[UK] 18 y/o unsure where to start

Because you asked a very general and wide-ranging question, it's not clear, if you're already aware of the two aspects of MtF hrt, which are - 1) Estradiol, which is a form of estrogen (often written as E2) - and 2) Suppressing testosterone (via an anti-androgen, usually termed an AA). Actually, E2 on it's own can often bring down T significantly, hence the reason many trans girls start out by only taking a low dose of E2 for quite a number of months. In fact, one trans girl I know, and who has some of the best feminisation I've seen, has taken only 2 mg E2 for seven years. A lot depends on existing facial bone structure.

One other benefit of an initial blood test is it indicates if a girl's high or low T - and this in turn will help them make a decision as to whether they might benefit from taking an anti-androgen (AA). Anti-androgens are serious and powerful medications and an individual would only be doing right by learning and informing themselves about the different options, the risks and their side-effects. To be safe and responsible as is reasonably possible when taking an AA, relevant blood tests should be considered as essential. Also, some AAs are not indicated for individuals who suffer from depression, so it would be prudent to learn and inform yourself about this fully. You might even consider waiting for your appointments at the gic before starting an AA as they can offer one which is considered better than AAs available for private purchase (called a GnRH med). As well, as already mentioned above, many trans girls never take AAs, as estrogen can bring down T all on its own - and given you've mentioned you're already taking meds related to stopping depression or anxiety, this might well be the best route for you - or at least until you can be medically supervised at a gic.

I hope this is useful for you, and that it will encourage you to read through some of the posts in this subreddit and ask more questions, so that you fully understand what's involved and so can therefore make your own informed and responsible decisions about what hrt (and route for hrt) is right for you. For example, here is a recent post from a trans girl showing her baseline hormone blood test results (in the first 11 lines of the report) followed by her second blood test results a month later. [To note, as well as the individual hormone levels the blood tests should also include a liver function text (LFT), a complete blood count test (CBC) and an electrolytes test. These are the basic tests which can confirm that hrt is being handled okay by an individuals body.]

You can't ask too many questions here. There's many girls who will be pleased to help you understand your options and what things mean.

/r/TransDIY Thread Parent