#low dose testosterone

[fawnduu]

Heyy, butch genderqueer dyke here who has been contemplating going on T for a long time, I'm just not really sure about where to get started or what to expect? As another anon mentioned, i didn't know tdicks could be a thing! Im just really curious about the kinds of things to expect or what i need to maybe look into? Any info helps, im asking here to get some pointers from someone actually on T and experiencing the changes (who also wont try to sugarcoat it to me lol) Thanks for your time ❤️

There were a couple of you who asked about what its like going on low dose T.

So~

In general all the effects happen slower and less than a full dose of T. A lot of it is genetics dependent as well.

All of these effects can vary depending on you so don't take these as gospel:

First noticeable change will be bottom growth. It can be uncomfortable/ overly sensitive when its growing but its awesome and getting boners rules.

It will be easier for you to get horny/turned on. Visual stimuli will be way more likely to get you horny.

You might turn into a faucet. Ill be honest there are some days where I've had to change my underwear like 3 times because they were soaked through. (im talking about discharge not piss before anyone asks)

Youll also sweat more/be muskier.

The hair on your thighs will get darker and thicken starting on your inner thighs.

Youll get a happy trail and hair around your nipples as well.

Youll break out as your body gets used to the higher levels of T in your system. Probably on your chest and back in addition to your face at first.

Youll grow a baby T stache (darker longer hair on your upper lip) + some stray hairs on your chin/face. (easy to use a dermal razor/ tweezers to get rid of these)

Personally T has improved my mental health spectacularly and not even in a 'i was dysphoric' type of way just straight up i can shut down anxious thought patterns instantly where as before I would have been battling myself silently all day.

Also on low dose typically your voice wont really deepen much if at all. It can still happen though!

Feel free to add your own experiences on low dose T~

[lettherebetboys]

ONE MONTH ON T!!!!!!!🎉🎉💥🎉💥🎉💥

wow wow wow! god this is incredible. i’ve been at around 25-30mg per week and i’m already noticing a few changes:

voice: i think i’m cracking a little more? and it might be a little lower? but it’s such a small change i could be imaging it. i’ve been resting my singing voice due to a very strenuous concert/competition season that ended two weeks ago, but i’m going to keep working it more over the holidays, so we’ll see!

physical changes: HOLY BOTTOM GROWTH. Christ. they weren’t kidding when they said it happens fast. pretty weird, but i don’t hate it!

there are a few more hairs on my upper lip and chin, barely noticeable if i’m not looking super close in the mirror in good lighting. but they’re there!

chronic pain is the same as usual, i’ve started working out regularly and eating more protein. right now i can’t tell if it’s made any change but i feel pretty good!

orientation stuff: GIRLS. FUCK. FUUUCK. i’ve identified as gay for a LONG time but yeah no i am slowly accepting that i like girls too. i’ve liked a few girls before T, never anything serious at all, but lately i’ve been more accepting of seeing a girl and thinking she’s pretty like THAT, not just aesthetically pretty. i believe T may have amplified this feeling but i’m not sure how much is attributable to hormones and how much is just, me accepting what was already there.

i’m still asexual, i don’t believe i feel sexual attraction towards people, however my libido has increased a bit. i didn’t really HAVE a libido before so this is unfamiliar and strange. i have been surprisingly neutral on this. i don’t really care! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

mental health: crazy stuff has been happening in my life that’s outside of my control, so on the whole i haven’t been too great. but INTERNALLY, i feel so much better. more comfortable with my body, more confident in myself, generally happier!!!

i am so happy i started T, SO happy i made the leap of faith. it was scary, and it continues to be scary, but every week it gets easier :) every week it feels a little less like fear and a little more like excitement

[disappointeddyke]

1 month on T today

[frenzyarts]

I've been haunted by gender thoughts since I first saw you posting about starting a low dose of t. Would you be comfortable sharing more about it?

Yes!!! Though I’ll probably share more once I actually start, I’ve had some intake appointments but I think I’m supposed to finally start it next week (can’t wait!!)

Low dose testosterone is similar to the effects of regular testosterone but slower and a lot less. I’ve seen people online who have been on a small dose of t for years and they all look how I want to look!! I want my voice and appearance to be more androgynous and based off my research that looks like what’s gonna happen💃✨(of course I’ll be working with a doctor to reach my specific transition goals!)

If you have any other questions I’m happy to answer but I’m probably not gonna have a ton of knowledge until I actually start taking it!

