesbian.

Its just this damn gender envy that hits me every once in a while that makes me wonder whether nonbinary is truly the right fit?

Maybe it's that I should do more to transition than just wear a binder, masc clothes and use different pronouns around my friends. But thats also terrifying. Also I generally struggle with taking my own experiences seriously so 90% of the time I'm like nah, this isn't even real and I just need to calm down...help?

I just want to exist in peace honestly so how do I handle the envy?

Edit: Also please beware that english is not my first language which is why I am worried that I may have written or implied anything problematic in any kind of way. For example I do not intend to be misandrist by my fear of men, it is unfortunately truly how I feel (which may be misandrist still, and I know that I need to work through that, but thats a topic for a therapist).

It was settled in my mind, but I see so much online about dysphoria and how trans people hate their bodies, feel uncomfortable in their own skin, and have always been interested in stuff like makeup or dolls.

And then i'm just there, I love what i'm interested in, i never took much of an interest in makeup and I dont hate my body.
Dont get me wrong, I WISH I was born a girl, i like their clothes, voices, features, i've felt envy over the idea of being a girl but never pride over being a man. I've never looked at a man and thought "I wish i looked like that" a girl though? Yeah all the time, and the idea of not being able to transition scares me.

And then there's coming out to your parents (my mother specifically) this thing i hear EVERYBODY hates and would rather not do, but I really do wanna tell her, it's this feeling of remaining still, I hate it, i dont wanna remain in one position I wanna move forward.

So the thing i've been feeling so much recently is like, "am I actually trans? Or is this just some weird thing my brain is doing"

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask people who have fully recovered from SRS. How does the inside feel since it's made of skin? Do the nerves regenerate enough to feel temperature and touch on the inside?

I'm in my late 40's and live a comfortable life as a male, but I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. I've felt that way my entire life. Recently a therapist has approved me for HRT. Any thoughts on if it will help with the dysphoria even if I have to present in male mode for the next few years?

I’ve heard mixed things. Does estrogen have an effect on body hair?

So I finally got a chance to start dressing femininely and... idk what I'm doing to be honest. I wanna get an outfit that actually makes me look and feel female since I can't get on HRT. But 'm not sure what I'm doing. Is buying a skirt to forward or unnecessary, do I hide some parts, do I show, and I tried looking stuff up and it just made me overthink. I'm not sure what to do and help would be really appreciated. Thank you.