Questions about T and stuff

[Edge]

I apologize if these questions have already been asked a thousand times. If so, I would appreciate being directed to them.

1. How much is it likely for my face to change? Is there any way of knowing? Approximately, how long does it take?
2. Approximately how long does it take to stop being misgendered by every person one meets in real life?
3. Approximately how long does it take for facial hair to start growing?
4. I have heard that all men on T get an increase in libido. I haven't. Not any that I can detect anyway. I have felt attracted (in a way) to someone for the first time in a long time, but I still have no wish to have sex. What does this mean?

Edit: Sorry about the title typo.

[Kreuzfidel]

Before I answer any of your questions, I will start with a disclaimer - T affects every person differently.  Some will have all of the expected changes, some will have only a few and others may get almost none at all or to a very small degree.  Genetics plays a part in all of this.  Some may experience changes right away, others may experience them after having been on T for a number of years.

1. How much is it likely for my face to change? Is there any way of knowing? Approximately, how long does it take?

It is very likely.  I have yet to see a guy whose face didn't change to at least some degree after starting T.  For some it's a dramatic change, but for others it may be more subtle.  I would say that guys who are obese will have less noticeable facial changes for obvious reasons - but otherwise, they will still have some degree of noticeable change.  There is no way to tell you what your face is likely to do as I don't know what you look like, how heavy you are and I can't predict what your genetics will decide for you. 

Facial changes usually start at around the 3 to 5 month mark.

2. Approximately how long does it take to stop being misgendered by every person one meets in real life?

Again, everyone is different.  Most of the guys I know generally stopped being misgendered after the first year on T, but some still find that they are "ma'amed" even years later.  A lot goes into being misgendered, though - body language, weight, even subtle things such as lip colour can give people "cues" - but not one of these things alone is enough to cause someone to misgender you - they usually appear in some combination that gives others the impression that you are a female. 

T alone won't always stop misgendering, especially for guys who don't see many changes at all or who don't get facial hair.  You can work on passing better by looking at changing your wardrobe, body language and things like your hairstyle.

[

]3. Approximately how long does it take for facial hair to start growing?

This is the one question that really has no answer because it's the most varied effect of T for all guys. 

What I've seen in general (and that I experienced) is that facial hair usually starts coming in as tiny thin dark hairs at around the 3 to 5 month mark and slowly fills in over a number of years.  Some guys will have a full beard at one year.  Some guys will still only have fuzz at 3. 

[

]4. I have heard that all men on T get an increase in libido. I haven't. Not any that I can detect anyway. I have felt attracted (in a way) to someone for the first time in a long time, but I still have no wish to have sex. What does this mean?

This isn't actually true for "all men", but it is certainly true for most. 

Sexual drive is determined by more than just hormones coursing through your body.  Stress levels, psychological contentment and self-image have a lot to do with how much or how little you want sex.  Generally, most guys on T find that their sex drive increases nearly straight away - but for others, it's a gradual ramp up.

[Edge]

Thanks. That actually helps a lot. If I may, I have a few other questions.
My body hair hasn't changed at all either. Is that supposed to start around 3-5 months as well?
Should I worry if I haven't started any or most of those changes?
Is it possible to have long hair and pass or should I cut it? I have a pretty male hairstyle (as in I have only ever seen it on guys).

[Kreuzfidel]

No worries. 

My body hair hasn't changed at all either. Is that supposed to start around 3-5 months as well?

How long have you been on T?  I would say that, yes, around 3-5 months is when most guys start seeing some changes in their body hair.  Again, don't worry too much if it's longer than this or if you have hair in one or two places only and none anywhere else.  I'm over 2 years and still have no chest hair, but a really furry belly.

Should I worry if I haven't started any or most of those changes?

I would say not to worry at all, but if you haven't seen any noticeable changes at the 4 to 5 month mark, you may consider speaking to your doctor about it.  Many times, the starting dose will need to be adjusted based on how your T levels are looking. 

Is it possible to have long hair and pass or should I cut it? I have a pretty male hairstyle (as in I have only ever seen it on guys).

It would honestly depend on what your face looks like.  Some guys pre-T or just starting out already have wholly masculine faces and can pull off the long hair look - but I will be frank with you and say that most of the guys (pre-T or in the early stages) I have seen with long hair will suffer misgendering.  It's a hard call, but I'd say it's worth sacrificing the hairstyle if you want to pass - at least until you have some changes in your face or start to get a bit of facial hair in. 

Again, it really depends on what you look like.

[Edge]

How long have you been on T?

Five months and five days. No body hair (aside from what I had before), but then my dad and brother were pretty hairless as well. Also no sign of facial hair, barely any sign of facial changes and I'm not sure if anything I do see is wishful thinking. At least my voice is changing.

Many times, the starting dose will need to be adjusted based on how your T levels are looking.

That may be it.

It would honestly depend on what your face looks like.

