Lasering facial hair will take you a good number of sessions, and you'll still need to go back for touch-ups/follow-ups. I initially had a full 6 sessions, and while they helped soooo much, I had to get a few more after for some stubborn areas. Even with all of my sessions, I still have hairs I have to shave/trim every morning. It's waaay less work, and is good enough for me to not feel too much dysphoria over. I didn't really notice major changes until the end of my initial course.
Ideally, once you've completed your laser course, I'd recommend finding a place for electrolysis; that's the only guaranteed way to fully keep hairs from coming back. They'll be able to get any remaining hairs and the ones that may eventually come back after/if your follicles repair. Laser is unfortunately not guaranteed permanent, but it is a quicker way to clear hairs.
For body - I also had a few sessions for my lower arms, upper and lower legs, and my armpits. Sooo recommend. I've paid for a few more sessions of each, but just haven't gotten around to them; however, it's still sooo much less work maintaining! Everything grows back slowly, thin, and sparse (I was quite hairy before 😅).
Razor/trimmer recommendation: Philips Norelco OneBlade 🌟 I loooove it so much! It gets a super close trim, is incredibly easy and forgiving, and can be used anywhere. I started with their cheap base model, but eventually upgraded to the Pro 360 model with the led screen that displays the remaining battery. The heads last quite awhile, can be used across models, and they have sensitive skin ones with a guard for areas that might need more TLC (armpits, bikini area, etc). It completely changed my relationship with hair maintenance. It can be used on dry skin, but I recommend cleaning your skin with warm water and using a shaving oil/cream. I super like Billie Whipped Shave Cream; I prefer their sensitive skin one that's fragrance free as my skin can be a bit sensitive.
Additional thoughts:
If you're prone to ingrown hairs, I recommend applying glycolic acid to your dry, clean, post-shaven skin. I would honestly recommend using it a few times a week regardless, as it removes dead skin and clears clogged pores. You can get a biiiig bottle of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner for super cheap. Transfer some to a little spray bottle and spritz it over your skin. Use your hands to spread and gently work it in. Make sure to apply a lotion/moisturizer after it dries!
Before lasering my body hair, I used VEET hair removal cream a few times. It worked incredibly well, but you need to follow the instructions. It can be super harsh on your skin if you leave it on too long (chemical burns). Work in areas and not all over at once. I never had any issues, but I'm sure you'll see reviews with people who did (that didn't follow the instructions). I wouldn't recommend it if you do plan on lasering since you'll need to wait a few weeks for everything to grow back.
Thank you for the update! I super enjoy your note descriptions; it sounds like a great roast and one I'll definitely be picking up soon. I've been craving some tartness! I was honestly considering their Gummy Sharks as well- I super like the name's they use for their beans 🤭
An update for the Luminous decaf - I think the previous batch of beans I had purchased were compromised in some way. I'm going to assume it was on my end; I repurchased them since they had a bogo deal a week or two ago and decided to give them another try. It's a night and day difference. Super sweet, a lot more body, and dynamic notes similar to a caffeinated cup. I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for a sweet decaf sometime!
Before switching to decaf, I bought from a roaster who offered customers the ability to create their own water in his water lab: https://www.memlicoffee.com/water-lab
It was something I had always been meaning to do but never got around to it- I am super interested in exploring this side of coffee eventually! I will say that the cups he brewed anytime I went to pick up orders were so incredibly beautiful and defined. I'm definitely saving your post for the future!
Thank you for this review! I'll be super interested to see how the flavor and experience changes after you've dialed in the grind size and the beans have rested a bit longer. Do you have a hario switch by chance? I've found that you can pull a good amount of sweetness from some beans by introducing some immersion pours.
