[transarab]

Hey everyone, I’m doing a survey on hair changes for trans guys. Please fill it out and/or share!! Thank you

https://goo.gl/forms/8bNokrzcIPVVXodB2

Hair Loss with Testosterone Usage

This is a survey for AFAB people who have used testosterone, to observe any affects on hair loss.

[saimasmileslike-deactivated2019]

Unapologetically Muslim 🕶 IG: @saimasmileslike

[transarab]

Today is my one month (4 weeks) on T. I'm on daily testogel, but unfortunately due to personal issues I've missed a lot of doses - I've only taken about 8-9 doses. Im thinking to reset the clock and start counting my T date from when I can actually start consistently, because taking hormones inconsistently is not good for your body, so I'll update you guys if that happens.

Honestly it's quite disappointing that, having fought the system for over half a decade for T, I'm still not really on it. But hopefully things will improve :/

[transarab]

28/11/2018

I’m on T!!!!

[salltyemo]

seeing arab trans men transitioning makes me so fucking happy like yes those are my brothers and im so happy for yall

[transarab]

Thank you so much!!!

[transarab]

TMI/Lesser known changes on T

I'm not sure if it was just me who'd never heard/heard very little of these, but here's the things my doctors never told me and I never saw on mainstream resources (had to do digging to find out - most of these are a bit TMI so I understand why they aren't exactly broadcast all over the place). As always these aren't applicable to everyone - T affects everyone's body slightly differently. A lot of these are also temporary as your body adapts to being on T:

1. Your pee will smell different/stronger - this is probably one of the first changes you'll get.

2. You might poop more lmao, I know people who pooped once a day who ended up pooping 3-4 times a day.

3. Your lower growth might hurt - sharp stabby pains that just suck honestly.

4. You might get headaches in the first few weeks or months - apparently this is due to blood pressure changes.

5. While your voice is about to change, you might get a sore throat. It'll feel something between having something stuck in it and having a cold. I always felt the need to clear my throat and it's mildly irritating.

6. Orgasms can get less intense. People describe it as being more "concentrated" around your lower area as well as being softer. Your sex drive can be affected as a result. The opposite might also happen too and you might get more intense feelings.

7. Vision changes - T can cause you to need higher prescription glasses.

8. Bacne - I think this is more well know but a lot of guys who don't even get a lot of acne on their faces can get bacne.

9. Moodiness and exhaustion in the first few months - also more well known but something that I don't think is emphasised enough. T makes you a teen again - you might need a lot more sleep than before, be more irritable, and if you have mental health issues this might affect you. If you have anger issues especially T might make things worse, and it's probably a good idea to look into coping strategies if this does happen.

These are all I can think of off the top of my head, I'll add more if I think of some. Also, if you're about to start T remember to drink a shit ton of water - it will help with fluid retention and your body will generally need more water on T!!

[babyanimalgifs]

[sapho2400]

@muslimfinn

[thistherapylife]

After this week, this gives me faith

[quecksilvereyes]

he’s mirroring! cats do that to be social that’s also why they will lie on laptops or books. they want to do what their humans are doing because they enjoy being in the same room and socializing that way. getting him his own prayer mat was a really good idea bc now he gets to mirror without being in the way!

[mage-pie]

The other thing is that cats have a very good sense of time and tend to like regular schedules. If OP’s family members pray every day at the same times, in the same place, the cat knows the drill and probably considers this an official Household Activity which requires Feline Supervision.

[journeyintomanhood]

5 Years on Testosterone: Timeline of Changes

Mood

Year 1: In the first 6 - 9 months I experienced the bulk of mood changes when I started to feel similar to the way I felt as a young teenager; frustrated and a little moody. It was hard to deal with but I grew out of it. 

Year 2 - 5: Generally, there haven’t been that many mood changes since I grew out of the “teenage angst” phase so I didn’t feel it was necessary to break it down by year. Overall, I’ve continued to become happier and a lot of that is thanks to the changes that I’ve experienced from testosterone. 

Scent & Sweat 

Year 1: A change in scent was one of the first changes that I experienced. Within the first two or three months, I started to smell what can only be described as medicinal. It was really odd, unexpected, and went away. It was replaced with stronger smell of body odor then I had before. It also is different, it’s hard to describe how exactly it is different, but it is and probably more musky than before in general. 

