This forum has a ton of information on top and bottom surgery and everything in between but is there surgery to create the Adam's apple bump? Is that something that's commonly done? I've not come across much information on it. It seems such a noticable part of being perceived as male at that first glance.
Yeah there is, it's done either using synthetic implant or cartilage from other areas of the body.
Some people seem to "grow" a bit of Adam's apple on T and others see no change. Can't say if it's done much or not, depends how the person feels about it. I don't know a single male who doesn't have a very obvious one, so I agree with you it's quite prominent, though how important is up to you
You don't know a single male that doesn't have a very prominent Adam's apple? Thats ridiculous. Plenty of guys don't. There are softer rounder looking guys where its just not prominent, or even pretty manly guys with less defined necks. Some women randomly have a bit of one. Its completely fine not to have a prominent adams apple. In the videos of people's journeys on T I've seen, I usually notice a bit of adams apple growth, but if its not really noticeable, thats fine.
Quote from: TomTuttle on March 19, 2017, 10:58:52 AM
You don't know a single male that doesn't have a very prominent Adam's apple? Thats ridiculous. Plenty of guys don't.
That's right, I don't.
And I had looked hoping some of them wouldn't but that's not what I see.
OP's choice if they consider it important or not, like I said.
The Adams Apple can be a bit misleading as you could be discussing two things. The first is the larynx where your vocal cords are housed. Everybody has one and under the influence of T, it becomes larger and can be visible on both men and women. The laryngeal prominence is a ridge that males may have that protrudes and is called the adams apple. It serves no function and if a MTF has a large one, there is a surgery to shave it down to a reasonable size. Not every MTF develops enough of a protrusion to have it removed so not all CIS men have an adams apple either.
I already had a bit of an Adam's apple before transition, so much so that when I went to the doctor once pre transition and she observed the bump on my neck she stopped for a moment wondering if I had something wrong like a lymph node issue before shrugging it off. She never told me but I think it had to do with it was unnaturally prominant for someone such as myself.
T helped make it thicker as well as my voice, you probably dont hear of it much because it's one of those things that grows with T
Agree with Tom and Kylo. On many cis men it's simply not noticeable. Having a prominent Adam's apple is basically redundant when it comes to being correctly gendered as male. How square your shoulders and face are are what people will ultimately judge you on. People don't judge or care if a guy has a visible adams apple
Just here to add that you can definitely grow a prominent Adam's apple from T. While mine isn't the type that sticks out so far it looks like someone is poking through my neck, it's definitely very noticeable. If an Adam's apple is important to you, I'd wait until you've been on T for at least a year (if you more not already) and see what changes your body makes on its own.
Seems like it would be a waste of money to make one. Once facial hair comes in they will see that as male and not be looking for a bump on your neck.
Quote from: Kylo on March 19, 2017, 11:10:18 AM
That's right, I don't.
And I had looked hoping some of them wouldn't but that's not what I see.
OP's choice if they consider it important or not, like I said.
I find that some trans folks overstate the degree certain kinds of physical variance occurs in cis men in particular (ex. cis men with noticeably wide hips, very small hands) in order to make ourselves feel better, but in this case I agree with what the others have said and find it strange that you're saying you've never seen a cis guy without a prominent Adam's apple.
I've seen so many cis men without a prominent Adam's apple that I find it especially noticeable in the ones that do. Some cis men have really large Adam's apples that are very hard to miss. But I find them to actually be rarer than those who have either a smaller or almost entirely unnoticeable Adam's apple. It doesn't seem like a particularly "uniform" physical feature at all in male assigned people.
Also as far as trans men go, I've definitely met a couple who did grow an obvious Adam's apple after starting T, though definitely know more that haven't. Guess it depends on genetics etc.
I find it odd several people rushing to tell me what I see is strange. Perhaps I don't know that many cis men in person to go up and look closely at their necks but those I do ALL have a prominent Adam's apple. Wasn't claiming my experience is the only one relevant or trying to say OP should feel they too must have one.
Quote from: Kylo on March 21, 2017, 07:18:31 PM
I find it odd several people rushing to tell me what I see is strange. Perhaps I don't know that many cis men in person to go up and look closely at their necks but those I do ALL have a prominent Adam's apple. Wasn't claiming my experience is the only one relevant or trying to say OP should feel they too must have one.