Makes sense. My face is very effeminate. Then again, I haven't been able to pass with shorter hair either (it's that bad), so who knows if it will be worth it.

[Kreuzfidel]

5 months is still a relatively short amount of time.  If you're overly worried, speak to your doctor and have your trough T levels looked at.  A lot of documentation insists that trans* guys wait for a year before counting their changes out completely - but if your levels are off, I'd think that it would be better to have them corrected sooner rather than later.  Either way, your doctor should be able to let you know what your options are. 

There is also something that I remember reading about your SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) levels potentially affecting how you react to T, but I can't for the life of me recall where I read it.  Again, your blood tests will show all of these things.

[Edge]

Ok so don't panic yet. Gotcha. I am getting my bloodwork done, so I'll see. Hopefully everything is peachy.

[Adam (birkin)]

I apologize if these questions have already been asked a thousand times. If so, I would appreciate being directed to them.

1. How much is it likely for my face to change? Is there any way of knowing? Approximately, how long does it take?
2. Approximately how long does it take to stop being misgendered by every person one meets in real life?
3. Approximately how long does it take for facial hair to start growing?
4. I have heard that all men on T get an increase in libido. I haven't. Not any that I can detect anyway. I have felt attracted (in a way) to someone for the first time in a long time, but I still have no wish to have sex. What does this mean?

Edit: Sorry about the title typo.

Let's see...from my experience...

1. My actual face changes have been subtle but significant. Its started to be extra noticeable around 6 months, but it wasn't significant (i.e., passing as male) until just over a year. I've noticed a lot of similarities among how the face masculinizes...the eyes get a bit smaller, the skin gets rougher (not less "smooth", per se, I just found mine got more coloured and textured in appearance), my lips flattened out some, the biggest changes were definitely around my jaw. I got more "square" for sure. Those are all the changes I can really think of. When they say you look like a twin of your former self it really is the case. Like if you look at your face in a non-gendered way, your actual features remain evident, those that ID you as a person - you just look more male rather than female. It's almost like those computer generated images where they make a male and female version.

2.  It took me a year to stop being misgendered. I occasionally get misgendered still, like once every few months, but I've been getting people gendering me as cisgender male since about May 2013. I started T in April 2012. Up until...March 2013, it was ALWAYS female. Always. I hated it. I started getting sirs in mid-March but they seemed a little less certain than they did in May.

3. Facial hair...lets see. I noticed a light, fluffy patch on my neck around Sept 2012 (5 months) but it was only something I could feel, not see. I got visible neck and sideburn hair around...maybe August 2013 (1 year 4 months), but it was patchy. I reckon that it's only in the last month or so (1 year and 10-11 months) that I could grow full sideburns and neckbeard if I didn't think I'd look gross lol. I have no mustache and sparse cheek hairs on the right side.

4. Libido...eh. I wouldn't worry. Mine is still the same too. Sometimes high, sometimes low, no higher or lower than when I started. I honestly believe that some people overhype their libido.

Thanks. That actually helps a lot. If I may, I have a few other questions.
My body hair hasn't changed at all either. Is that supposed to start around 3-5 months as well?
Should I worry if I haven't started any or most of those changes?
Is it possible to have long hair and pass or should I cut it? I have a pretty male hairstyle (as in I have only ever seen it on guys).

Hair was the first thing I noticed, personally - hairy stomach and thighs. They were covered in hairs. But it didn't get THICK, like male thick, until about 9 or 10 months in. It's continued to thicken and darken over time, too.

Haircut depends on your face. I honestly can't gauge whether I look more male with long or short hair. Some people go short and it emphasizes a female shaped skull, making them look like butch lesbians. Others grow it too long and opt for a "Biebs" style (not saying you have that, lol) which imo hinders passing in the majority of cases.

---

I would try not to worry. I was really upset when I felt like I was behind at 5 months. I was really upset when I felt I was behind at 1 year. And I'm still upset because I feel behind at nearly 2 years. Every time I think "omg I can't change anymore, this is it, this is how I will always look and T won't do anything more for me" but it's never been true. I've seen your face and you have a good base, maybe you're like me and you just need a little bit longer than other guys.

[Edge]

Thanks, Caleb. That is very reassuring.
1. Oh good. That's a relief.
2. Yeah it is always female for me too and I hate it.
3. Ok. Well, whatever happens.
4. Yeah it does seem overhyped especially since people insist it WILL change.
Heheh. Bieber hair. Nah, my hair's longer. Like Mr. Gold from OUaT or similar to the current comic version of Loki. Probably not a good idea to have it longer, but I wasn't passing anyway.

[ford]

Hey, a post I feel like I can contribute to! I'm 10.5 months on T.

1 - Face change: mine hasn't really changed a whole lot, but it was fairly masculine to begin with. Looking at before after photos...my face looks a little more male, but it's really tricky to pinpoint why (and might just be my brain).