It's honestly a challenge for me. I've also tried the extreme route of avoiding new things, but life becomes incredibly dull and an intense mental restlessness takes over... It then becomes hard to really get into anything and mutes the joy I feel across the board. I now welcome new fixations but do my best to keep my wallet uninvolved for as long as possible (super hard 😅). If I try too hard to curve the time and energy investment I put into something new, it ultimately disconnects me from the joy I feel exploring it at all. I've learned to accept that there will be many things that I'll love for a moment and eventually lose interest in. It doesn't always feel great 🥲; I'll make connections with people and enjoy my time with them surrounding a certain interest, but I'll become emotionally disconnected after the fixation ends. I try to set the expectation for people early on that I'll most likely just be a visitor in their lives.
As far as fitting fixations into my routine- I almost always have a list of tasks/goals I want to complete for a day. Once my tasks are done, I'll allow my brain to enjoy itself over whatever it wants. I think having organization methods helps. I use Obsidian to organize so many of my thoughts, interests, errands, lists, etc. I use a daily note to keep me on track; Once all my items are checked off, or at least slotted into a time, I don't have to worry about how much time I allow for an interest.
I take Clonidine ER which is very similar to Guanfacine for treating ADHD (blood pressure medication that is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist). I also take stimulant-based ones on top of it during the day.
I requested Clonidine specifically to help me sleep and take it in the evenings; my dose is very sedating. It's my understanding that Guanfacine tends to be less sedating; it's not as aggressive on the c(p)ns.
Does it help with my ADHD? Yes-ish. It's calming and slows my brain and body down. My end of day crash can be pretty rough, and the Clonidine eases a lot of the mental scatteredness that I go through. If I'm stuck looking for something to watch, play, etc, it saps my brain enough and allows me to pick whatever it is I want to do to end my day. I would assume a less sedating version of what I take would be moderately effective for day time attention issues. I've seen people have success with both for their symptoms, but I've also seen it not click for people.
You will probably need to log your blood pressure for a few weeks when starting just to make sure it's not dipping you too much.
I've been super enjoying it! I usually watch most of the romance and SoL anime each simulcast season, and this one is easily one of the ones I most look forward to each week. It's super cute and wholesome 🩷 The art and attention to the characters is also very high quality. It's not super uncommon for anime is this space to have pretty stiff characters and designs, but this one is very colorful and vibrant... There's like 5 or 6 others airing that I'm thinking about specifically - very engaging stories, but the art is kind of forgettable.
Made such a small change two weeks ago that had more of an impact than I'd imagine!
I use the Fellow Ode 2 as my grinder; I unfortunately still have the stock burrs but hope to upgrade eventually. One thing that had always frustrated me was its retention. It started out mild but began to retain full grams. I'd clean the burrs, the anti-static pins, use the knocker, bang on the sides... It just never seemed to make a difference. I finally looked into it and found out about RDT (Ross Droplet Technique)! I started slightly wetting my beans, stirring them with a metal chopstick dipped in water. I always preheat my coffee glass, carafe, and dripper, so I conveniently have water to dip into. Since doing this, I've had almost no measurable retention! Definitely recommend if your grinder seems to hold onto your coffee!
Next thing I need to address is my scale 😵💫 it has unfortunately become very unreliable.
Could be along the same lines as my fructan sensitivity. Corn is high in sorbitol which some can have intolerances or sensitivity to. Some people can get away with a small serving and certain processed forms, while others have to avoid it altogether. I think it's one of the few FODMAP antagonists that doesn't have an enzyme yet 🥲 Could also be something totally different! They would also potentially be sensitive to peaches, apricots or other foods with pits or seeds in them if it was a sorbitol sensitivity.
Fructan sensitivity 🥲 I appreciate the flavor they add, buuut don't appreciate how they digest in my body. I carry food enzymes with me when I'm out though- kind of hard to avoid when I'm not the one cooking. I do want to try adding them to my oil infusions sometime!
