Some things from me:
- Early on, darkening of the perineal raphe was quite a surprise (aka the “sack stripe”). It’s not something I’ve seen mentioned in most HRT guides.
- How incredibly unreliable my own perception of how feminine I look is. People were treating me as a woman well before I could see even hints of it in my face.
- It’s nice that women will sit next to me on the train now. As the carriage fills up I quite often find myself in the center of a cluster of women, which is very affirming.
- Makeup areas in bathrooms. I had no idea this was a thing, and they’re great!
That my 5’5” baby face might be intimidating to women, especially at night. I’m not after you, I’m just walking! I totally understand the wariness of male strangers, it just makes me feel the need to go ‘I’m not a creep!’ which of course would make it worse.
Relevant John Mulaney bit
https://youtu.be/cGV_k9ajUqg