Are any of you incredibly afraid of....

[suchacutie]

SNEEZING!!!! OMG I can just see myself decked out to the nines, sky-high heels, killer makeup, great hair, completely feminine voice, knowing all the feminine vocabulary and how to use it....

And then I have to sneeze and the loudest bass baritone note comes roaring out!!!

Please...if anyone can teach me (and the rest of us) how to learn to sneeze in a delicate fashion, it would let me not be afraid! Seriously!

Thanks :)

[Karren H]

Don't look at me.... I haven't figured out how to keep my makeup on when I have a runny nose yet!

[Maria 60]

The last time I tried to sneeze in fem most of it came out of my nose. So maybe I shouldn't give you advice.

[Miriam-J]

If you have enough vocal range, you just need to focus on the voiced part of the sneeze - the explosion is no problem. I've adjusted my sneeze to use the upper part of my range, and also reduced the power of it a bit. Since I get plenty of sneezing in, especially this time of year, it really helps.

If you're stuck with a bass-only vocal range, I don't think there's much you can do.

Miriam

[Beverley Sims]

Just sneeze, it is all over in a second.
Remember to carry a nice small, dainty, lacy floral hankie, they are a useful prop.
Use something larger for blowing your nose though, you will probably need it. :)

[Rachelakld]

Not minding the man sneeze so much but hope i still have some foundation coverage left around my nose

[suchacutie]

I subdue the lower vocal range normally, but my sneezes just erupt :(. I see others with this dainty sneeze and I so want to know how to do that!

And Rachel, you are right about the makeup...need to powder immediately :).

It's so disconcerting to have worked on everything so much and this eruptive sneeze comes along and it just yells "MALE"....yuck.

[linda allen]

I sneeze loud enough that people in cars stopped next to me at traffic lights roll down their windows and say "bless you". I have male friends who sneeze like a cat. I'm not sure you can do much about it, every time I've tried to suppress a sneeze, I've blown (you know what) all over the place.

[SheriM]

Nope! Never thought about that.

[suchacutie]

Linda, I have the same result trying to learn a ddainty sneeze. Maybe practicing keeping a higher pitch is the only way.

[Jaylyn]

Sneezing is the least of my worries I just seem to rarely have colds or allergies. My yawning is worse and I can't help make a weird noise when I yawn and stretch out my arms. Now to passing ....... We best not go there... Lol

[robindee36]

Even GG's do things we might consider to not be very feminine. They can unleash 'manly' sneezes, belches and break a bit of wind too. Not something one has a lot of control over.

Sometimes I think we get too narrow in our definition of what we believe to be 'feminine' traits, and totally miss what is real. Unless you blow your wig off, just cover your mouth and let 'er rip. Then move on to what ever you were engaged in. Or at least that is how I handle these moments.

Hugs, Robin

[Chickhe]

Ever try to hold back a sneeze in a public forum? ...you end up looking like you just got hit by lightning. I read from someone who does voice coaching on you tube that it works to just reduce how hard you sneeze and instead of changing the sneeze too much, it works to just top it off with a high pitch female voice on the part where you have control and its the last part people hear so that's what they will remember.

[suchacutie]

Karren...the only way I know of dealing with a running nose is Afrin and a full compac of powder! :)

Jaylyn...this is really the thing that's making me a bit crazy. I can work on everything else it seems, but this sneezing thing seems out of my control :(

Robin...you are right that the feminine traits are not in concrete nor all essential. I just know that I can't mask all the male "cues" but I do enjoy trying! Part of Tina is the obsession to separate the gendered selves, and I'm just working on sneezing at the moment :)

Chickhe...thank you, that's a very interesting way of looking at the effect. I do know that if I try to hold back, or to take in less air, it looks like I'm about to explode!

This all started because I saw a woman and a man sneeze the other day and they both barely made a sound. I was instantly jealous so I'm still hoping that is a learned trait and not genetic.

[Princess Chantal]

The sound of the sneeze would definitely be the least of my worries, the likelyhood of messing up of the make-up with either the tissue paper or the uncontrollable spray would have be stressing

[Stephanie47]

My sneezes can be earth shattering. Sometimes I can alert those around me that one is arising and they can hold their ears or at least not be startled. I've noticed my explosive sneezes are all preceded by inhaling a good amount of air. I've read that one can cause serious injury to themselves if they try to stifle the sneeze.

The only recommendation I have is to deaden the noise by muffling it into the elbow joint area. That will at least stop the spread of germs. For me I know it does deaden the noise.

[Alice Torn]

Keep a bandana or hankerchief handy. Not always easy, with no male pockets. A purse . But, sneezes come on suddenly, and are a real pain! I always sneeze two or three times hard!