My roaster of choice unfortunately doesn't offer any decaf options 😞 I've had to start spacing my caffeinated coffee mornings since my adhd meds don't really mesh well with caffeine. I started exploring decaf a couple months ago, mainly from whatever was on the grocery store shelf; everything I had tried was very uninteresting. I recently looked into specialty roasters that offered beans around the level I was used to and am currently going through a bag from Luminous Coffee. It's definitely much more flavorful and far more interesting than any mass produced beans I've picked up from the grocery store, but also very different. It has a particular taste that I'm thinking is part of the decaffeination process they use. I have my eyes on a few decaf options from Black & White Coffee Roasters that I'm going to try next.
Yess, there's been my complaint with most decafs I've tried - very linear and not dynamic. I had my second cup of it this morning with the beans at their peak. It was a much more balanced and enjoyable experience; the flavors had calmed, were a lot nicer, and weren't as off-putting... more crisp than buttery and peppery 🤭 It is a very sweet cup though and definitely very different than any caffeinated coffee I've had with a similar taste profile. I do think, just for the experience of how unique it is, it might be worth ordering a bag! I'm still not sure if the flavor characteristics are from the decaf process 🤔 I think there's one or two decaf roasts from Black & White Coffee Roasters that use a similar process, so I'm going to order one of those to see (taste)!
At the moment, I unfortunately have to space how often I have caffeinated coffee. I had been exploring decaf options (mainly from the grocery store), aaand, expectedly, the experience is very far from the gesha and other premium roasts I previously enjoyed for my pour over. It's still nice to perform the ritual and have something warm to drink with breakfast, but I had been missing the dynamic, delicate, and distinct notes in a cup.
I decided to research and order some decaf beans from a specialty roaster! I settled on Luminous Coffee and, on the 30th, ordered a bag of their Colombia EA Decaf LYCHEE PEACH CO-FERMENT. It shipped and was delivered super fast! I absolutely love the bag and the kangaroo pouch holding the info card. I usually wait a few weeks after the roast date to start using beans in a pour over, but I also like trying them at different times to see how the flavors evolve.
On the 4th (5 days after roast), I opened the bag and ground up some beans. Very unique sensory experience from start to finish. The whole beans had a strong peppery/spice-y aroma along with a bit of... funkiness? Ground, highlighted those smells even more. It wasn't off-putting, just not something I've ever really experienced from coffee before. I could describe the smells as sharp.
Now- the taste, soooo different than anything I've had before. Buttery, peppery, and a sort-of acidic sweetness (really hard for me to articulate). I can fully see how it all can translate to lychee, but it was just so strange. The peppery aspects were expected. I usually prefer anaerobic processing for that little tingle, but it was more present here than any others I've had. The butteriness was completely new to me, and I'm curious if that's part of the decaffeination process or an innate aspect of the beans.
Starting next week, I'll be going through the bag as my main morning coffee; I'm super curious how the experience might differ now that the beans have rested more!
Switch recipe 2025
Dripper | Hario V60 Neo
Grind size | Coarse
* Baratza| 22
* Commandante | 30-40
* Ditting Lab Sweet | 9+
* EK43 | 15+
* 1Zpresso | 9+
Filter | Abaca by CAFEC
Water | 90 ppm as CaCO3 (Alkalinity/Calcium/Magnesium - 40/15/35)
Dose | 15g
Water | 225mL at 88C (natural coffee) - 92C (dense washed coffee)
Close Valve
Immersion Pour | 60g
- Open Valve at 20 sec and wait 20 sec
Second pour at 45s | 60g
Third Pour | 50g
Close valve
Immersion | 55g / 20 sec
Open valve
Target End Time | 3'00
For the best experience, wait another 1-2 minutes before serving. Smell directly from the carafe and enjoy within 10-15 minute
Since he's been my main source of coffee for the last few years, I've been mainly using his recipe. It's changed from last year, and I've very much been enjoying this new version of it! It really highlights floral and sweet notes which are my favorite 🌟 There's recipes for additional brews there as well!
