So I am just curious, I would like as much information as possible - or links to information - about guys who have stopped testosterone but kept living as males.

Does it fix acne? Will my stomach get flatter? I am only 115 and 5'4 or maybe 5'3. The point is, I ALWAYS looked nice and skinny even when the weight was in my butt or possibly a little in the thighs, but now it's in my stomach and I still look lean but I hate having it there and not being able to see my abs...

I also really really really do not want any more body hair than I have now.

I am trying to figure out what to do...

Totally off topic, but who's the Dr. Singh you got top surgery with and where is he located?


I don't know of anyone who stopped T off the top of my head and continued living as male, though I think there's someone on youtube. You might be able to still live as male, since your voice should still be deep, you may still have excess hair for awhile, etc. Your acne should even out. Eventually female body fat distribution would take over again.

I think you could still live fine as male since you've had top surgery and your voice should be deeper. If you have the mannerisms and attitude down, it should be good.

Quote from: Nimrata (aka LH) on April 19, 2014, 08:54:47 PM
Totally off topic, but who's the Dr. Singh you got top surgery with and where is he located?


I don't know of anyone who stopped T off the top of my head and continued living as male, though I think there's someone on youtube. You might be able to still live as male, since your voice should still be deep, you may still have excess hair for awhile, etc. Your acne should even out. Eventually female body fat distribution would take over again.

I think you could still live fine as male since you've had top surgery and your voice should be deeper. If you have the mannerisms and attitude down, it should be good.

Thank you for your reply. I've always been an avid reader and have read a lot of medical texts and a handful of personal accounts about transition but haven't actually really checked out YouTube. I'm definitely going to see what I can find out there and appreciate you bringing up the idea.

Dr. Singh is a plastic surgeon in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is honestly amazing and I went from pretty darn big chested for a scrawny person like me to being flat and natural. People who met me after transition are always amazed (and kind of confused) at how I have a very normal looking chest but no scars. Is there a place on the forum it would be appropriate to add before and after photos, or do we not do that here? I wasn't sure if that was considered inappropriate because it might count as partial nudity? I've had a few people ask me about him and wouldn't mind letting them see what a good job he does, because he truly is amazing.

Thanks, I'll have to look into doctor Singh. Everyone just spends so much time talking about 1 or 2 surgeons here that it drowns out talk of others.

There is a "Before and After" thread in the FTM Transsexual board. Your before photo just needs to be somewhat covered, like a t-shirt or sports bra.

Quote from: Nimrata (aka LH) on April 19, 2014, 08:54:47 PM
Totally off topic, but who's the Dr. Singh you got top surgery with and where is he located?


I don't know of anyone who stopped T off the top of my head and continued living as male, though I think there's someone on youtube. You might be able to still live as male, since your voice should still be deep, you may still have excess hair for awhile, etc. Your acne should even out. Eventually female body fat distribution would take over again.

I think you could still live fine as male since you've had top surgery and your voice should be deeper. If you have the mannerisms and attitude down, it should be good.

One intrusive comment if I may and pardon me, but having done something similar from the other side of the gender fence as well as having observed others who have done likewise, the physical changes from having been on T or E don't necessarily go away, if your voice dropped an octave on T it will stay there regardless. If you go to a lighter T regimen the amount of body hair will diminish somewhat, but from the point where you are currently, offsetting body fat and maintaining muscle mass is more a matter of ongoing lean diet and a daily physical workout, all of which will extend your quality of life in later years.

I had intended to go hardcore MtF 20 years ago but am now on a very light E regimen similar but lighter than a post-menopausal female to offset potential bone loss and I also use a light dose of topical T creme to help maintain acceptable strength and libido, earlier I had developed boobs that aren't going away which gives credence to what I'm saying.

Well I am only 115 lb so I don't think that I need to really change my lifestyle or diet very much- perhaps a little bit more exercise and more vegetables. Everyone still considers me 'fit' and 'skinny'. I just want my 100percent visible abs back.

I like being a male, I like my masculine voice and wider shoulders, I am happy about all of that.

I just want to do everything humanly possible to PREVENT NEW body hair growth, and have much lower testosterone levels like before, since back then I didn't have this terrible acne problem and when I am 'late' for shots it clears up slightly but then worsens when i do my shot. For example it was a lot better when I went away on vacation for a week!

I want to continue living as a man, and stay healthy, but I do not want to be any more masculine than I am right now or was even a year ago...     

