basic plans and blog introduction (11/20/2024)
I'm planning on taking a very low dose of T (subcutaneous injections) combined with finasteride. I haven't started yet (not sure when exactly, but it is in the near future), but my dosage will be 1.5mg finasteride every other day (a 5 mg pill split into 4 pieces), and .10mL (of a 200mg/mL solution) testosterone cypionate weekly.
My reasons for taking finasteride alongside the testosterone are many. The first thing is my hair: finasteride (alongside dutasteride, which is also sometimes used for this purpose) is a DHT blocker, which can slow male-pattern baldness. As mentioned earlier, dutasteride is also used for this purpose, but it is a "stronger" drug and I would be hesitant to try it myself given that the side effects (anecdotally) are more severe. Secondly: it can, according to online testimony (take EVERYTHING you see online with a grain of salt, including my blog), also slow the growth of facial hair and bottom growth. I personally don't care much for facial hair, but I didn't want bottom growth or to experience hair loss on my head. I understand that "cherrypicking" is a topic of discussion among circles of medical transitioners, so I will iterate that DHT blockers are NO guarantee- I cannot guarantee that taking them will actually stop these effects from happening, I am taking a chance here. Everything related to hormones is a genetic roll of the dice. The men in my family aren't prone to early hair loss- my own father is in his late 50s and still has a full head of hair with no bald spots. So keep in mind that even if I was a male NOT taking finasteride, at my age I would still probably have all of my hair. DHT blockers can also sometimes make a person's period start again (if taken after already being on testosterone) or not stop at all (if taken at the same time)- this is, again, no guarantee, though I don't mind either way. Thirdly: (also according to online testimony), it slows down the other changes you get on T: or at least evens them out so there are no big, quick changes like one might get on plain T. This is related to my next point about my goals here.
My goals for hrt may seem atypical to those familiar with similar timeline blogs. I do NOT plan to be on testosterone long-term. I do not want to have male-typical levels of testosterone for a long period of time. I plan on stopping testosterone once my voice deepens to the level I want it to, and I get more body hair (building muscle more easily is a nice bonus, since I already weightlift consistently, but this will go away once I go off of the testosterone). I will stop testosterone once I feel that I do not want the changes any longer (I anticipate 6 months minimum, up to 2 years maximum). I have no idea how long this will take, because everybody's timeline is different, so I plan to keep this blog running however long it takes. I will reiterate: understand that this is no guarantee. I could very well go on testosterone and, despite my effort, get only bottom growth and hair loss as my effects and not get a deeper voice or more body hair. This is a risk I accept. If you are going a similar route (again, I am NOT endorsing this), do not expect to get anything specific, because you may be disappointed. I still have working ovaries, so I am not worried about being able to return to my current levels after going off of testosterone (though, again, permanent effects are a risk that I am taking here. Do NOT take this as me telling you it's always harmless- it is not. I'm telling you this because I know MANY people who have been on testosterone and experienced negative effects (as well as positive)).
This is also the reason for my low testosterone dose. I want the changes slow enough that I can carefully monitor them, and hopefully not end up with any changes I do not want permanently. It may happen regardless, but I hope that slow changes and a low dose will keep me safer than the typical dosage. A typical dose of testosterone is 50-60 mg weekly (at 200 mg/mL- this is .25-.3 mL compared to my intended .10 mL).
I am choosing subcutaneous injection because it is the easiest and cheapest method I have available to me. I am afraid of needles, so this will be interesting to blog about. I chose subcutaneous over intramuscular because the needles are smaller and do not go in as far. I have found no evidence that one method is superior to the other.
About me: I am an adult (who has been an adult for some time now- I'm not a teenager). I wish to remain anonymous on this blog, and therefore will not be sharing any personal information, such as my name, gender identity, and where I live outside of the fact I am in the USA. Though, that said: to the people reading this, understand that tumblr is not a secure platform. If you truly wish to stay anonymous for safety, at least access the site with a VPN if not a secure OS such as tails. It can be difficult to refer to me without any identifying information, though, so you can call me Rex and whatever pronouns you want (I genuinely do not care). Yes, my username is a reference to that glocca morra album.
Body information: I am not acne prone and had clear skin even as a teenager (but we will see if this changes on testosterone). I have very thick and dense hair. I am 5'5" and approximately 145 pounds as of 11/20/2024. I have a job that involves near-constant activity, and I weightlift somewhat regularly. I do not have any facial hair or thick hair anywhere on my body save for pubic area + underarms (I even tried the old trick of using minoxidil on your face to encourage hair growth, if you are about to suggest that- didn't work for me at all).
DISCLAIMER: This is not an endorsement of hormones. I have no agenda. Take everything you read on this blog (and elsewhere on the internet) with a grain of salt. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A CHILD. I cannot stop minors from accessing my blog, however please understand I am just one person and I speak from a place of no authority.
Anonymous asks will be open for questions related to what I post here. Please don't ask me hypotheticals or advice on anything medical- a doctor would be a better avenue for that.
BLOG INDEX:
body stats (will try to post this regularly to keep track of changes)
changelog (will post these when I experience a noticable change)
information (helpful links i personally use)
t shot updates (getting over my fear of needles. will try to post here weekly)
voicelog (voice change tracking. will include approximate Hz as recorded on an app (probably not exact))