SSRIs can just be so... chaotic to our bodies. The wired effects and insomnia can last like a week or two. It could also end up making you manic. The libido issues, at least in my experience, will last until you stop taking the medication and it's out of you system. Both things you're experiencing could potentially be alleviated by lowering your dose, but, honestly, you might want to schedule a follow-up in a week or two and see if there's another SSRI if those side effects stay. I tried almost every one on the market when I thought I had MDD 🫠 Not all had the libido issues.
I will hope and dream that this might someday lead to more mmo/12-button mice on the market, or at least the ability to customize them without relying on their proprietary software.
Very much how I've been feeling about that conversation/topic. I would imagine there are many other factors that affect breast growth, and it's unfortunately kind of impossible to know if someone's results would have been different had they administered a different route. Genetics, age, GH levels, nutrition, etc feel like they would be the dominant factors for growth...buuut I can only assume really 🤷♀️ maybe libido differences could be documented one way or another. I'd be interested to know if someone who had been on hrt for a few years had introduced prog and documented any changes to libido when taking different ways.
Looking back on my prescription history ~ it looks like I was originally prescribed 100mg which I took for around 11 months and then was moved up to 200mg which I've been taking for about 6 months... Or something like that! The refill+pickup dates and everything overlap a bit oddly.
Effects-wise... Far too many variables 🤭 I had been on hrt for about 8 months, so any breast growth feels more general than boosted/aided by the prog. Some people report it helps fill there's out, but I can't necessarily say it helped me there. I tend to believe my genetics, age, and overall nutrition have a greater impact on how my chest has developed (on the smaller side). Libido has been muted since starting hrt. It did spike for a few weeks a bit after increasing my dose, but there were a lot of social & emotional factors that I feel contributed to that; it has since returned to zero 🤷♀️
200mg Orally each night. Not super sure about its effectiveness to be honest 🤷♀️ It didn't affect my libido, and it's hard for me to quantity how/if it affected my breast growth. What it does do for me is make me sleepy after taking it. Some people might see this as a bad thing, but I honestly like that I have an additional something that helps with sleep (also prescribed Clonidine ER for sleep). I did try rectally for a few weeks; it just wasn't convenient enough to continue, and I missed the evening sedative effect. I do hope we eventually see some good studies that explore it more in trans context (different routes, timing during transition, impact of age and desired effects, etc).
During my pre-transition journey trying to figure out why I never felt satisfied with my body, I pursued body building. Your diet and nutrition is like 70% of the process 🫠 someone can spend 6 days a week in the gym and make no progress if their nutrition isn't tuned to their goals.
Lasering facial hair will take you a good number of sessions, and you'll still need to go back for touch-ups/follow-ups. I initially had a full 6 sessions, and while they helped soooo much, I had to get a few more after for some stubborn areas. Even with all of my sessions, I still have hairs I have to shave/trim every morning. It's waaay less work, and is good enough for me to not feel too much dysphoria over. I didn't really notice major changes until the end of my initial course.
Ideally, once you've completed your laser course, I'd recommend finding a place for electrolysis; that's the only guaranteed way to fully keep hairs from coming back. They'll be able to get any remaining hairs and the ones that may eventually come back after/if your follicles repair. Laser is unfortunately not guaranteed permanent, but it is a quicker way to clear hairs.
For body - I also had a few sessions for my lower arms, upper and lower legs, and my armpits. Sooo recommend. I've paid for a few more sessions of each, but just haven't gotten around to them; however, it's still sooo much less work maintaining! Everything grows back slowly, thin, and sparse (I was quite hairy before 😅).
Razor/trimmer recommendation: Philips Norelco OneBlade 🌟 I loooove it so much! It gets a super close trim, is incredibly easy and forgiving, and can be used anywhere. I started with their cheap base model, but eventually upgraded to the Pro 360 model with the led screen that displays the remaining battery. The heads last quite awhile, can be used across models, and they have sensitive skin ones with a guard for areas that might need more TLC (armpits, bikini area, etc). It completely changed my relationship with hair maintenance. It can be used on dry skin, but I recommend cleaning your skin with warm water and using a shaving oil/cream. I super like Billie Whipped Shave Cream; I prefer their sensitive skin one that's fragrance free as my skin can be a bit sensitive.
