A few things I didn't know to expect when starting T
So I'm sure all of you who want to start T have made the acquaintance of all the standard lists of What Happens, but today I will give you a list of small things that are mostly side effects of the main things. Some fun things to expect when you start T:
Note: I've been on subQ injections for 6 months, so my experiences will be within that time frame
Note 2: None of this is meant to discourage anyone, I just know I was filled to the brim with curiosity before I started and I hope this will excite or satisfy the curiosity of others
You'll probably itch where you grow new hair.
My upper chest and the backs of my wrists/hands have gone through multiple bouts of itching in the past few months as hair has thickened or started growing in. I was already pretty hairy to begin with because I've always had high T levels so, if you aren't, you might get itching in other places as well
Voice dropping seems to come in stages.
There's the initial drop which, for me didn't have a lot of big cracks, but just a rougher sounding voice in general. Then that smoothed out and I sounded kind of like a teenage boy. Then it started to crackle again and then that smoothed out. I think I'm on my third round of this and the sound is finally starting to mature a bit and sound more full
Your genitals are gonna smell different.
This was kind of alarming to me, especially because the smell change wasn't what I expected. I am under the impression that hormones affect pH and soap does as well, so if you're used to washing with a specific soap, it might affect the pH of your junk in tandem with the hormonal changes and basically what I'm saying is, you're going to probably go on a wild ride of "what the fuck is happening" for the first 6 months or so of transition until you get used to things and find a soap that feels like it jives well with your natural smells. I'm extremely smell sensitive, so you might not find the changes as alarming as I did, but fair warning
Your pee is also going to smell different.
It's going to smell muskier and altogether disgusting if you're not used to it. But you will get used to it, over time. I promise
Your skin is going to get so mad.
Start a skin care routine before you start T and get used to it, because you are going to need to keep that up for the entire duration of puberty. I'm going to give you some really good routine advice below.
I have oily skin and thought before starting, "I think my skin has been the same since puberty and I've just gotten used to it." WRONG. Even if you had mad oily skin during puberty and your skin is still oily, it has definitely gotten less oily over time. It is not the same as when you went through puberty. You are going to realize this in about 1-2 weeks after starting T and you are going to be filled with regret at your naivety.
With my current routine, I'm showering every other day because I'm disabled but, if you can, shower every day. I keep CeraVe "normal to oily skin" face wash in the shower and use that on my face, and sometimes shoulders, every time I shower. Use a washcloth when you wash your face in the shower. It helps remove dead skin and makes your skin so much softer.
If you have oily skin, I will tell you what I got told by a dermatologist when I was a teenager: your skin is oily because it is dry. What happens is that your skin gets really dry and your body makes extra oil to compensate for it. So, the solution is to moisturize it. It sounds really counterintuitive but it works. If you moisturizer your skin, it will get less oily and you will get less acne.
"But lotion feels gross."
I know this and I love you. Let me tell you how to minimize lotion grossness. First, get a lotion that's not too thick. I like Aveeno for dry skin. It works well for me. Plus, it comes in a pump bottle, so you can keep it on your bathroom counter. After washing your face in the shower, you have a prime canvas for lotion. When you get out of the shower, pat-dry your face, then give it about - literally - 30 seconds to air dry. Then, when it's no longer wet but still slightly damp from the steamy air, get some lotion (maybe a fat pea's worth), rub it between your hands, and then put that shit on your face. Start at your forehead and work down. If your eyebrows get really oily or get dead skin under them, put lotion over them too. Those bitches are the worst. Rub the lotion in really really well.
Your face will feel damp and oily while you're getting dressed, but by the time you're done getting dressed and brushing your hair and the steam has cleared, your face will feel mostly like normal - maybe slightly less dry. The very slight difference in skin feel will get normal really fast and it won't bother you anymore.
If you don't do this like I said, it won't work like I said. Doing it right after a hot shower when your skin is really soft and your pores are open is key to getting it to rub in well enough that it doesn't just sit on the surface of your skin feeling lotioney and terrible.
You're going to want to touch it even more now that there are hairs growing out of it. If the hair coming in is tempting to touch, shave it off. The acne is going to come in hot and you're going to be miserable
Your facial hair will literally come in patchy.
I thought when people said facial hair grows in patchy that they meant like, a bit here and there, but all over the facial hair region. No. It literally comes in in little patches. At least mine does.
While all of my facial hair went from baby-fine to slightly longer blond within a few months, the dark hair has come in in the most awkward way possible. A few months in I got a patch of thick, dark hair (though sparse) right on my neck. It's like 1x1 inches in an oval shape. That's it. That was the only dark hair on my face. One weird circle of it. Since then, I've started to get a few more dark hairs toward my chin. I'm 6 months in, an already-hairy person, and this is what I've got to show for.
So just be warned, patchy means literally in patches and not just, "sparse but all over."
Voice changes did not make singing harder.
A note especially for my singers out there who have heard the horror stories of singing becoming impossible: it's not true. Those horror stories are largely spun out of proportion with the average trans masc experience on T.
I lost some of my upper range right away and getting used to the lower range I gained was a bit weird because your throat gets sore quickly and it's scratchy. However, I continued to sing and push my lower range as my voice dropped and I had no issue with suddenly being unable to sing. I've even regained some of my upper range as my voice has stabilized.
The only thing even remotely tricky about adjusting to the new range has been learning to have a middle range. Before, I had high and low and that was it. Head singing and throat singing, if we speak of where the sound resonates. Now I have like, mouth level, throat level, and chest level. I have an easy time switching between my upper range and lower range, but I've had to get used to knowing where to direct my voice to get the middle range. I'm getting used to it though. It just takes some practice.
You're going to be fine and you're going to enjoy singing with a deeper voice. T isn't going to ruin singing for you <3
If anyone has any questions at all about the first 6 months on T, reblog or respond with them and I will answer them!
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