Hi, I'm Zeke. I'm 32 and last year I finally came to the conclusion that I am transmasc after years of being unhappy with who I was and how I looked. I've done so much research into it, but I'm still left with questions. First off, I should say that I have opted not to do HRT. HRT has too many health risks that I can't take due to heart related issues that run in my family. It's not worth that risk to me. So I'm trying a different route.

I've decided to go the route of surgery w/ changes to how I dress and how I get my hair cut. I've lost about 18.6lbs out of 25lbs to get my top surgery and so far it has been really good for me health wise and affirming wise. I'm so close to the first step and I can't wait for the positive effects especially since my bust size causes physical discomfort and shortness of breath so it's a two in one benefit. My questions for this one is "Does silicone gel work better than lotion for scars?" and "Are you comfortable being topless for swimming/beach visits?"

Now here's where I most uncomfortable because I've heard of people being negative about it, but I plan to get vocal surgery to deepen my voice. Here's where my questions come in. Has anyone else gotten this surgery? If so, what's it like and what were your experiences with recovery? How different has it made your voice?

I just wonder if others have chosen the surgical route. I don't have anyone or anywhere else to ask these questions so I figured I'd drop them here. Thank you for any answers!

i got top surgery (double mastectomy) like 3.5 years ago now. i stuck to massaging my scars because i didn't actually want to reduce the appearance of my scars (idk why i was worried about this, they're fucking massive LOL). i was more concerned with blood flow / nerve functionality than appearance

however, that was 3.5 years ago and, due to some unrelated scarring (i scar like a mfer (i keloid a lot)), i got recommended to get some silicone tape, so i was like, what the hell, i'll put it on my top scars too

i also got nipple grafts, so i've been putting it on the edges of my nipples as well (i've noticed they're scarred quite badly on the outside)

note that my skin seems to be allergic to the glue in standard adhesives, so i've actually been using silicone gel, just applied topically twice a day, instead of silicone tape / strips (i'm also using a lot, so it would be a lot of tape to put on / take off / clean every day... the gel you just wash off)

it's a really good excuse to be shirtless more often during the day, and the results have been pretty promising thus far, 2 weeks in. my scars already feel a lot softer. i think the gel has also been helping things get cleaned out... my scars have been a little prickly and itchy, which is generally a good sign for that happening. so you might consider it for helping restore your blood flow / nerve functionality as well

also cool that it's still working after this many years... i guess 3.5 years is a lot to some people, but not a lot in the absolute scale of things

just something for y'all to think about. i've heard it does help reduce the appearance of scars, if that's something you want (i think they look badass, so i'm tryina show em off)

for the science of how this works, from what i've found, we can consistently reproduce the effects of softening / reducing scars, but we have no actual idea how it works LOL. so that's kind of interesting

have you gotten top surgery? what kind, and did / do you use silicone for treating the scars? if you haven't gotten top surgery, is this something you'd want to do?

(additional note: i'm not sure how long you need to wait after getting top surgery to apply the silicone tape/gel, but i would check w/ your doc and wait till they're fully healed at the very least)

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/13674539

Join the Trans Housing Network matrix room

If you are having issues finding housing as a trans person or would like to help others, consider joining this new matrix chat room.

Sharing and updoots appreciated.

when it gets difficult to get gel out of the pump, i was tossing the bottle. but because of laziness, i left an old bottle for a day, and i noticed that it actually can generate enough pressure to pump more testosterone since i had left it alone for that long

so if you keep your low bottles of testosterone gel, you can get one pump out of them per day for longer than you might think they're empty, and extend the lifespan of your testosterone gel for a little while

*dependent on if your testosterone gel bottles work the same as mine

obligatory reminder that gel is just as good as injected :)

I have heard a lot of contradictory things on this subject. "It'll happen in six months" or "You have to lose weight and gain it back for it to happen in a reasonable amount of time"

What's the truth about this? What's your experience with it?

Oh beautiful hair on mine legs,

Your presence gives me joy,

Darker and thicker you spread each day,

In order to help me grow into a boy

Hi

With warm weather just around the corner, that means that the dysphoria hoodie must be retired. Any insight on styling and types of clothing that help with achieving a straight figure but won't overheat?

I'd like to grow my hair out more when the T starts to kick in. I've had my hair cut as short as can be without looking like a buzz cut. I generally pass well with this haircut.

Problem is, I'm not passionate about the cut. It's fine I guess but I don't feel attractive or self expressive with it. Definitely would rather pass than have a haircut I love, but there'll come a time where I can experiment more without risking my passing. I've got nice, wavy hair and it seems like it's going to waste being so short.

