It actually feels a little weird posting on here since I'm not a transguy, (considered it for awhile though, but I guess it wasn't quite right) but I have a few questions that I think you guys would be better at answering, so here I am.

I'm still not completely sure what exactly I am, but for now, secretly I think of myself as a male-identified androgyne. I don't think I'll ever go the whole way in terms of physical transition, though I'm considering top surgery and maybe low-dose T, if I still feel this way in a few years and could actually be able to afford it. For now though, even though it's not permanent, I decided that I would at least try to be more like how I picture myself in my mind.

So for the first step, I think I'm gonna try binding. I've never once felt like these things belong on me anyway. I've tried binding a few times before, temporarily with Ace bandage and sports tape. Definitely don't wanna do either of those ever again though. So I guess that leaves me with going the right way and getting a binder. I've read some of the reviews and threads floating around, but still I have a couple questions.

From what I've read, usually the longer shirt/tank top-type binders also have some compression in the stomach/hips/whatever. But does anyone know of a binder out there that only binds the chest, but is still long? And ones that don't roll up? I was unfortunately born with some uh, unproportional growth in the chest there. So that's all the binding I need. And I hate tucking shirts into my pants, so ideally I don't want a binder that I have to tuck in. But a short binder feels too much like a bra that I'd like to avoid that if I can. Does such a perfect binder exist? Or am I just being too picky? Lol.

For the guys that are/were bigger in the chest like I am, what was the reaction around when you started binding? I have a pretty androgynous face and I dress like a guy anyway, but since I haven't actually come out in any way to most of the people around me, I think they just assume I'm a tomboy. I'm not sure what to say or how to explain to the people around me if my chest just suddenly disappears. I'm sure it'll be noticeable enough that I can't just blame it on weight loss or anything like that. Should I just bind part-time when I meet new people, and then maybe slowly go full-time when I have different classes with different people next quarter, etc.? Any advice/experience/tips are appreciated.

Also, for the guys who haven't fully transitioned yet, how do you deal with situations when you need to expose your bio-gender? At least once, I've gone to a store and asked for a bathroom key, and the person had picked up the mens' room key until they looked down and saw my chest. My voice is relatively low too, though it sometimes fluctuates a bit when I'm happy or excited. But usually it's pretty low and I think I might just sound like a guy with a slightly higher voice. I think I might run into more of these when I start binding (and if I start trying to lower my voice like I want to). When that kind of thing happens to you, do you just take the mens' room key or whatever? Or do you point out their "mistake" and just pretend to be a girl for that situation?

Ok, one last kinda weird question. Not sure if there're any guys who have run into this problem, but I'll ask here anyway. I have kinda heavy body hair, definitely more than the average bio-girl, and probably some bio-guys too. (Yeah I was born with ->-bleeped-<-ed up genes/hormones...) I'm actually taking birth-control right now for PCOS, which my endo said was suppose to help with the hair too (and the acne), but it's been almost half a year and I haven't noticed a decrease in either. So I've pretty much given myself up to the fact that I'll need to save up for laser or something someday. But like I mentioned before, I might also want to go on low-dose T later as well. Does anyone know how that would affect things? Should I wait to do the laser until I decide for sure whether to go for T or not? Or would hair just not grow even with T, because of the laser? I know it's probably not a typical situation for most guys here, but if anyone has any (supported) speculations or whatever, I'd be glad to hear them.

I'll keep the questions to that for today. Thanks for reading.

Binder question - Probably your best bet is to get the tri-top, and sew an extra bit of fabric around the bottom to lengthen it and keep it from rolling up. (You will need to tuck it in, though.)  The Tri-top is definitely the best compression going for those of us who are larger up top.  As I recall, some of the T-Kingdom ones might also fit the bill.  They use a heavy-duty elastic around the chest, and a lighter fabric below.

Bathroom issue - Personally, if I could pass, I'd just go along with it.  No point in making both you and the other person feel even more awkward. 

Afraid I can't answer the laser question.  Sorry.

Binding, there's a wealth of info/topics on that here. Search "binder reviews," click on my topic, there's at least 20 reviews of different binders, how they worked, etc.

As to what to say when your chest disappears...NOTHING. I'm at school, over the past two years gone from wearing the same lacy bras as all the girls, to sports bras, to tight sports bras, to [badly done] binding, to [better done] binding, to [proper] binding and nobody has said a thing. It's just too awkward a question, so trust that nobody will ask, because unless they're really close to you aka family/best friends, they will not mention it.

Bathrooms, just go with it. Why the hell would you correct them...This baffles me. You want to be seen as a guy, so what's the problem.

Don't know much about laser, you might get more advice by posting in the MtF forum because a lot of them are trying to get rid of body hair, whereas we are trying to grow more aha.

Jamie-o: Thank you for your reply. I'll look into your suggestions about the binders.

My problem is that I don't know how well I pass. Because my image isn't completely male, I don't want to get in trouble if I were to get confronted while I'm actually in the mens' room.


freespeechz: Thank you for your reply. Actually I did look through the review thread that you posted. But I didn't quite find exactly what I needed, so I figured I would ask in case anyone knows something in particular that fits.

It seems from your description that your binding was more gradual than just "suddenly gone". But now that you mention it, I suppose it would be an awkward question that hopefully people won't ask. I guess if any of my roommates ask, I'll just tell them I'm binding without really saying why. I can't imagine them being completely surprised.

I think it's easier for you guys to say you'd just go with it because well, you're guys. But as I mentioned above, I don't look completely male, and I have shoulder length hair. I don't know how people see me. I think it might just depend on their personal views on where they draw this "gender line".

The reason I asked about it here was because I was wondering about the effect T would have on it. And I'm quite sure the girls over at the MtF forum don't want anymore T than they already have. But maybe I'll do that if no one has any ideas.

Thanks again for your comments.

Well the gradual-ness didn't really matter because I was in a locker room daily, and thus it was all bared for every girl in my row to see. -sighs- Boobs are still boobs when your shirt's off.

-shrugs- Not sure what you mean. If you're handed the male key, you pass, if you get the female key, you don't. Nobody is going to give the male key to someone they think is female. And you can't exactly correct them and ask for the androgyne key if that's what you mean.

Ah right. Sorry, misread it. Hmm. That is a toughie. I think it depends on exactly what laser does. Maybe research the procedure more? I'd say the T wouldn't do anything though, since MtFs still have T in their system that's telling their body to grow hair, but the laser prevents it.

Also, people will be less skeptical in the bathroom.  Even back when I was read male more often than not, I still was never told to leave the women's bathroom or even looked at oddly.