My advice for gender thoughts is: Even if you’re not ready to start hormones you can still talk to a doctor to get information and help you figure things out 🥳

[bog-dwelling-butch]

Hopefully going back on a low dose of T soon, and hopefully I can over long chunks of time make a pattern of going off T and starting back up...

I just want to live as a shapeshifter, is that too much to ask?

[halleycomets]

actually LOVE twink death. pre-t (21) vs two years (29)!

(he/they)

[medicalmechanicas]

it's been like 6 weeks on low dose T and i think i fucks with it i was unsure for a while because i was unpacking what it means for me and how i want to be perceived

but broadly i feel like it's easier to access a malleable and sincere gender expression rather than just femme (drag) or butch (somehow also drag)

also folks talk about it being harder to cry or like a newfound healthy emotional distance after starting T and y'all i've cried more in the last few weeks than i have all year. my feelings used to take like 3-5 business days and now that shit is on express delivery

[genderfuckpirate]

still not over that time I told a (trans) acquaintance that I had been on T for over 6 months and they looked confused and were like "when do you think you'll start noticing changes?". like, rude...

[callings]

anyone got advice about low dose Testosterone, I have an appointment at an lgbt focused place and like they are gonna give me a referral but they said they could answer questions, and like who knows with the state of things here but I'd be eager to talk to someone who's done low dose (・ω・)

[imstillhere-butallislost]

1 Year On Testosterone, Androgel Timeline Update

June 10th marks my 1 year on testosterone, and although this post is probably posted after that date, I thought i'd make a big 1 year update on my timeline on (low dose) androgel. Here you'll find my thoughts on using gel instead of shots, my current and future transition plans ,thoughts on still not passing one year on T, and my full timeline of changes. I imagine this will be a very long post, so buckle up. Feel free to ask or DM me any questions

My starting dose in June of 2022 was 1 pump of 1% androgel daily, which has 12.5mg of testosterone. In December of 2022 my dose was upped to 2 pumps of the same gel, so 25mg of testosterone applied daily. The gel has the same consistency as hand sinitizer and dries within 20 or so seconds when applied. The gel has risk of transferring to other people or harming pets, especially within that first hour of applying. If you go on gel, be careful about tranfering it to people who might not want extra testosterone in their system. That being said, one year on androgel, and I have had no issues with tranfering the gel to other people or harming my 2 cats and dog. I started off applying the gel to my left upper arm and shoulder, but occasionally switched to my right arm and shoulder, but recently have been applying the gel to my abdomen

Now onto the timeline part

The immediate and most impactful effect was the change testosterone had on my mood. I struggled with depression for all of my life, and suddenly that was just gone.
One year on T, and I am happy (as well as EXTREMELY surprised) to say that I don't have depression anymore. I have a lot more energy, I'm rarely sad these days, let alone depressed. This won't be the case for everone, but it was the case for me. 4 days on testosterone I was flexing as I passed mirrors, not proud of that

one. I also noticed that my general body temperature went up, I have bad circulation so my hands used to always be cold, and that has lessened. Also within the first

month, I noticed increased hair growth. Stomach hair, and also hair where I applied the gel on my arm. Just a little bit more, but noticable. My labido went up a lot, like it was insane. I was able to gain muscle mass easier. I started growing hair on my thighs, which I never had before. I also noticed a small amount of facial hair growth.

Not many more changes happened until my dose was upped in December, because I was started on a really, low dose and still am on a fairly low dose. after getting my dose upped to 2 pumps of gel, I did start actually noticing bottom growth, but looking back i'm sure I did have some amount of bottom growth before December, but it definitely got more noticable when the dose was upped. Around mid February, my voice had some drastic changes. The median of my voice used to be 190-200hz, and now it's 130-140hz. Technically in the "male range", but I still don't think my voice passes, maybe it's androgynous. The voice drop was rather sudden, although not extremely drastic. I had to sort of learn how to speak properly again without my voice cracking, not being used to the new range. Before my voice even got lower, I knew it was going to drop soon because I noticed it just couldnt go higher like it used too. My voice drop started with losing the higher range rather then going lower. I've noticed that my body fat has I think begun to redistribute, I hold a lot of fat in my stomach rather then hips. I never dealt with much acne on my face, but my back around the left shoulder where I first applied my testosterone has a lot of acne. Hair growth has continued, which honestly has been one of my favourite things. I never thought i'd have such a strong attachment to stomach hair. I still have my period, which absolutely sucks.