Quote from: ChaoticTribe on April 22, 2014, 11:42:15 AM
Well I am only 115 lb so I don't think that I need to really change my lifestyle or diet very much- perhaps a little bit more exercise and more vegetables. Everyone still considers me 'fit' and 'skinny'. I just want my 100percent visible abs back.

I like being a male, I like my masculine voice and wider shoulders, I am happy about all of that.

I just want to do everything humanly possible to PREVENT NEW body hair growth, and have much lower testosterone levels like before, since back then I didn't have this terrible acne problem and when I am 'late' for shots it clears up slightly but then worsens when i do my shot. For example it was a lot better when I went away on vacation for a week!

I want to continue living as a man, and stay healthy, but I do not want to be any more masculine than I am right now or was even a year ago...     

As time goes on, any amount of T will keep your body moving toward the masculinity that is in your genes.
If that is coded for "hairy guy with acne from hell who is bald at 30"....then you will be bald and hairy.

I think the only preventing option is zero T.

Quote from: Greeneyedrebel on April 22, 2014, 12:04:22 PM
As time goes on, any amount of T will keep your body moving toward the masculinity that is in your genes.
If that is coded for "hairy guy with acne from hell who is bald at 30"....then you will be bald and hairy.

I think the only preventing option is zero T.

That's the odd thing - on my mother's side of the family the men have full heads of hair and no acne and they have basically no body hair due to Native American genes.

On my father's side of the family, none of my direct relatives have acne. Only a female second cousin. Those men are not 'hairy' - they have some hair on their arms and legs, and a little on their chests rather than smooth chests. Some of them keep all of their hair, and some lose a circular patch in the back around age 40.


I got worried because I was only on testosterone for two years but I see up close little hairs growing right around my nipples, and a couple of thin but dark hairs randomly on my chest, and the very light hairs elsewhere on my body are not visible from a foot or two away, but when I look close I see them and I see that they got darker. Two years seems fast for that to happen because I thought this would just keep going for years - two more years from now everything might still be growing, and ten years from now still! But maybe I'm wrong, and it's like puberty and once I hit that certain genetic mark, my body will realize that it's done developing and I will reach stasis?


I stumbled upon a site by someone who calls themselves '*removed by staff*' and the things he posted scared the living daylights out of me! He had all terrible things to say and he said that FtM people get hairier than non-FtM people due to their bodies being more sensitive to hormones, and a bunch of other stuff like that... and saying that FtM end up all looking kind of similar down the line in certain ways... I don't know how much truth there was too any of it, but it really alarmed me.

Quote from: ChaoticTribe on April 23, 2014, 09:00:43 AM
That's the odd thing - on my mother's side of the family the men have full heads of hair and no acne and they have basically no body hair due to Native American genes.

On my father's side of the family, none of my direct relatives have acne. Only a female second cousin. Those men are not 'hairy' - they have some hair on their arms and legs, and a little on their chests rather than smooth chests. Some of them keep all of their hair, and some lose a circular patch in the back around age 40.


I got worried because I was only on testosterone for two years but I see up close little hairs growing right around my nipples, and a couple of thin but dark hairs randomly on my chest, and the very light hairs elsewhere on my body are not visible from a foot or two away, but when I look close I see them and I see that they got darker. Two years seems fast for that to happen because I thought this would just keep going for years - two more years from now everything might still be growing, and ten years from now still! But maybe I'm wrong, and it's like puberty and once I hit that certain genetic mark, my body will realize that it's done developing and I will reach stasis?


I stumbled upon a site by someone who calls themselves '*removed by staff*' and the things he posted scared the living daylights out of me! He had all terrible things to say and he said that FtM people get hairier than non-FtM people due to their bodies being more sensitive to hormones, and a bunch of other stuff like that... and saying that FtM end up all looking kind of similar down the line in certain ways... I don't know how much truth there was too any of it, but it really alarmed me.

Did this website cite any actual studies or medical sources? Because I'm finding that to be a bit hard to believe.

Eventually, you do reach statis. It may take years and years....but then again from the onset of puberty to a 'stasis' of sorts for a cis male extends into the early 30's at times. You know, those guys who couldn't grow a full beard until 35 etc....people complaining their husband seemed to get hairier and hairier after they got married.

The site did not mention any specific medical studies. They just posted quotes from a lot of other people, linked to sites from a lot of people who had detransitioned, and showed a lot of really unpleasant pictures.. maybe it was just scare tactics.



What did I think would happen when I started T? Basically, I imagined that I would turn out like the guys I've been in relationships with.