Additional thoughts:
If you're prone to ingrown hairs, I recommend applying glycolic acid to your dry, clean, post-shaven skin. I would honestly recommend using it a few times a week regardless, as it removes dead skin and clears clogged pores. You can get a biiiig bottle of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner for super cheap. Transfer some to a little spray bottle and spritz it over your skin. Use your hands to spread and gently work it in. Make sure to apply a lotion/moisturizer after it dries!
Before lasering my body hair, I used VEET hair removal cream a few times. It worked incredibly well, but you need to follow the instructions. It can be super harsh on your skin if you leave it on too long (chemical burns). Work in areas and not all over at once. I never had any issues, but I'm sure you'll see reviews with people who did (that didn't follow the instructions). I wouldn't recommend it if you do plan on lasering since you'll need to wait a few weeks for everything to grow back.
Thank you for the update! I super enjoy your note descriptions; it sounds like a great roast and one I'll definitely be picking up soon. I've been craving some tartness! I was honestly considering their Gummy Sharks as well- I super like the name's they use for their beans 🤭
An update for the Luminous decaf - I think the previous batch of beans I had purchased were compromised in some way. I'm going to assume it was on my end; I repurchased them since they had a bogo deal a week or two ago and decided to give them another try. It's a night and day difference. Super sweet, a lot more body, and dynamic notes similar to a caffeinated cup. I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for a sweet decaf sometime!
Before switching to decaf, I bought from a roaster who offered customers the ability to create their own water in his water lab: https://www.memlicoffee.com/water-lab
It was something I had always been meaning to do but never got around to it- I am super interested in exploring this side of coffee eventually! I will say that the cups he brewed anytime I went to pick up orders were so incredibly beautiful and defined. I'm definitely saving your post for the future!
Thank you for this review! I'll be super interested to see how the flavor and experience changes after you've dialed in the grind size and the beans have rested a bit longer. Do you have a hario switch by chance? I've found that you can pull a good amount of sweetness from some beans by introducing some immersion pours.
It's honestly a challenge for me. I've also tried the extreme route of avoiding new things, but life becomes incredibly dull and an intense mental restlessness takes over... It then becomes hard to really get into anything and mutes the joy I feel across the board. I now welcome new fixations but do my best to keep my wallet uninvolved for as long as possible (super hard 😅). If I try too hard to curve the time and energy investment I put into something new, it ultimately disconnects me from the joy I feel exploring it at all. I've learned to accept that there will be many things that I'll love for a moment and eventually lose interest in. It doesn't always feel great 🥲; I'll make connections with people and enjoy my time with them surrounding a certain interest, but I'll become emotionally disconnected after the fixation ends. I try to set the expectation for people early on that I'll most likely just be a visitor in their lives.
As far as fitting fixations into my routine- I almost always have a list of tasks/goals I want to complete for a day. Once my tasks are done, I'll allow my brain to enjoy itself over whatever it wants. I think having organization methods helps. I use Obsidian to organize so many of my thoughts, interests, errands, lists, etc. I use a daily note to keep me on track; Once all my items are checked off, or at least slotted into a time, I don't have to worry about how much time I allow for an interest.
I take Clonidine ER which is very similar to Guanfacine for treating ADHD (blood pressure medication that is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist). I also take stimulant-based ones on top of it during the day.
I requested Clonidine specifically to help me sleep and take it in the evenings; my dose is very sedating. It's my understanding that Guanfacine tends to be less sedating; it's not as aggressive on the c(p)ns.
Does it help with my ADHD? Yes-ish. It's calming and slows my brain and body down. My end of day crash can be pretty rough, and the Clonidine eases a lot of the mental scatteredness that I go through. If I'm stuck looking for something to watch, play, etc, it saps my brain enough and allows me to pick whatever it is I want to do to end my day. I would assume a less sedating version of what I take would be moderately effective for day time attention issues. I've seen people have success with both for their symptoms, but I've also seen it not click for people.