I'm not sure people are "rushing" to tell you anything, but at least for me the reason I responded was because I genuinely find it puzzling that you've never seen a single cis guy without a prominent Adam's apple (no need to closely examine any necks lol). I think it's just a reaction that generally happens when people hear/see someone else saying something that is so wildly contrary to their own experiences. And to me it really was puzzling, kind of like someone saying they've never seen a single cis guy without super hairy legs or something. There are just so many cis guys with naturally sparse leg hair that to say someone has never seen a single one seems puzzling.
Nope, I can't think of one I know that does not have one sticking out of their throat. Obviously I may have encountered some without one in the world, but was not looking at the time. But of the men I know or have known personally I know none that did not have one. Even guys I know with some fat on them still had them visible at the neck.
My point by saying it in the first place was to agree that because I see them so often on men, they are a noticeable feature of men to me. I follow it up without saying to be a man you need one surgically created. I don't exactly have plans to do that myself despite seeing them on all the men I know.
This thread took on a life of its own :D Thanks for all the responses!
To be honest it was a question born purely out of curiosity and not from a personal need to grow an Adam's apple, and prompted by a thread regarding the reduction of an Adam's apple in the main part of the forum.
The point about facial hair obscuring it is well taken, it's obvious in hindsight and would definitely mask the protrusion (or lack of one) once enough hair has grown in.
As to the back and forth whether its something prominent and noticable, from my perspective we all focus on different things when appraising people. Lately I have been super focused on height because I'm only 5'3". And to my (delighted) surprise it turns out there are plenty of guys my height. I just never paid enough attention to notice since, on average, most people are taller than me.
Quote from: tehuti on March 22, 2017, 05:18:52 AM
This thread took on a life of its own :D Thanks for all the responses!
To be honest it was a question born purely out of curiosity and not from a personal need to grow an Adam's apple, and prompted by a thread regarding the reduction of an Adam's apple in the main part of the forum.
The point about facial hair obscuring it is well taken, it's obvious in hindsight and would definitely mask the protrusion (or lack of one) once enough hair has grown in.
As to the back and forth whether its something prominent and noticable, from my perspective we all focus on different things when appraising people. Lately I have been super focused on height because I'm only 5'3". And to my (delighted) surprise it turns out there are plenty of guys my height. I just never paid enough attention to notice since, on average, most people are taller than me.
I found that once you start accepting yourself and gain some confidence in your actual gender identity; plus take T; the things that used to bother you don't really bother you as much.
I personally have always had a small Adam's apple, since before treatment, and let me tell you, a female with a small bump is a lot more noticeable than a male without one. I honestly don't even notice that type of thing on people unless it really protrudes. I'm guessing it has to do with genetics and sometimes weight, whether or not you develop one.
But I can't sit here and tell someone not to be self-conscious about something on their body, so if you really do feel it's something you need for transition, then look into an implant. Although I wouldn't suggest doing so until you've been on T for a few years/have seen how you turn out.
I don't think it's a common surgery for trans men simply because it isn't a necessary part of transition. Most people I know would never question if their noticed a man didn't have an Adam's apple. It's just a man without one. It happens. More people are going to look for signs of facial hair than anything else.
I personally get grossed out by really big ones, I don't know why. Used to have a kid sit next to me in class who looked like he had an actual apple stuck in his throat, and it would freak me out. I don't even like touching my own. But hey, whatever makes you happy. It's your body, you do what you feel you need to to feel comfortable in it. :)
I did not have a prominent, or even a noticeable adams apple. When I had my voice feminization surgery that is one of their things they offer, chondroplasty, but my Dr. said I did not need it. I really had nothing to cut out or shave down. So, not all cis guys have them, and stop picking on Kylo just because he said he had never noticed one without one. LOL I remember noticing I did not have one and I even thought "really?... every guy I know has one". I was lucky, I guess.
They are horrible :S
Even on guys they are just creepy, and even mine I can hardly touch it.
It's not even big and I could faint if I'd touched it for long enough
From observing cis men, I think a big part of having one is to do with weight. When I was skinny, I had one. Most of the skinny men I know have them. I haven't seen a single heavier man with one, cis or trans.