Thoughts On Not Passing One Year On T

I'm still not where I want to be one year on T, and that is a little bit hard on me. I'm not saying I regret it, because testosterone is the best thing that has ever happened for me, but it's a special kind of hurt seeing other people with the same timeline that i'm on that pass while I still don't. which is exactly why I think I wanted to add this part in here. I still don't pass as male, while being one year on T. I think maybe starting T made me feel more present in my body, which is good, but also led me to have to really face all of the dysphoria and issues I have with myself. I used to be able to ignore it by dissociating, without even realizing that that's what I was doing. Being misgendered has just begun to hurt more, because now it feels like a failure on my part (or my bodys part) because I can get angry, asking myself why after a year on tesosterone I still am not passing. It leaves me afraid, I think. Maybe I always testosterone was THE thing I needed and then i'd pass consistently after just a couple of months, but that just didn't happen for me. I assumed that it would just be easy. I think that has to do a lot with the culture when I came out. People didn't share timelines if they were unhappy or non passing, or if they did they were laughed off the internet. This is because I started questioning my gender around 2016, and came out in early 2018, where "SJW TRANS CRINGE COMPILATION" was like... the norm on YouTube.

People shared a lot less of their struggles in fear of being lumped into that and being harassed, or they just felt like maybe during those times the passing trans people should take the stage because it was easier for cis people to digest and understand. I don't blame anyone for not sharing the hard parts of their medical transition, because this is very personal stuff and people will question you if you say youre not 1000% happy to be where you are, but i'm glad that I see more people talking about not being satisfied with how their transition is going, and how they still don't pass X amount of time into being on testosterone. It's nice to see posts and videos and timeline updates like that. These things take different amount of times for different people, and that's alright.

It's hard, but I'm alright with it. The fact that I am where I am at all is something i never thought i'd get to at all. I'm proud to be where I am, when I think about it.

Testosterone has helped me greatly. I'm a happy person now, happiest i've ever been, and I see a future for myself now. A very happy one. Without even passing, testosterone has helped me so much. Just internally. I don't know how much of my happiness comes from just having consistent hormone levels everyday, or if my depression was just all a manifestation of background dysphoria that is being directly treated by hormone therapy now.

On Gel Vs. Shots and Dosage

I'm not really sure what made me decide to take gel rather than the shots, but I was adment on gel. I don't know how I feel about that decision in the long run.

For cons about the gel, it's expensive.

Around $200CAD every 2 months. It's really hard without insurance. I don't think my changes have been slow because of gel,

just because of my low dose. It's hard to contact my endo, and they even sent bloodwork paper to the wrong location, so generally it's been a bit hard to get my dose upped. I also started T as a minor (17) so that is specifically why I was kept on a low dose to start with. I'm assuming that now that i'm an adult, it will be easier to get my dosage upped. Being on the gel I also kind of feel, not left out, but not really a part of the classic transmasc doing their T shot experience, which I did always assume i'd do when I was 12-13 and I first came out because I didn't know gel was an option. These days, there's more talk of gel and patches, which I think is definitely good for people exploring their testosterone options.

For pros of gel, consistant hormone levels daily is very very good for me I find. There's no big spikes and low lows like there would be with weekly or biweekly shots, it's just daily consistent levels. I can feel kind of bad if I miss a day of gel, which i'm unsure if that is caused by me mentally knowing that I don't have testosterone for that day. or if that's actually just due to not having the regular hormones that I get daily. This is one of the reasons Why i'm unsure about switching to shots despite the expense of the gel. I don't think I would do good at all with such major fluctuations to my hormone levels, and it's not something I really want to play around with in fear of my mental health declining again with big hormone fluctuations like that. I also like the little daily routine of putting on gel everyday, it fits into my routine well and I feel i'm more likely to remember a daily routine rather then weekly or biweekly

I think often about maybe switching to shots, but I just don't know if the increased risk to my mental health with big hormone fluctiations is at all worth it.

I'm hoping to ask my endo about 1.62% gel and if its available in my area, because it has a higher concentration of testosterone and one pump would nearly be my current dose of 2 pumps of 1% gel, so id need to refill it the same amount of time for a bigger dose, instead of doing 3 pumps of the 1% gel, which I would need to refill more frequently which would cost more money more often.