Year 2: Body odor continued to become more intense 

Year 3: This was probably peak, strong body odor. The summer of the third year I was on T, it was a really hot summer and I cooked in a kitchen, so I’m sure that did not help but I had to start using medical strength deodorant and had to carry a second stick in my bag and reapply part way during the day. 

Year 4: The body odor started to decrease and I went back to using normal strength deodorant and generally only having to apply once a day. I also had top surgery this year and I think that not having to wear a binder probably helped. 

Year 5: No real changes 

Hunger

I should start by saying that pre-testosterone, I did not have much of an appetite. It had increased a bit in the year or two before I started T compared to the years previous but it wasn’t huge. 

Year 1: An increase in hunger was one of, if not the first, change I experienced. In the first month, I noticed I was hungry more often and also needed to eat more in order to stay full. Sometimes I would be hit with this really intense need to devour food which had never really happened in my life before. I continued to get spikes in appetite every few months for the rest of the year. 

Year 2: The spikes in hunger became less frequent but there were a few more that happened during the second year. I also eventually learned how to be better about eating enough, eating enough protein and bulky foods like leafy greens, grains, etc. to actually stay full. 

Years 3-5: Again, there haven’t been that many changes are far as hunger goes over the past couple of years, so there is no real need to break it down. I haven’t experienced a hunger spike in a long time and I don’t get that intense need to devour everything. I do eat more now than I did pre-T but I do think my appetite decreased a bit overtime. 

Voice 

Year 1: In the first three or so months, it became easier to speak in a lower voice and my voice started to crackle a little bit. At 5 months, I had my first real voice drop. It wasn’t huge but it was noticeable. It continued to drop every few weeks or month for the rest of the year. 

Year 2: My voice did keep dropping but not as frequently 

Year 3: A few more drops but they weren’t as dramatic or as frequent before. My voice started to settle as well with less voice cracks. 

Years 4 -5: My voice is still settling without any new voice drops in a while and very few voice cracks - though it does still happen. 

Voice Comparison Video

Height 

Year 1: I grew about an inch taller. This was a surprise but I was young enough that my growth plates hadn’t fused yet. I hadn’t grown since I was about 15 before then so it as surprising but testosterone must have prompted that last little bit of height I had in me. 

Years 2-5: No change 

Face 

This is easier to show than to tell: Facial Changes on T

Facial Hair 

Year 1: I had some facial hair growth but it was pretty minimal, still pretty thin, and wispy. It was mostly concentrated around the side burn and jaw line.

Year 2: In the second year it continued to increase a bit but wasn’t very strong by any means. 

Year 3: This is when it started to become a little less wispy and more course. As well, it started to become noticeable to other people. It still wasn’t very strong and not a proper beard by any means. It was mostly concentrated on my neck and jawline. 

Year 4: Increase to where I had a neck beard and while it wasn’t a great look it was a look that I had. 

Year 5: I shave pretty regularly now (2-3 times per week) aside from my chin. The rest of the hair grows back faster all the time now it seems and is continuing to become more apparent on my cheeks and mustache area. The bald patch under my chin is finally starting to grow in as of this past month or so. 

Facial Hair Comparison Photos 

Acne 

Year 1: Within the first three or so months, I saw an increase in acne, and it only got worse from there. Pre-T, I didn’t have much acne and it was pretty much only ever on my hairline, head, and maybe the random one on my cheeks. I started to get acne all over my face, my head, my chest, my back, and even my arms. 

Year 2: The acne persisted and I noticed it was getting worse on my back and shoulders 

Year 3: Started to ease off on the face a bit but it was still there for sure and continued to ravage my back and chest 

Year 4: This is when I started to see improvement on my chest and back acne and I think a big reason is because this is the year I had top surgery and I was no longer binding every day. I also continued to see a decrease in the acne on my face. 

Year 5: It was finally starting to clear up. I was never completely acne free but it was way less than before and it stopped hurting. Then I went on different medication which caused the worst acne ever. I’m in the process of going off that medication so I’ll be interested to see what my skin is like after that. 

Adams Apple 

Year 1: Pre-T I did have a noticeable Adams Apple but when my face and neck got a bit chubbier in the first six-nine months on T, it became a little less noticeable. 

Year 2: As my face and neck started to slim down my Adams Apple became noticeable again and it was actually more noticeable than pre-T. 

