What changes will happen?
Your skin will get oiler and youâll get more acne for a bit. If youâre older, you might get male pattern baldness/scalp hair loss. Youâll get facial hair growth, and more body hair. Youâll also have increased muscle mass/strength, and itâll be easier to build muscles. Your body fat will redistribute to more masculine areas, so your facial shape might change a bit, and fat might collect at your stomach instead of hips for example. Your period will stop, your clitoris will get a bit bigger, and your vaginal walls will get a bit thinner and things may be drier down there. Your voice will also deepen. For more information, read Testosterone Therapy, a complete guide.
How can I take T? Are needles the only option?
T can be taken via injection, or gel (more info on gel here) as the most common options. Some injects are subcutaneous (sub-Q) and some are intramuscular. You can self-inject when shown how to do so, however you can also get a nurse to do it.
How do I get prescribed T?
This post has more on that! The process can vary; there isnât one singular route to testosterone.
All injectable T is taken on a weekly cycle. Some low cycle ones are every week, every 2 weeks, every 4 weeks, or every 6 weeks. Longer cycles would be 10, 12, or 14 weeks. If you have an itchy swelling at your injection site, look here. Gel is taken usually every day.
Can I do testosterone on my own?
No, sadly not. It isnât legal to get a testosterone prescription without a doctor, and itâs dangerous to do on your own; look at The Risks and Dangers of Illegal Testosterone for more on the dangers. Testosterone supplements and ânatural transitioningâ methods donât actually have enough T in them to make any changes- in fact, your body will convert low levels of T into estrogen!
Can T cause weight loss/gain?
It depends. T can cause an increase in metabolism, but also an increase in hunger. It can cause fat redistribution, from hips and rear to midsection. It can also cause muscle gain.
It depends. The younger you are, the better your chances are at growing. If your growth plates have already sealed, you wonât grow any taller on testosterone or without it.
What happens to my downstairs bits on T?
T and your Genitals: A summary is a good place to start. Your clitoris will grow, usually to be around 1.5 inches, although it can be smaller or larger, depending. You can see pictures of what that looks like here. Genital growth isnât something you can opt out of if you take testosterone; again, if you take T, you canât prevent your clitoris from growing.
T can cause atrophy of the vagina and and uterus, it stops menstruation, and it can cause infertility. Vaginal atrophy is treatable if you go to your doctor and get a topical estrogen cream or pill for the area. Vaginal atrophy is symptomized as irritation, itchiness, bleeding when penetrated, and dryness. You may want to look into freezing your eggs if youâre interested in having biological children.
When on T you still need to get gynecologist appointments if you still have your uterus and ovaries. There are possible but as of yet unproven links between cervical and ovarian cancer and testosterone treatment, people are often encouraged to get a hysterectomy but it is not considered necessary.
Can I get pregnant when Iâm on T?
You can still get pregnant on T, although itâs less likely to happen than if you were not on T, so you should still use contraception if youâre having the kind of sex that could get you pregnant. You can use an IUD (more info on those here) or a progestin-only pill or a condom, which is the only one of the three that also prevents the transmission of STDs.
It can decrease somewhat in size due to fat redistribution, but generally not to a flat chested extent. It wonât get smaller by a full cup size, especially if you have a larger chest.
T can cause male pattern baldness, but itâs not guaranteed and relies mostly on genetics. This post has more information on hair loss.
I like singing, how will T affect my voice?
T will deepen your voice but as long as you continue to practise and donât overwork your voice into notes you cannot reach anymore, it wonât harm it. This ask has a link on that.
If you want to retain all the effects of T then you do need to stay on it. In order for optimal health, if you get your ovaries removed you will need to stay on a hormone for the rest of your life, be it T or estrogen. Read about what will revert and what will remain if you stop T here.
How old do I have to be to start T?
You have to have parental permission to start T if youâre a minor. This post should help with getting the conversation started about that. Note that many endocrinologists donât allow someone to start T until theyâre 16, but this isnât a law and itâs up to the prescriberâs discretion. You do have to have started puberty to get T. If you havenât started puberty yet, you should look into puberty blockers.