Uncertainty of Medical Transition

This may be a shock considering i've been talking about how much medical transition has helped me, but I want sure if I even wanted to go on testosterone at all at one point. I've been out for from ages 12-18, and flip flopped on what I wanted many times. I knew I wanted to be on testosterone when I first came out, but that waned with time. I think after being out for so long without medical internevntion, the idea seemed so far away, I sort of let myself believe that it would never be able to happen. I let myself believe that maybe I didn't want to medically transition, becuase it was easier then addressing the fact that it would take a lot of time and it would be a hard process that I didnt know how to start it. It was a hard, confusing process to get hRT as a minor. There want just a quick guide for my area that I could find, if there was one at all it was in the depths of a website that hadnt been updated in a decade and was hard to traverse. I was at the appointment to get my perscription, uncertain about it. I took the step anyway, holding on to that sliver of hope that maybe I could actually have that life I dreamed of as a child

It turns out that going on testosterone was the best decision i've ever made. I'm glad, and i'm very lucky, that I stepped into the unknown.

The Future of My Transition

I'm largely happy, hoping that my testosterone dose gets upped again soon. I'm hoping to actually start passing with an upped dose, too.

I'm in the process for top surgery, which is another thing I thought could NEVER happen to me. So far out of reach, for more fortunate people, but this month i'm going to be sending all my forms in to see if my top surgery can get covered. I could have top surgery within the year. I have never been more happy in my entire life.

I think that's really all, My life is going good. I'm generally happy with my medical transition, despite not being exactly at the point where I want to be, but every single day gets a little bit easier for me. Feel free to look back on some of my other update posts, which i'm sure go more in depth, and of course ask me any questions. I'm happy to share, I know timelines on gel are a little bit harder to find.

If anybody is reading this who is considering testosterone, debating gel, or early on testosterone and trying to map out what their future will look like, I want to say hi hi hi hello. You'll be alright. You'll figure it out. You can not medically transition ever. or do it later in your life, or go on testosterone and then go off if you decide it isn't right for you. I genuinely believe that everything will all work out. Take your time, enjoy your life, there is community out there for you.

[thunderstorm-skald]

if i had as much hair on my face as i do my lower legs, ambrose burnside himself would cower before me

[lettherebetboys]

TWO MONTHS ON T 🎈🎉🎁‼️‼️‼️

i can’t believe it’s been two months already, this is insane!! here are some updates on all the changes that have been happening:

dosage: i’ve been at 25mg/week, but i dropped down to 20mg a few weeks ago! (that’s .1ml of 200mg/ml T)!

voice: i'm DEFINITELY cracking more! more so when i speak, a little less when i sing. i think my tonal center is shifting a bit lower already, so i’m gonna have to figure out how to speak so that it resonates lower in my chest, because talking high pitched like i normally do is starting to wear my voice out. it’s nice, honestly! even the cracks :-)

i haven’t lost or gained any range, and i’ve been working my belting voice a lot more and it feels the same as usual. my high classical register has been getting more tired more easily though. i have noticed that i have more radical ‘good singing days’ and ‘bad singing days’. i always did but it’s more noticeably one or the other than before

physical changes: bottom growth has slowed down a liiiiittle but is still definitely happening. Rapidly. i have decided i like it a lot!!!!!! it’s really cool and makes me feel really good about something that used to make me very dysphoric!!!

the peach fuzz on my upper lip has gotten slightly darker and thicker, and there are sparse dark hairs sprouting on my chin. nothing noticeable when i’m not looking closely in the mirror, but they’re there! i don’t know how to feel yet, i’m gonna wait and see if they start to fill out more.

my skin is actually getting softer instead of rougher like it should, especially on my face, but i think that’s cause i got a new skin cream and moisturizer. similarly, i’m noticing the same amount/a little less acne than usual, but i’ve recently started washing my face twice a day and using skincare and stuff so that’s likely why.

still working out and eating protein and stuff. chronic pain is painful but i’ve also been exerting myself a lot so it’s a reasonable amount for the circumstances. i’d like to lose a little bit of weight, just so that i can gain it back in the right places faster, instead of waiting for my existing fat to redistribute, so i’m gonna work on that!

also my cheeks are a little puffier! apparently a normal thing in the first few months of T. i don’t dislike it but i’m definitely excited for them to slim back down into a more defined cheekbone.

