I finally got my replacement phone and was able to take a picture of my face to compare to pre-T photos. My girlfriend had been saying I looked more “chiseled” and I agreed that something was different, but I couldn’t quite place my finger on it.

I posted this side-by-side to the nonbinary sub on Reddit to get some unbiased opinions. Lo and behold, someone else there who had been on T for a while helped me see the difference. If you look at the area on the outside of my eyes, you’ll see there’s less “face” there. The fat in my cheeks has redistributed so that the area around my eyes and brow is narrower, making my jaw look bigger in comparison.

I also got a ton of encouraging comments that my progress is looking really good, so my mood is definitely boosted. It’s so surreal that actual changes are happening, that my face is already starting to reflect my inner perception of myself more. I’m overwhelmed with happiness (and a little anxiety, too), and I’m immensely looking forward to my 3-week check in on Friday. Things are finally looking up!

It’s been too long since I’ve posted an update, and I apologize for that. My phone broke and I’d been waiting for a replacement to take some photos for this post, but in the meantime I’m sure a text update will be sufficient.

It’s been over two weeks since I started T, and I think some physical changes are definitely happening.

First, I noticed that I have gained actual muscles in my arms. At least, my muscles are way more developed than they ever have been before, even when I used to religiously work out. Now when I flex my biceps, you can squeeze them and you fingers won’t sink in like I’m made of soft dough. I’m not gonna lie, it looks pretty cool too. I’ve even seen a little more upper ab definition, despite not really exercising much. It seems that the T is definitely prompting me to develop more muscle tone, at least in my upper body so far.

I also think that my feet may be growing ever so slightly. Last week I tried to wear an old pair of women’s size 8 sneakers I own, and I noticed after a half hour or so that my toes were really pinching. The next day I wore my men’s size 7/8 shoes (my favorite pair of shoes despite them being a little too big), and I noticed that they were fitting much better than usual. Usually they slip off my heel a bit with every step, but that’s stopped happening since then. I wasn’t expecting to find that so exciting, but I do. There’s something about actually fitting into my favorite pair of shoes that makes me feel really, really good.

Lastly, I have been told that my face is looking more “chiseled” and “defined”. Admittedly this was coming from my girlfriend, who is my biggest fan and the only person on Earth as excited for my transition as I am, so it may be biased. But I’ve started examining my face a little more closely and I won’t deny it seems to be a bit less soft. A little less cherub and more angular. It seems to mostly be a change in fat distribution around my cheeks and jaw, pretty subtle right now but still kind of thrilling. Now when I look in the mirror I see someone who looks a little more like… me.

I am so freaking happy I decided to do this for myself.