This post in no way implies you can just wishy washy pass. but I've got into what I can only call dumb trans phrenology last few days to detriment of my mental health. it started when people on transpassing told me I'll likely never pass without surgery. (which I think is bullshit, very light make up makes me look like a stereotype of a french woman? idk how to explain any of it lmao, curls and dark red lipstick are magic). I have all the bad features on my face, except for my chin which is unremarkable. Somewhat prominent jaw, low brow ridge (I actually sometimes put some concealer on it because it has a shade???), big nose, but I swear, by googling random women I can find a ton of decent and normal looking women who have all features above average masc and obviously pass. that's probably because they have.. a clear skin and feminine fat distribution. Like some of these women just look like me when I put on makeup that makes my face more clear (still early hrt so this doesn't really happen on its own).

So, here is my main frustration: when passing is discussed in terms of nose, jaw, all the bone stuff, a lot of people say you just have to get more of these traits looking fem than masc; that's a fucking lie. you have an advantage from having feminine face on hrt. dismorphic features is not at all close to being all that matters.

obviously, it's still very hard and it can be the case that you won't pass even with hrt, that's very common, but every "will my face pass I'm staring hrt" advice to me is just harmful. on most these places, there's a group of trans people, with very critical eye and no access to verification (they most likely won't see if they were right) who can only pick on bones and this is bound to be always biased, no matter how much of "hard truth" talk is done. just don't give that advice. for example I was told I have elongated face. I did the measurements and I'm almost exactly the female norm.