orientation stuff: yes i absolutely like girls. i’ve come to the conclusion that i previously did like girls, just had a really strong preference for boys, and now T has shifted me towards the center

also, i may not be asexual. i’m…probably not asexual. i don’t really know. at the very least, i know for sure i’m leaning more positive as opposed to how i was before (more negative/repulsed). it is possible that some of my dysphoria being alleviated has something to do with this. hm. we’ll figure that out later!

mental health: i’ve felt pretty good recently!!! i feel a lot more comfortable and confident in my body and it’s definitely influencing my behavior. i’m more comfortable dressing how i want, and presenting more femininely when i want, and it brings me euphoria even in public. i’ve always loved being fem every now and then, and T is helping me find the most happiness in that.

i can’t really tell cause no emotional permanence, but i think i’ve been less anxious and depressed lately. which is always great!!!

it still feels unreal that i’m on T, but lately it’s started to sink in just a little bit more. it’s crazy and i LOVE it!! i love it i love it i love it!!!!! even the changes i was really worried about are bringing me joy!!!

it’s scary sometimes, changing so much so fast. it’s scary looking in the mirror and not fully recognizing who you are anymore. but it’s not in a bad way. it’s like how you look in the mirror after getting a really good haircut for the first time in a while:

oh! there you are!

[disappointeddyke]

It’s really weird finally feeling even just a tiny smidge more of gender euphoria and comfort in your own body after starting T. I feel like I’ve missed out on so much time where I could’ve felt this. Like I obviously didn’t feel good before starting it but I didn’t fully know how much that dysphoria weighed down on me until getting some relief.

[antlershade]

what they dont tell you is that even if you dont want to be a guy, you can try testosterone any ways, if you would like cute handsome tomboyish or androgynous features. even if you are a cis butch lesbian or completely unaligned nonbinary person you might like it. just do the research first naturally yknow? like a lot of research so you dont flip out on trans people if you end up not being a fan lol

[genderfuckpirate]

hey, i don't know if you're like are open to questions and all that here, no worries or anything if not, but i was wondering about, in your experience, if being genderqueer/nonbinary made it harder to get testosterone? i've been thinking a ton about t but something im kind of concerned about the doctors/conservative medical system in my area and maybe if just letting them assume im a binary trans man would be easier? yeah if you have any like insight on that or anything that'd be really really great

(hi!! firstly sorry for never responding to this >_> I mostly use tumblr on my phone and i swear it doesn't actually notify you when someone sends an ask... i hope this finds you!)

OK, the short answer: I basically had no issues with getting on Testosterone as a genderqueer person ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The long answer: where I live has informed consent and I purposely chose a trans friendly medical clinic and doctor that's known to approve HRT. I had been seeing the doctor for quite a while, so they already knew that: I had socially transitioned, that I was seeing a psychologist, and that I don't have any health conditions that would clash with T. I basically asked about it during a check up and left with a form to get bloodwork done and an info pack. I got the bloodwork done and by the next appointment I was given a script.

My advice: Obviously the process is going to be super different for different places, but I did a fuck ton of research before I even asked about HRT and I think it helped. Here's what I would recommend:

Get recommendations for specific doctors / clinics from local trans people. Whether it's people you know or just from asking on your local subreddit - you should be hearing first hand experiences about these places. Places might advertise themselves as "queer friendly" but might not actually be trans friendly. Similarly, your state / country might have informed consent but that doesn't mean that every doctor is going to have experience with approving HRT. Also, if you're in an area where it's going to be best to just pretend your a binary trans man, here's where you're going to hear it.

Have some sort of clear goal for why you're going on HRT. I think this one's really important for genderqueer folks because your goal might not be to simply 'pass' as a different gender. I didn't fully know what I wanted out of T but I showed up to the appointment saying that I was specifically seeking a deeper voice and more body hair, which helped the doctor to understand my overall gender goals and see that T was right for me.

Do you research and show that you've done your research. Being informed is a huge part of informed consent. I asked my doctor about low dose Testosterone immediately and I brought a list of specific questions and concerns (things like "I know Testosterone can raise blood pressure and I already take X, would that be problem?" and "I see that it can affect Y and I have a family history of Z, how would impact me?"). I think this really helped to reassure my doctor that I knew what I was getting myself into.

I am super, super lucky that I live in a country that has informed consent, affordable doctors, free bloodwork and government subsided medication so obviously experience is NOT universal in any way but I hope that this still helps! :) Good luck with your journey anon!

[lokh]

me every time the Rumination starts setting in again: i need to up my T dose