#futurefigured

[aiiaiiiyo]

Monument Valley, UT. [OC][3264x2448] Check this blog!

[tmitransitioning]

I am in the very early stages of considering my future and the possibility of bottom surgery (ftm). One issue I think I may face is that my arms are covered in freckles, but I'd prefer to use my arm as a donor site. Are there procedures to erase or fade freckles? How do other transmen with freckly arms go about bottom surgery?

you can definitely have procedures to lighten or fade freckles.  To start with, be sure to use sunscreen daily (even indoors if you’ll be near windows) to help limit sun exposure- the more sun the darker freckles get.  There are a handful of options that are based in science, some over the counter options, and several more expensive options that are only offered by dermatologists.  If you pick an over the counter option, make sure you pick something approved by the FDA- there are a lot out there that make unproven claims and have been issued “advisement letters” (basically the same thing as a false advertisement notice).  

If it helps, though, I found this redit thread: it never occurred to me to wonder but guys with a lot of freckles everywhere tend to have freckles Everywhere.  mod mayhem

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Odd question: if I was to have my uterus removed and keep my ovaries, would I still experience vaginal discharge outside of the vagina's general moisture? It has always been a huge source of dysphoria for me, but I don't know if it originates from the uterus or the walls of the vagina.

CW for genital talk:It comes from both the uterus and the lining of the vagina.  you may experience a general decrease after hysto, but that might not be the case (for example, after hysto with ovaries removed, i didn’t experience much of a change, and i’ve been on T for 7 years now). 

if you’re on HRT, testosterone can decrease the discharge to some extent, but that’s significantly variable (some people experience a lot of dryness, others don’t experience much change at all). If this is a major source of dysphoria (it is for me), you may want to look at vaginectomy.  it is my best option; but there are other less radical surgical options that they offer to cis women to reduce production while leaving the part intact for use. mod mayhem

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I'm in a bit of a weird situation. I've been on T for about 10 months and started seeing signs of increased hairloss pretty early on. My head of hair still looks normal, despite me not responding to rogaine and having to wait for some time to be prescribed propecia. I am highly considering stopping T for some time so that I have time to really weigh what I want while not under the pressure of my declining head of hair. I’m 18 and look 16, so the idea of losing hair this early bothers me (1/2)

a lot. However, I’d be fine with it later on. I’m thinking of sticking within that happy middle between enjoying a full head of hair as well as the permanent effects of T thus far. Is this something worth making an appointment with my endo about? Is communicating this over the patient portal fine? Would taking Propecia as soon as I can get it prescribed halt my hair loss until around that 1 year post T mark when the testosterone is out of my system? (2/2)

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all the hair that’s in your body has been affected by testosterone.  Head hair grows in a 3-5 year cycle, pauses at it’s full length, then falls out, then the follicle rests a few months, then restarts growing again. Because of this,  it’s possible that you can continue losing for months or years after stopping testosterone (until all the affected hairs reach the end of their growth cycle or their roots recover, whichever comes first).  it’s definitely reasonable to get ahold of your endo, but it’s not a rush thing (if you start the meds tomorrow, you won’t get effect tomorrow) so you can definitely contact them via the patient portal-  if they need to see you they’ll get in touch to set something up.  

It’s definitely reasonable to take a pause to consider how the HRT is affecting you.  you want to feel comfortable with the changes.  

mod mayhem

[tmitransitioning]

So, Im about 9 months on T, and I believe I started seeing hair loss signs around month 4... Or that could have been paranoia. I am quite sure now that Im experiencing hair loss at a slow rate... Ive been taking Rogaine as a preventative measure for awhile and recently switched to mens, though I dont think its doing any good. My mom has had me start using Biotin on top of it... Will that help at all? Are there other medicines I can take besides Rogaine? Is a dermatologist visit advised?

Biotin isn’t likely to help unless you’re deficient (you’re likely not unless you have medical conditions that are likely to cause it, it’s in tons of foods and your body can make some via the bacteria in your intestines). 

Not everyone responds to rogaine, but you should know if you’re a responder if your hair stopped/slowed falling out within the first 4 months.  if it doesn’t look any different at that point you can stop wasting your money. you can also talk to your doctor about finasteride (propecia) which is the oral med that helps with hair loss.  the doc who writes your T is generally able to write for that too, but your GP can write for it, or you can go see a dermatologist.  As a previous writer mentioned, it’s always reasonable to go see your primary care provider to get double checked to make sure that there’s nothing medical (outside of the T) that could be causing it. Mod mayhem

[tmitransitioning]

Ive experienced two side effects that Im almost completely sure is due to testosterone. Ive experienced muscle cramps quite often all over despite not having changed my diet, and Ive begun to appear more flushed/pink in undertone. Are these expected and regular effects of testosterone, or are they something that should be mentioned to a doctor?

even if you experience a normal/expected side effect of T it’s always a good idea to mention it to the doctor at your next scheduled appointment.  it doesn’t mean they will change your dose or take you off of it (as long as it’s not bothering you, it’s not a problem.) it’s just something medical professionals like to keep track of.  later, if it gets worse or if you complain of another similar condition unrelated, we can look back through your well-documented records and say “oh, i see in 2019 you also had flushing and muscle cramps, is this related, or is this unrelated.”

That being said, both muscle cramps and aching (from building muscle mass) and flushing (hot flashes) are documented as known side effects, but not common ones.  I won’t go so far as to call them “regular” but as long as they’re no interfering with your life, I wouldn’t call them “concerning” either.   If you get additional symptoms, or if they get worse enough to interfere with the things you want/need to do in the course of the day, that’s time to make an appointment to address them (versus waiting to mention them in your next scheduled appointment). 

mod mayhem