2 - Misgendering for me just sort of stopped happening around 3 months in. However, I've bumped into some folks recently who I hadn't seen since pre-T (and who I never mentioned the whole transition thing to, oops), and the only thing they said was 'oh gosh, you must have a bad cold' - in reference to my voice. So it really depends. Once people have an image of you one way, they seem to be pretty blind to fairly obvious changes.

3 - my facial hair started right away, albeit one dark wiry hair at a time. I can now grow sort of 'meh' sideburns and a sparse goatee. A few hairs on my jaw and maybe three total on my neck. My dad has a full beard. My brother can only grow this 'chinstrap' thing where it goes sideburns - jaw - chin. No hairs anywhere else. I'm sensing I'm going to resemble my brother more than my dad.

4 - The libido thing was weird with me. I was low drive pre-T. Started T. Nothing...nothing...nothing. Then around month 8, it took off. This coincided with my husband more or less leaving me, so these days I'm a sexually frustrated mess, which is a totally new experience. Before I good probably have gone the rest of my life without and been fine. So I'm not sure if it was really a T-caused boost in drive, or if the panic related to probably being alone forever sent it over the edge in desperation. I guess bottom line is that T doesn't equal instant libido boost in my experience.

5 - Body hair: I've been wondering about this too. My dad is pretty hairy. My brother is practically hairless. 10.5 months on, I'm pretty hairless. Moderate increase in leg hair over my pre-T days, increase in arm hair negligible. I have a little trail down from the belly button, and what looks like the beginnings of some slight chest hair. I had been under the impression that body hair happens first, so this was confusing. Either I'm hairless-ish, or it's taking its good old time.

Overall, I get the impression that I'm nowhere near done. I had this image in my head that at one year, I'd look like a man. Period dot. But...maybe I'll give it 4, 5, 10 more years.

Hope that provides some reference. BTW, I saw some pics of you on a thread, and I think you look pretty darn cool.

[Edge]

Thanks, ford. I like your avatar, btw.

[aleon515]

I apologize if these questions have already been asked a thousand times. If so, I would appreciate being directed to them.

1. How much is it likely for my face to change? Is there any way of knowing? Approximately, how long does it take?
2. Approximately how long does it take to stop being misgendered by every person one meets in real life?
3. Approximately how long does it take for facial hair to start growing?
4. I have heard that all men on T get an increase in libido. I haven't. Not any that I can detect anyway. I have felt attracted (in a way) to someone for the first time in a long time, but I still have no wish to have sex. What does this mean?

Edit: Sorry about the title typo.

Sure why not. Everybody is different. But here goes with me. 1 year on T, and pretty sure I am the oldest guy here.

1. How much is it likely for my face to change?  Mine changed quite a bit. I think it looks like it changed most between 4-7 months.

2. Approximately how long does it take to stop being misgendered by every person one meets in real life? For me it sort of happened along the 7-9 month mark. But it was gradual. I kind of tracked this in my videos. I'd say pre-T it was 100% of the time, and now it it is about 2%. I wonder what's the matter with folks.

3. Approximately how long does it take for facial hair to start growing? Actually think my age has helped with this, but about 4 months or so. It's still very wispy and light.

4. I have heard that all men on T get an increase in libido. Well A LOT of guys do, I sure did, but I know people who did not.


--Jay

[Tossu-sama]

1 year and three months on T here, though I'd share my experience...

1. How much is it likely for my face to change? Is there any way of knowing? Approximately, how long does it take?
2. Approximately how long does it take to stop being misgendered by every person one meets in real life?
3. Approximately how long does it take for facial hair to start growing?
4. I have heard that all men on T get an increase in libido. I haven't. Not any that I can detect anyway. I have felt attracted (in a way) to someone for the first time in a long time, but I still have no wish to have sex. What does this mean?

1. I can't really say much about this but I had it happen during the first year, noticed it when I compared photos. The first thing that happened was eyebrows thickening -first few months - but I guess that goes more to the hair department anyway.

2. Ha, a question that's really difficult for me because of where I'm from. We don't use equivalents for "sir" and "ma'am" and lack gendered pronouns, and I'm bad at recognizing gendering from speech alone so... yeah. No idea, sorry.

3. Some get it sooner, some get it later. My doctor said it usually takes couple years to get any significant facial hair. The only thing I've got during this 1+ year is a lovely pedo 'stache and couple darker hairs on my lower lip (those buggers just get covered because of my piercing there!).

4. In my case, my libido went from nonexistant to... well, existing. Pretty much lacked libido for almost the first 23 years of my life, lol. I've read some people telling the only had increase in their physical libido but nothing in the mental side.
And to be honest, I'm not that interested in having sex either but I do need some... private time, if you catch my meaning. I guess I'm still exploring stuff by myself so that's why I'm not interested. |D

[Edge]

Thanks, aleon and Tussu-sama.

[Edge]

3 - my facial hair started right away, albeit one dark wiry hair at a time.

Hey, I think I have hair coming in like this. There are only a few of them and they're nothing to write home about, but I have some dark hairs on my chin.