Year 3: I think it continued to become more prominent but I can’t be completely sure 

Year 4-5: No change 

Arm Hair

Year 1: As far as hair growth, arm hair was among one of the first changes I saw. In the first 3 or so months I started to notice new hair in the inside of my forearms. During the first year, the hair on my forearms increased quite a bit and became thicker. 

Year 2: Continued increase of forearm hair in both thickness and hair in new places. Also started to notice more hair going up up my arms and onto my shoulders. 

Year 3: Steady hair increase all over the arms, not as dramatic as before though 

Year 4: Started to notice some hairs on my shoulders that are a lot thicker, quite long, and a bit wire-y show up 

Year 5: No changes 

Arm Muscles

Year 1: When I was six months on T, I got a physical job, and this is when I noticed a huge increase in the way that I built muscles and the way that muscles showed up on my body. Even when I was wrestling and working out all the time, it was hard to built muscle and there wasn’t a lot of definition. I was increasing in strength very quickly and it was showing; my arms got bigger, my shoulders broader, and definition showed a lot more. 

Years 2-5: Honestly, it’s the same. When I’m working out, I build muscle faster and it shows more obviously that before but I don’t (and never have) had huge arms or bowling ball shoulders, even when I was working out a lot. 

Hands 

Year 1: At some point in the first year, my hands grew, but I’m not sure exactly when. The fingers also became thicker, the skin rougher, and veins started to become more obvious. 

Year 2 - 5: Mostly just a slow increase in hair and occasionally I would notice a new vein or that they were a but rougher than before 

Chest Hair

Year 1: A bit of chest hair but it was still pretty soft and minimal. 

Year 2: Started to get a few chest hairs which were thicker but overall they were still pretty minimal 

Year 3: Chest hair continued to increase slowly but steadily 

Year 4: This is when I started to see a real increase in chest hair and it was a lot thicker than before and started to spread out 

Year 5: Hair continued to increase across the chest. I don’t have a lot of chest hair but it’s still increasing. 

Back 

Year 1: There was an increase in the width of my back and shoulders - overall I became a lot broader 

Year 2: Continued to get broader across the back and shoulders 

Years 3-5: I don’t think I’ve had a lot of changes in my back over the past few years except maybe some back hair but it’s pretty minimal 

Fat Re-Distribution 

Year 1: I noticed some fat shifting away from my hips to my stomach 

Years 2-5: I’m going to put this all in one area because I honestly haven’t experienced a lot of fat re-distribution and I can’t pinpoint when it happened. I still carry a lot of fat on my hips. 

Leg Hair 

Year 1: I had decently hairy legs pre-T but the hair was pretty soft, in the first year I saw the hair get a lot thicker and it also began to spread all to areas where there never had been hair. By the summer, when I was about 7 months on T, and wearing shorts I had people comment on the difference. 

Year 2 - 5: It’s hard to get to detailed but essentially I continued to see hair grow in in places where it didn’t grow before and I’m still seeing a bit of that to this day. 

Leg Muscles 

Year 1: Increase in definition of my calves and thighs 

Years 2-5: Continued to see fat disappear on my thighs and be replaced by muscle. When I’m working out regularly, I see this happen quickly. 

Feet 

Year 1: My feet grew from either a men’s size 6-7 depending on the shoe to a men’s size 7-8 

Years 2-5: I’m not sure when this changed exactly especially since all shoes fit differently but I can now wear shoes size 8 - 9.5. 

*Feel free to ask questions about my experiences with testosterone 

[met-islamic-art]

Carpet, Islamic Art

Mr. and Mrs. Isaac D. Fletcher Collection, Bequest of Isaac D. Fletcher, 1917 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY Medium: Silk (warp and weft), wool (pile), metal wrapped thread; asymmetricaly knotted thread, brocaded

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446951

[transarab]

Was referred to the GIC November 2014. Started T November 2018. Where has the time gone.

[transarab]

28/11/2018

I'm on T!!!!

[zxckxry]

Art Credit : @poesbf on twitter !

[transarab]

13/10/2018

Today is Saturday. My T letter is due on Tuesday, I'm not expecting it to arrive on time but the apprehension is driving me crazy. I've waited so so so long for this, I don't even know if I want it, but it's almost here and I'm terrified. It's been a 10 week wait from my last appointment to now.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but at my last Charing Cross appointment I also got my first signature for top surgery. To be honest the surgeon I want is Miles Berry, who's exclusively private, I'm not sure if I'll have the money in time but I have until August 2019 to decide which surgeon I wanna go with. We'll see how it goes, I might even ask to wait for another appointment for top surgery so I can sort things out with myself.