You will probably need to log your blood pressure for a few weeks when starting just to make sure it's not dipping you too much.
I've been super enjoying it! I usually watch most of the romance and SoL anime each simulcast season, and this one is easily one of the ones I most look forward to each week. It's super cute and wholesome 🩷 The art and attention to the characters is also very high quality. It's not super uncommon for anime is this space to have pretty stiff characters and designs, but this one is very colorful and vibrant... There's like 5 or 6 others airing that I'm thinking about specifically - very engaging stories, but the art is kind of forgettable.
Made such a small change two weeks ago that had more of an impact than I'd imagine!
I use the Fellow Ode 2 as my grinder; I unfortunately still have the stock burrs but hope to upgrade eventually. One thing that had always frustrated me was its retention. It started out mild but began to retain full grams. I'd clean the burrs, the anti-static pins, use the knocker, bang on the sides... It just never seemed to make a difference. I finally looked into it and found out about RDT (Ross Droplet Technique)! I started slightly wetting my beans, stirring them with a metal chopstick dipped in water. I always preheat my coffee glass, carafe, and dripper, so I conveniently have water to dip into. Since doing this, I've had almost no measurable retention! Definitely recommend if your grinder seems to hold onto your coffee!
Next thing I need to address is my scale 😵💫 it has unfortunately become very unreliable.
Could be along the same lines as my fructan sensitivity. Corn is high in sorbitol which some can have intolerances or sensitivity to. Some people can get away with a small serving and certain processed forms, while others have to avoid it altogether. I think it's one of the few FODMAP antagonists that doesn't have an enzyme yet 🥲 Could also be something totally different! They would also potentially be sensitive to peaches, apricots or other foods with pits or seeds in them if it was a sorbitol sensitivity.
Fructan sensitivity 🥲 I appreciate the flavor they add, buuut don't appreciate how they digest in my body. I carry food enzymes with me when I'm out though- kind of hard to avoid when I'm not the one cooking. I do want to try adding them to my oil infusions sometime!
My roaster of choice unfortunately doesn't offer any decaf options 😞 I've had to start spacing my caffeinated coffee mornings since my adhd meds don't really mesh well with caffeine. I started exploring decaf a couple months ago, mainly from whatever was on the grocery store shelf; everything I had tried was very uninteresting. I recently looked into specialty roasters that offered beans around the level I was used to and am currently going through a bag from Luminous Coffee. It's definitely much more flavorful and far more interesting than any mass produced beans I've picked up from the grocery store, but also very different. It has a particular taste that I'm thinking is part of the decaffeination process they use. I have my eyes on a few decaf options from Black & White Coffee Roasters that I'm going to try next.
Yess, there's been my complaint with most decafs I've tried - very linear and not dynamic. I had my second cup of it this morning with the beans at their peak. It was a much more balanced and enjoyable experience; the flavors had calmed, were a lot nicer, and weren't as off-putting... more crisp than buttery and peppery 🤭 It is a very sweet cup though and definitely very different than any caffeinated coffee I've had with a similar taste profile. I do think, just for the experience of how unique it is, it might be worth ordering a bag! I'm still not sure if the flavor characteristics are from the decaf process 🤔 I think there's one or two decaf roasts from Black & White Coffee Roasters that use a similar process, so I'm going to order one of those to see (taste)!
At the moment, I unfortunately have to space how often I have caffeinated coffee. I had been exploring decaf options (mainly from the grocery store), aaand, expectedly, the experience is very far from the gesha and other premium roasts I previously enjoyed for my pour over. It's still nice to perform the ritual and have something warm to drink with breakfast, but I had been missing the dynamic, delicate, and distinct notes in a cup.