I figured I would get more hair on my arms and legs, and my happy trail - all of which I did. I did not think there would be any 'butt hair' which there is now a tiny bit of, and the few random ones on my chest continuing to develop even now, two years later, really opened my eyes. I never thought that I could end up hairier than what I imagine an 'average' guy to be. I've seen enough men naked, up close and personal, to compare them with photos of FtM and realize that many FtM guys end up hairier than any man I've ever been in a relationship with, and the same could happen to me.

I knew my muscles would get bigger.... Before transition, I consistently weighed between 100 and 109lb. I had much much much less muscle mass, so I know a good bit of the weight I've gained (I went up to 130lb at my highest last year, but am now back down to 113lb) was muscle. I knew that fat redistributed to a male pattern, but I didn't think I really had any body fat. My ribs were visible, collar bones were visible, hip bones were visible... I realized I did have some, and it was in my butt. Now it's on my stomach and my butt is looking flat and I realized there was some fat on there, or else even with a bigger stomach my butt would be the same size (or bigger, due to muscle increase).




The issue here is that I really love some of the changes T has brought me, especially psychologically. I am happier, less stressed, can 'cope' with difficulties better, I get less emotional, I no longer have horrible nightmares, I feel hopeful and ambitious.

As I said, I definitely want to keep living as a man. Even before T, I passed when I wore guy's clothes and had a guy's haircut. If it weren't for the emotional benefits and the fact that without T I would have NO hormones then I would go off T completely because I do not want to masculinize further.

Yet the changes to my body are getting further and further away from what I want. I like looking like a cute little skater boy. I would be happy to start taking some kind of female hormones to reverse the fat distribution, prevent further hair growth, and make my skin a little less oily (estrogen is known for good effects on skin).

Do you think there is any way that I could find a doctor who would let me live as male and basically be a 'tomboy' - like take primarily female hormones but enough testosterone to keep my mood stable and libido active? I used to get depressed before T and I know that some doctors will prescribe testosterone for women with low libido or depression, and a mix of the two would be the best for me since I got sterilized and no longer have my natural gonads.

If you read that person's page, you'll realize they're actually a crock of crap.
It's someone totally against people transitioning... All their facts are twisted to make people believe that transitioning is a negative thing.
I believe they also think that all trans men are also just butch lesbians, soooo.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from them. Her site IS a scare tactic.

Edit - My father, my spouse, and plenty of men I know are plenty hairy. I am less hairy than all of them and I suspect I always will be. The "average" that I know is pretty damn hairy. Just because we take testosterone doesn't mean that we grow extra hair, surely. It's just how your genetics work within you.

Quote from: Kyler on April 24, 2014, 05:42:21 PM
If you read that person's page, you'll realize they're actually a crock of crap.
It's someone totally against people transitioning... All their facts are twisted to make people believe that transitioning is a negative thing.
I believe they also think that all trans men are also just butch lesbians, soooo.

Do yourself a favor and stay away from them. Her site IS a scare tactic.

Edit - My father, my spouse, and plenty of men I know are plenty hairy. I am less hairy than all of them and I suspect I always will be. The "average" that I know is pretty damn hairy. Just because we take testosterone doesn't mean that we grow extra hair, surely. It's just how your genetics work within you.

Kyler is right on all counts!

I think people get the whole idea of "FTMs get hairier than cis males" because they're not someone who actually has a great deal of experience with male bodies. The blogger you referenced is a lesbian, so of course she's going to think we're unusually hairy - we're men, and men have more hair, and hair in other places, that women usually don't.

Quote from: kate on April 25, 2014, 08:49:18 AM
Yeah absolutely, it depends where in the world your from, but most men i know are hairy.

I mentioned this on another thread, but we all age, you can't keep looking like a cute skater boy for the rest of your life. How do you see yourself in 10, 20 years time?

I'd say that some men I know are hairy and other's are not. I spent 50 years of my life as fully male and never had a hair on my chest or backside and very little on my arms or legs, it's really all about genetics. If you come from a hairy family background and load up on a typical full FtM dosage of testosterone then it's likely you will become hairy.

Yeah, my doctor told me the dose I was on was the highest dose they prescribe.

As someone who is 5'3 and never weighed above 130lb in my life at my highest, maybe it was just way too much, especially after I stopped taking Depo Provera, which I was on for about 6 years to prevent menstruation. I don't know if the hysterectomy and ovary removal made much difference since now that I think of it, the Depo probably stopped them from working years before that.

