Does Hormone Therapy Work Better at Younger Ages?

First I don't know what your situation is like at home but if you think that your parents/guardians would hurt you or take drastic measures I would recommend not coming out. Just before you do be sure you know exactly where they stand on trans stuff. Second I would say that starting HRT at a younger age could possibly give you the results you want to see sooner then if you were to wait. If you're not fully through a first puberty then a lot of the changes that you would see from that wouldn't necessarily be reversed but they would be less noticeable. Though I'm not exactly sure if that is true it just makes sense in my head.
Also makes sure you know exactly how starting HRT will affect your body before starting HRT. Being aware of the laws wherever you live on a name change, gender marker change, the age limit on HRT, etc., etc. is also a good thing to know. Especially if you are going to come out because, at least in my experience, a lot of older cis people do not know these things. So if you know these things and are able to educate your parents/guardians it could, if they had doubts about your transness, help them to get over those doubts. And if they didn't its just good for you to know.

 

The younger you start, the fewer changes your body makes during those years that need be reversed, and the more complete the results of your second puberty. If you start HRT before you're done growing, it can either increase the height of an FtM person, or stop height and shoulder width growth in an MtF person. The US endocrinologist association is recently changed their guidelines, recommending that teens begin HRT at age 14, down from an earlier recommendation of 16, after time has proven few if any undesirable side effects and problems with growth/maturation have been observed and benefits are increased when hormones are started earlier.

 

Hi Jenniewo,

The best time to start is early in puberty, but few get that opportunity. That's why the US Endocrinologists Association changed their guideline from from 16 down to 14. But for those of us (most of us) who don't get that opportunity, it doesn't make much difference (for MtFs anyway, I can't speak for FtMs). A relative of mine didn't start hormone therapy until the age of 69. She is now 71, and a beautiful (stunning for being 71) woman, who is happy and healthy, and would pass anywhere -- except for her voice, but she doesn't care. "I'm a woman! What else could matter?" Also, though as he, he was showing his age quite vividly, as a woman, people have been guessing her in her mid to late 50s. IRL, everyone knows her as a (sexy) woman with a husky voice, and she gets treated with more respect than almost any other woman in town. So no, 18 is not too old to start, and given the exquisite success of her transformation, I'd say, once you've finished puberty, I don't think it makes any difference if you start at 18 or 80 (depending on your health, of course).

Mandy