I decided to research and order some decaf beans from a specialty roaster! I settled on Luminous Coffee and, on the 30th, ordered a bag of their Colombia EA Decaf LYCHEE PEACH CO-FERMENT. It shipped and was delivered super fast! I absolutely love the bag and the kangaroo pouch holding the info card. I usually wait a few weeks after the roast date to start using beans in a pour over, but I also like trying them at different times to see how the flavors evolve.
On the 4th (5 days after roast), I opened the bag and ground up some beans. Very unique sensory experience from start to finish. The whole beans had a strong peppery/spice-y aroma along with a bit of... funkiness? Ground, highlighted those smells even more. It wasn't off-putting, just not something I've ever really experienced from coffee before. I could describe the smells as sharp.
Now- the taste, soooo different than anything I've had before. Buttery, peppery, and a sort-of acidic sweetness (really hard for me to articulate). I can fully see how it all can translate to lychee, but it was just so strange. The peppery aspects were expected. I usually prefer anaerobic processing for that little tingle, but it was more present here than any others I've had. The butteriness was completely new to me, and I'm curious if that's part of the decaffeination process or an innate aspect of the beans.
Starting next week, I'll be going through the bag as my main morning coffee; I'm super curious how the experience might differ now that the beans have rested more!
Memli's recipe
Since he's been my main source of coffee for the last few years, I've been mainly using his recipe. It's changed from last year, and I've very much been enjoying this new version of it! It really highlights floral and sweet notes which are my favorite 🌟 There's recipes for additional brews there as well!
SSRIs can just be so... chaotic to our bodies. The wired effects and insomnia can last like a week or two. It could also end up making you manic. The libido issues, at least in my experience, will last until you stop taking the medication and it's out of you system. Both things you're experiencing could potentially be alleviated by lowering your dose, but, honestly, you might want to schedule a follow-up in a week or two and see if there's another SSRI if those side effects stay. I tried almost every one on the market when I thought I had MDD 🫠 Not all had the libido issues.
I will hope and dream that this might someday lead to more mmo/12-button mice on the market, or at least the ability to customize them without relying on their proprietary software.
Very much how I've been feeling about that conversation/topic. I would imagine there are many other factors that affect breast growth, and it's unfortunately kind of impossible to know if someone's results would have been different had they administered a different route. Genetics, age, GH levels, nutrition, etc feel like they would be the dominant factors for growth...buuut I can only assume really 🤷♀️ maybe libido differences could be documented one way or another. I'd be interested to know if someone who had been on hrt for a few years had introduced prog and documented any changes to libido when taking different ways.
Looking back on my prescription history ~ it looks like I was originally prescribed 100mg which I took for around 11 months and then was moved up to 200mg which I've been taking for about 6 months... Or something like that! The refill+pickup dates and everything overlap a bit oddly.
Effects-wise... Far too many variables 🤭 I had been on hrt for about 8 months, so any breast growth feels more general than boosted/aided by the prog. Some people report it helps fill there's out, but I can't necessarily say it helped me there. I tend to believe my genetics, age, and overall nutrition have a greater impact on how my chest has developed (on the smaller side). Libido has been muted since starting hrt. It did spike for a few weeks a bit after increasing my dose, but there were a lot of social & emotional factors that I feel contributed to that; it has since returned to zero 🤷♀️
200mg Orally each night. Not super sure about its effectiveness to be honest 🤷♀️ It didn't affect my libido, and it's hard for me to quantity how/if it affected my breast growth. What it does do for me is make me sleepy after taking it. Some people might see this as a bad thing, but I honestly like that I have an additional something that helps with sleep (also prescribed Clonidine ER for sleep). I did try rectally for a few weeks; it just wasn't convenient enough to continue, and I missed the evening sedative effect. I do hope we eventually see some good studies that explore it more in trans context (different routes, timing during transition, impact of age and desired effects, etc).
During my pre-transition journey trying to figure out why I never felt satisfied with my body, I pursued body building. Your diet and nutrition is like 70% of the process 🫠 someone can spend 6 days a week in the gym and make no progress if their nutrition isn't tuned to their goals.