Any of you fellas have suggestions for long-ish haircuts/styles that are still very masculine? I've always been captivated by 60/70s men's fashion, hair included, but I'm open to other things too.

How do I not eat a shit ton of food every day because of my increased appetite? I feel bloated all of the time nowadays as well. Any advice on this is welcome.

I want to start packing with an STP-type packer, but I have no idea how/where to start. How do you get it to be comfortable, stay in place, and not leak? What type of packer do you use and what are your methods around it? Any recommendations/general advice?

I'm going on a seven day camping trip in a couple of months, and I'm worried about how I'm gonna bind the whole way through. None of the people I'm going with know I'm trans, and I'd rather keep it that way. Still waiting for top surgery...

The trip will consist of a lot of canoeing and hiking. It's a very isolated location with no bathrooms, trash cans, etc. Typically, my preferred method of binding is using transtape, but it only lasts about four days before it starts to come loose and noticable. On the rest days from the tape, I typically use an underworks full tank binder, but those are terrible to do any intense exercise in because it gets sweaty and hard to breathe. I have one traditional binder which I'll use when exercising on off days, but wearing that seven days straight seems like it's not gonna work because of sweat, having to take breaks at night, etc. It's also hard to hide under athletic wear and doesn't do the best job of giving me a flat chest. I have no idea yet if I'm gonna be sharing a tent or not.

Do y'all have any ideas/recommendations for a way to bind stealthily, be able to exercise, and in the middle of nowhere with people for seven days? Also any recs for a (reasonably priced) STP packer to take would be helpful.

Also of note, my chest isn't particularly big. Probably on the smaller side of B if I had to guess.

I'm having problems with the sticky residue that trans tape leaves behind. Any tips on getting rid of it?

I'm a transman who has been on T since 2011. I've recently begun experiencing bleeding despite good T levels. My doctor suggested hysterectomy, but that is not in line with my transition goals. Have any of you gotten an endometrial ablation instead? I've read studies out of medical colleges reporting good results for transmen. It seems like an easy outpatient procedure on paper.

Edit: Spoke with my doctor and she doubled my T. If bleeding doesn't stop within 3 months she's recommending me for the surgery.

Edit 3 months later: Increasing T gel worked

I'm contemplating trying to make my own binders because it seems like everything I can find is either made of materials that are hard on the skin or not very effective for larger chests, and it all tends to cause "monoboob" effect. Also trying to avoid buying more polyester/plastic fibers, which is extremely difficult when you're looking for something specialized.

I feel like binder technology is limited by the number of people who are just binding until they can get top surgery; I am not planning on top surgery at all, myself, so I expect to be binding at least some of the time for the foreseeable future.

Wondering if anyone here has encountered either better options or patterns/DIY guides that I haven't found. Suggestions of either type welcome!

I'm curious about y'all's timelines. Here's some helpful stuff you can include:

-Dose

-Method (gel, injection, etc.)

-What came first and how long it took, what took much longer than expected

-Things that you weren't expecting/weren't told about

-Total time you've been on T

-Medical conditions that may have impacted it such as PCOS

-Tips and tricks

I've been on T for bout a month. 25mg in 1% gel. Wanting to hear from fellow trans people about their wide variety of experiences instead of just relying on standardized articles.

Tell Me Why is a video game created by the same people who made the 2015 game Life Is Strange. It features a brother and sister duo who try to get to the bottom of their mom's death. The brother is a gay trans man, and he's also voiced by a trans man (very rare). His being trans isn't the whole plot of the story, but there are many moments where it is relevant in his journey. It's a good balance of the two. It's a dialogue/cutscene heavy episodic adventure game. If you've played Life Is Strange, the play style is similar.

This video game has a great storyline and is what I consider good representation. Highly recommend playing it.

Why not name yourself zalgo, bringer of the 7th realm (zal for short) or eldrich, menace to the modern age (men for short). Optimus prime would be timus or Tim for short.

If you are a trans man (or enby), remember that T does not prevent pregnancy. While it can reduce fertility, people have and you can still get pregnant while on T. Do not play around with that shit if you don't want to get pregnant.

T IS NOT BIRTH CONTROL.

Hormonal birth control also has the added benefit of ceasing menstruation.

The pill FAQs: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/birth-control/in-depth/birth-control-pill/art-20045136

More methods of birth control: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control

I read that trans men are just as likely as cis women to get pregnant, and way less of them use condoms or birth control. Figured some of y'all need this info. Have SAFER and RESPONSIBLE sex.

Edit: 69 upvotes. Heh.

Vocal passing isn't just about how deep your voice is. There are other aspects to making yourself sound like a dude (or more neutral).