I'm thinking of going DIY - Is this the right choice?

For the past 2 or so years, i've been doing a lot of introspection regarding gender, and have come to the conclusion that I would like to transition (MtF). While I have often been around trans circles on the internet, this revelation is somewhat recent, and thus I haven't really been aquainted with a lot of the processes that trans people go through, in the UK and otherwise, so apologies if I ask something obvious.

I have seen my GP about this and have been put on a waitlist for a clinic, but from what I've read online and even what my GP told me, these wait lists are years. Already this seems like something that I would like to circumvent, but as of late my body has decided "haha you're gonna start balding at 20" which has kind of pushed me further towards getting hormones sooner rather than later via DIY. I should specify that I'm not transitioning just to escape the balding, despite what my parents suspect -_-

I have been doing a lot of reading into DIY, but still haven't found anywhere that feels like an authority on the matter. I'm not here to discuss specific medications or anything, but more generally just whether I should look into it more or just go with the NHS.

I have been debating speaking with my GP about going DIY, but I don't know if that's the right thing to do or if I should leave them out of this completely. I suspect they might just tell me not to do it outright if they're advised to always dissuade patients.

I also understand that when doing DIY, it is a good idea to get regular blood tests - when people say this, is it supposed to be through the NHS or private services? Additionally, if it's NHS, how would I go about orchestrating the tests? Do I just go to them and say I would like a blood test for no specific reason, or do I say I'm taking hormones and want to monitor the relevant parts of my blood?

And finally, am I rushing into things? I know it's a big step to suddenly start taking hormones, and I know you're supposed to slowly wean yourself onto them. over the past few months I have been doing other gender-affirming actions like shaving my face/legs and whatnot, and have begun voice training, but is it too soon to look into HRT? Should I be giving myself a long time to think it over with the other stuff I've already done? My parents certainly think that I should wait at least a year before doing anything more. This is definitely something I want to go ahead with - I would much rather be a woman than a man, and there is no doubt in my mind.

So TL;DR:

1 - Should I go DIY or wait for NHS?

2 - If I go DIY, should I involve my GP at all?

3 - Is now the right time to start HRT at all?