[transarab]

Getting the go ahead for T

I had my second assessment on 7/8/2018. I've officially been diagnosed with gender dysphoria 3 times lmfao, and Charing Cross GIC have sent my T letter. I should be receiving it around 16/10/2018. I'm not sure if I'm going to go ahead and start T, but the fact it's finally happening is crazy.

[transarab]

Please don't start T if you're unsure. You can go on it at any point in time but once you're on it you can't go back and undo everything it changes. If you're uncertain please take some time for yourself and hold off you'll thank yourself in the future

Hey thank you for the message. Don't worry though! I absolutely have no intention of starting T until I'm 100% it's what I want. Thank you :)

[gendercube]

December 20th, 2017 Surgeon: Dr. Garramone First row: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months post-op Second row: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years post-op Third row: 4 years, 5 years post-op (and 7 weeks post-revision) As I said earlier, I’m officially 5 years post-top surgery today! Since I enjoy making comparison posts I thought I’d celebrate by taking a look back at the road to recovery and how the body continues to change/heal well beyond the first year post-op. For comparison and information purposes, this is also roughly 1-6 years on testosterone. Regarding mobility and sensation, aside from the temporary restrictions put in place post-op I didn’t experience any loss of mobility or function in my upper body/arms after surgery. This generally isn’t a concern and I personally have yet to hear of anyone experiencing permanent issues after top surgery but I like to be thorough. As for sensation in my chest, this post shows how the sensation in my chest returned from 3 weeks to 2 years post-op. Regarding scar care, because this was my first surgery I wasn’t as informed about or dedicated to proper scar care as I am now. I used ScarGuard for the first 2 months post-op, sporadically massaged my scars with Bio-Oil until about 8 months post-op, but by 9 months post-op I stopped using products on the scars all together and allowed them to heal on their own. That said, even though I wasn’t using products I was extremely adamant during the healing process about 1) not lifting my arms until I was 6 weeks post-op to reduce stretching of the tissue and 2) not exposing my scars to sunlight or UV rays for a minimum of 1 year as this can permanently discolor scar tissue. Now that I’ve had more experience with surgical scars, having had 5 additional surgeries since then, if I had the chance to go back I would’ve followed those rules but switched from ScarGuard and Bio-Oil to a simple lotion made of shea butter, coconut oil, and/or jojoba oil and I would’ve massaged my scars with this at least once a day, ideally more. I’ve been fortunate in that I tend to scar well naturally, but I’ve seen a much more apparent difference in the softness and flexibility of the scar tissue when I’ve been consistent about massaging and moisturizing. I’ve tried a huge array of lotions over the years but have personally had the most success using this Bettering Balm from Coast and Clearing. It’s a moisturizing cream made out of basic ingredients (shea butter, coconut oil, vitamin E, essential oils) and I’ve used it on the scars from my hysto, lower surgery (especially in the winter), and am now using it on the scars from my chest revision. If you’d like to give the balm a try the owner of Coast and Clearing is offering a 10% discount for the holidays if you use the code ‘Selfcareoutthere10′. For additional information, all of my main comparisons and surgery posts are here.

[gendercube]

February 9th, 2018 Pre-T - 2 years on T - 3 years on T - 6 years on T (1 year and 10 months post-phallo, 3 months post-fat grafting to arm) As I’ve mentioned in the past, please refrain from saving or sharing these pictures elsewhere (reblogging is fine). Muscle development, body hair growth, scar healing. Note that the red marks along the edge of the scar are from a recent revision and the pink patch on top is dry skin since we’re in the middle of Winter. Outside of those circumstances the scar tends to match my skin tone very well (though that arm hasn’t been exposed to sunlight in nearly 2 years so the graft and surrounding skin are more pale than usual).

[howtocreatehappy]

It’s here! An animation on how metoidioplasty works!

[gendercube]

You did a wonderful job explaining metoidioplasty in a detailed but easy to understand way. It’s also helpful to see how the UK breaks up their stages when comparing with other surgeons around the world. Thanks for taking the time to make this, Leo! It’s going to help a lot of people.