I guess this is as good a place as any to kind of track progress. I tried doing a daily journal in my OneNote, but I couldn't keep up with it. Only lasted a few days. 😅

Anyway, here are some changes I've noticed for myself over the past few months that I attribute (possibly incorrectly) to HRT. I am not a doctor - this is for entertainment.

Most immediately, I noticed the 'noise floor' in my head quiet down, which I didn't know was possible. Such a strange but welcome feeling.

I think as a byproduct of starting HRT, not necessarily because of it, my mood improved a lot, very early on. Again, I think this was because I jumped through the hurdles I needed to get what I wanted, and I was actively getting the affirming care that I desired.

One of the earliest physical changes I (and my partner) noticed was that my skin was starting to soften on my arms. Noticeably softer than it has been in a very long time, if at all. This started about a month in, and has continued on.

Now, all the skin on my body is so much softer than I can ever remember it being. I was surprised to find my butt, which had relatively rough skin, had turned smooth. Among the top of reasons I believe HRT is magical.

Uhhh, chest growth way earlier than expected. It started with a tingling sensation in my chest, along with some soreness just over two months in.
As I alluded to in one of my "inner struggle with AuDHD" posts, I noticed that my chest was sticking out more than usual one day at work. It wasn't just the sports bra I started wearing - my partner is/was convinced that they grew practically overnight. Just over three months in, and they're both a heaping handful (with medium-large sized hands).

About two to three months in, I noticed most of my body hair started coming in lighter and thinner. Unfortunately, this didn't/doesn't really apply to my facial hair. I'm considering electrolysis in the near future 'cause my ginger hair is generally pretty light, which doesn't help laser's effectiveness, from my understanding.

My finger and toe nails are growing faster, as expected. Admittedly this next part falls under mental health changes more than physical changes. Unexpectedly, I found that I was leaving my nails alone, letting them grow out to the point that they were vulnerable to breaking, chipping, or catching on something (if I had a hangnail or w/e).
I want to point out that I have struggled with nail biting my entire life, and that I have tried various things over the years to curb this habit, and nothing has worked.
Whatever part of my brain that was causing me to bite my nails so much has calmed down and rarely appears anymore.

2-3 months in, freckles.
Holy shit, there are SO MANY freckles. I heard that HRT can cause more freckles to appear, but I had no idea I had all these little orange sleeper cells under my skin just waiting to be activated. HELL YEAH! I love freckles! c:

Mental health changes (various timeframes):

• I actually give a shit about my meat suit and its health
• Showering isn't a massive drain on my executive function despite shaving being an extra add-on task
• Imposter syndrome has only faded as time on HRT moves on
• My anxiety has come down to what I imagine to be 'normal' levels
• Depression? Bye, bitch!

Seriously though, just one month on HRT did more for my mental health than a decade on SSRIs.

There's more I'm sure I'm forgetting, but I'll probably just reply to this thread if/when I remember or have further updates.

I'm generally happy to answer questions if y'all have any! 😊