[Miriam-J]

A little diaphragm control helps with the explosive part of the sneeze. As you feel the sneeze come on, set the diaphragm to an upper position so that it can absorb part of the pulse, pushing down to the lower position with the sneeze. This is easier if you have some vocal music training, but can be done by anyone.

Miriam

[Leah Lynn]

Having allergies, I just go with it, always have kleenex or hankie handy.

Hugs,
Leah

[Kate Simmons]

Ain't no such "animal" Tina. So just sneeze away and enjoy it Hon.:heehee::)

[CynthiaD]

Yeah, sneezing is something I've never been able to change. I roar like a lion.

[Diana Bain]

I just sneeze and give that look "who me?" However a sudden runny nose can ruin everything.

[marshalynn]

when I sneeze, I always have a chochosssse at the end, not very lady like..

[suchacutie]

It's great to hear from everyone! It seems that most of us are just putting up with it and moving one. Miriam, thank you so much for some possibility of minimizing what for me has always been a bit of a gender embarassment! I'll definitely give it a try! I sneeze from spices in the air every time I cook, so I do have a way to practice a bit. :) I'll let you all know if I make any progress.

Tina

[Bootsiegalore]

Don't look at me.... I haven't figured out how to keep my makeup on when I have a runny nose yet!

Me either! I have bad allergies and I do not sneeze once.... It is like 4 to 7 times straight and then I have to blow my nose like 20 times..... It sucks. That and my nasty post nasal drip drives me up a wall....

[Jonianne]

I always try to blow out as much air as I can before I sneeze, not let it all come out in the sneeze. I would love to get the cutist little "cha" sneeze, that a lady friend of mine has, instead of the BIG "AAAAAAChew" sneeze

[suchacutie]

Karren and Boots... I have all that running nose and sinus drip stuff as well, but I have solved that, at least for me...Afrin. I don't use it all the time, but when Tina is around the Afrin keeps me drip free for 12 hours.

Jonianne, that's the sneeze I want!!! That little delicate sneeze...if we only could!

[hammer.daph]

I sneeze like a cat :3

I just say "KSST" when I sneeze, and it's barely a hiss of air.

[Lexi Moralas]

Honestly never thought of this. Now ill be practicing my girl sneeze

[Loni]

with the lower diaphragm type of sneezes i get no way could i not be seen or heard. even in the next room,
and with the kind i have if i tried to block them i could blow out a ear drum or pop a eye out of socket.

the sneeze is the largest and hardest thing a body does.

.

[shayleetv]

My wife and I have some friends we socialize with. The wife has a sneeze that stops trains right in their tracks. It would be characterized as a very masculine sneeze, but I have never heard anyone comment about it being masculine. If your sneeze bugs you then try all these tricks written here if none works just laugh about it and others won't think much about it. They will probably just laugh about it too. People who take themselves so serious about things bring more scrutiny upon them.

[Jonianne]

Coughing is another thing I have worked on. If I start to have a coughing fit, I use a small bottle of breath freshener spray and it seems to clear the need to cough most times.

[reb.femme]

I've nothing to add to the preceding answers, but just had to say I had a few belly laughs at some of the very personal descriptions given up so freely. :devil:

Rebecca

[Sheila11]

Don't try to stifle or stop your sneeze. I did it once and popped a blood vessel in my eye. There is no makeup that will hide a blood red eye.

[DianeDeBris]

Two quick thoughts. If you purse your lips and forcefully exhale starting just before the sneeze hits, and keep exhaling the whole time, the sneeze part will be minimal. Second, someone pointed out that without all those male pockets we don't have as many good places to keep a pretty hanky. The nuns always had one stuffed inside their sleeve.

[Shanine]

If I can catch it in time, I will sneeze like my ex wife. You try to keep it in as much as possible with just the barest exhale of a "choo" in a nice cute pitch.

[LelaK]

All you had to do was a search on Youtube: "Prevent sneeze". Here's what I found, the first one has the answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--q4xs9A2nk. It's an accupressure point 1/3 of the way down from the bottom of the nose to the upper lip. When you feel the sneeze coming, press that point with the side of your finger.

That's what the three stooges used to do, but it always seemed to fail for them. But then they were stooges.

[KayleeTaylor]

I am more afraid of clearing my throat. I have been practicing with my girl voice for over 2 months now, but I still have to clear my throat every so often :/

[Adriana Moretti]

omg...clearing the throat...lol yes...i agree....

[Carrie R]

Sneezing, when I had a herniated disc in my lower back, was a living hell.

[Brynna M]

Now I have something else to worry about... ;)

[melissalynn]

A sneeze would be a dead giveaway particularly since there can be a few at a time. As one songwriter once observed, there are some things you can't cover up with lipstick and powder.

[Jonianne]

As I am learning in my transgender voice class (at a local university), only clear the throat with an inaudable exhale, as clearing the throat does hurt it. They reccomend swallowing instead.