Considering that a 6 foot tall, 240lb man would've been on the same level of t that I was, but dispersing it over more space, that could be why my levels were high and concentrated and I got acne and hair growth that I would've never seen coming. But I remember being very over-enthusiastic in the beginning when asked if that was okay or did I want to start low and work my way up, and then it just became an automatic thing I didn't really think about because there weren't any bad results for months and months, only good stuff like the muscle increase and mental effects that I really liked.

Quote from: ChaoticTribe on April 19, 2014, 10:59:10 PM


Dr. Singh is a plastic surgeon in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is honestly amazing and I went from pretty darn big chested for a scrawny person like me to being flat and natural. People who met me after transition are always amazed (and kind of confused) at how I have a very normal looking chest but no scars. Is there a place on the forum it would be appropriate to add before and after photos, or do we not do that here? I wasn't sure if that was considered inappropriate because it might count as partial nudity? I've had a few people ask me about him and wouldn't mind letting them see what a good job he does, because he truly is amazing.

It would be great and very much appreciated it if you would post your information along with a picture in the Top Surgery Recovery thread.  We don't have any pictures/information on Dr. Singh yet.  Thanks.

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,156574.0.html

I wish you well in your journey of finding the body you are seeking.

In relation to the original topic, for anyone who's considering stopping T: You may want to check out spaces for trans parents- lots of guys are gong off of T to have kids. The guy who writes milkjunkies.net did and I'm pretty sure he's still off it.

I don't know if anyone has said this yet, but testosterone is a gene transcription factor.  It goes into your cells and binds to receptors on the nucleus, and just changes the way the genes you already have are expressed.  So no, trans men shouldn't be extra hairy unless they have the natural potential to be that way, not that there is anything wrong with being extra hairy at all. 

Hi,

I realise this is an oldish thread, but I came across it on Google and thought I would add my experience for anyone else who stumbles across it looking for this information. I was on testosterone for six years, from age 24 to age 30, and stopped T for personal and health reasons three years ago. I absolutely wanted to continue living as male - stopping was nothing to do with any doubts about my identity, and it was a tricky decision with definite pros and cons.

Some of my reasons for wanting to stop were:

• I was having some problems finding a form of T I liked (despite doing my own injections for five years, I hated injecting; the gel gave me skin irritation; there were occasional problems sourcing T in my area; I was growing tired of the hassle and GP visits sorting these things out.)
• Vanity. On T I put on weight more easily and obviously, was losing my hair, was hairier than I was very keen on, and thought stopping might reverse some of these effects.
• I'm mildly autistic and had observed that T seemed to worsen some of my autistic symptoms, so I wanted to see if stopping would lessen them again.
• I felt for various personal reasons that I'd prefer to try to make peace with my body rather than use artificial hormones for the rest of my life, and that, unlike earlier in my transition, I'd reached a place of acceptance where I would be emotionally OK with doing this.

I'm happy to report that stopping T got me everything I had wanted out of the above, but there were some downsides too, as follows:

• Though I lowered my dose gradually, it took a while for my body to recover from not having T any more (for a couple of months I felt lethargic, with low mood and sex drive).
• Menstruation resumed. After living as a man for so long, I'm comfortable enough in my identity that I just get on with it, but I can imagine this would be a big one for a lot of guys.
• My body has feminine fat distribution again, though I'm more successfully losing weight, so the effects aren't too noticeable. This might be a bigger issue for heavier guys.
• I look VERY young for my age. I am naturally young-looking already so my face becoming more soft-skinned and feminine again had a significant effect.  I'm 33 and people assume I am 18-20. I actually love the way I look - I look now the way I always wanted to pre-T and like being taken for a young man because that's the way I feel (due to a combination of gender dysphoria and severe anxiety which took me many years to recover from, I missed out on the experiences most people have in their teens and 20s, and I'm using my 30s as a substitute!). However, people respond with great astonishment when they find out my age, and as I don't see myself looking much older than this in the forseeable future, I think I'm genuinely going to have to figure out some future method of explaining to people why I still look 20 when I'm 40!

If anyone has any other questions about this I'm happy to answer them. Hope this helped someone.

Thank you darksymphony, that did help! I opened this thread because this is one of the options I'm considering for myself. I want the changes that come with T, but I don't like the idea of taking synthetic hormones for the rest of my life...I never even went on hormonal birth control. I even avoid taking things like Tylenol as much as possible!

If you're still reading this thread, can you go into a little detail about how T affected your autism symptoms? I suspect I am on the spectrum myself and wondered if my symptoms might change on T.

I was going to tell the OP that there are trans men who live as men without ever even starting hormones, but looking at her signature, I suppose that isn't necessary anymore...I hope that information reassures somebody else out there.