(11-06-2014, 03:18 PM)Janet doe Wrote: [ -> ]I,m not sure if its the NBE, better eating, or the moisteriser I use every morning ( or maybe its a combination of all three ). But lately I have been asked by people I know what have I been doing, they notice i have more energy and look younger. I looked at a picture taken last October, I looked old and haggard, now I seem to have got some my youthfull looks back. ( all I need now is my hair ! )
Anyone else noticed this on NBE?
There is a connection to NBE in my case. Definitely.
One year ago, I had all but resigned myself to the bad looks department. It was hard to look at myself in the mirror, so I rarely did. My age was starting to really show, pattern baldness was nearly complete, and years of letting my looks go had taken a toll. Those of you in your 60s will probably be able to commiserate.
When I became consciously aware of my TG nature about a year ago, a change came over me after about a month on PM. It was a huge mental change in attitude about myself. I wanted to improve my external presentation to better fit how I felt inside. Part of it was the desire to grow breasts, but it went further than that. I set a goal to lose 20 lbs of excess weight. I decided to shave my chest and belly area. There was no intention of presenting as a woman at home, much less in public. I was convinced it was impossible for me to pass as a woman, and I assured my wife that was not in the plan. It was a ridiculous idea, anyway.
After shedding a few pounds, I started to dabble a little with crossdressing (up to that point my crossdressing had been limited to occasionally donning of a bra and panties from my wife's lingerie drawer). I found that wearing feminine things gave me a good feeling. I'm not talking about sexual arousal feelings, just a sense of rightness, like feeling safe and warm.
It was around that time that I started the Fashion Show thread on the Picture Pages subforum wearing some thrift store castoffs I picked up cheaply. I posted my first attempt at dressing for the camera. My face was cropped out of the photos then. Yes, for anonymity, but also because my head would totally destroy whatever feminine appearance I hoped to generate.
When I bought my first wig and tried making myself up for the first time, I cross another major turning point in my NBE journey. I was amazed at how I could transform my male appearance to something much more female. That opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Could I change my external appearance to match the way I felt inside? At first, the task seemed futile. It was too difficult to mask my masculine bone structure and craggy face. But, I kept at it.
As a man, I never paid much attention to all the attention woman pay to beauty tips and techniques. Well, I do now...lol. If you want to overcome the ravages of time, you have to. And they work to an extent. Add to that the effect that PM was having on my body and face, it's startling how much younger and better I look after just 8 months on herbal (and just recently, syn) HRT.
In the past, whenever I would lose weight, people commented about how hollowed out my face became. I actually looked worse as my skin sagged more than it had already sagged. On PM, that's not happening. If anything, my face is rounding out more even as I'm losing weight. It's subtle, but real. That redistribution of fat to the face has the effect of making me look younger.
My skin has improved, too. Partly because estrogen makes one's skin softer and smoother, but also because I wash, exfoliate, and moisturize my face now. I pluck my brows and nasal hairs. It makes a big difference if you've never done it before. I changed my eye glass frames to a more androgynous style. I stopped biting my fingernails. I wear gloves to protect my hands from dirt, cuts, and calluses.
Finally, I find that I smile more now than before. Could it be that I'm happier? Believe it or not, a smile makes you look younger and prettier. It counteracts the tendency for the corners of your mouth to droop. It lifts up sagging jowls that first appear in your 60s or 70s.
I now publish my fashion photos with my face in the picture. Although I'll never be satisfied with my looks, at least now I'm not ashamed of my appearance. I'm even considering having some scalp hair restoration done if I can find some extra dough.
NBE opens doors to places you never imagined before. It can be the means to a whole new life, for better or for worse. Be hopeful, but also be careful.
Clara
