Calling all boys out there - I need some help

[Sammy777]

Hello Boys.

I don't know how many of you are left here, which is a shame because I like having you guys around.

I have a good friend who has been seriously considering transition.
Because of this (He knows I'm MtF) he obviously has a lot of questions, some of which I can answer but others for obvious reasons I can not.

The big question: Where to get a binder and some tips on wearing one, like fit, feel, how long is too long wearing one and so on.

Tips on how to lower your voice. I have a pretty good idea but maybe you guys know something I missed.

Some info on HRT. (I am NOT looking for info on where to get it or dosages)
Yes I also know that HRT works differently on everybody, but I wanted to get a ballpark of how long before you really start to notice irreversible changes like hair growth (especially facial) and voice cracking (becoming deeper).

Having spent time walking among you, lol, I pretty much got the clothes, mannerisms and speech patterns thing down.

But any other useful information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[AllieSF]

I just Googled "female to male binders" and got all kinds of hits. Follow the hits and he will find explanations too on some of the sites. Amazon.com was the first listing. I don't know where he lives but lesbian bars tend to attract all kinds of people, including FtM trans people. Get in with a group of them and he will get all kinds of information. Also, even though we do not have many active FtM members here now, we used to have a very active core group when I fist started. I used to join their threads when I had something to add. There were a lot of very good discussions on HRT, voice, hair growth, binding, packing, SRS/GRS, penile implants, etc. The key point is to find a place where he can network and do just that. Once that door of contacts gets opened it is much easier to get good information and recommendations too. Tell him good luck and to join here so that he can do his own searches on his own time, and it will take some time.

[PaulaQ]

Binder: http://www.underworks.com/men/compression-shirts-29

Voice: For the most part, being on "T" will lower his voice. There are exceptions, but most FtM's develop much deeper voices. However, this won't give them masculine speech patterns, so a lot of FtM's end up sounding like gay men. I don't know one of them who cares about this, provided their voice passes, and most will. However, Kathe Perez www.exceptionalvoice.com offers instructional material for male voices.

HRT: HRT for guys is sort of the same type of deal as for us - it's a bit of a biological crap shoot. Most guys will start to develop some noticeable facial hair, at least a bit, at 6 months or so, and by two years most will look like frigging lumberjacks. At that point, if not before, they'll just pass. I believe about a year is pretty typical to reach a point of "yeah, you aren't going to be able to hide this anymore." I do know guys who's genetic heritage just leaves them without much body hair, no matter how much T they take. And while the masculinizing effects of T are quite powerful, I do know guys who still don't consistently pass after two years. This seems fairly rare though. Also, he may develop male pattern baldness.

One thing you didn't ask, but that happens first, is your friend is liable to notice a significant increase in his libido. Saying it's a "significant increase" really, really understates the matter for some of the guys I know. It's actually unbelievable, really.

So odds are, he'll need to masturbate quite a lot. PM me and I'll send you a link for something that will help him that I am fairly certain will not be allowed on the open forum by the mods. Also, he should invest in a lot of lube. I believe this all starts in at about 6 weeks. I realize this is a somewhat controversial type of thing to say on our rather clean forums, but it is a serious enough issue that I think it is worth mentioning because it is real, actually pretty uncomfortable at times, and pretty common. Some guys I know find that it becomes painful if they don't masturbate pretty frequently.

Other stuff that's frequently reported on HRT - he may develop a headache at the base of his skull the first few times he takes his shot. This eventually passes and stops happening altogether later. It's also important for a doctor to monitor guys on T because of the risk of:
- elevated blood pressure
- increased red blood cell count - increased to the point that it becomes dangerous.

[Sammy777]

Thanks

I will relay the information to them.

[flatlander_48]

S:

Good luck to your friend. Transition is never an easy deal, in either direction as you know, but I hope it will go well if that is the decision.

I've read threads (although on a different forum) about F2M folks having trouble finding clothes that fit correctly. You don't say how tall your friend is, but 50th percentile females are a tick under 5'-4". That height roughly corresponds to 5th percentile for men, so you can see how it gets tough to find suitable male clothes in that size range. Obviously, it helps if you are taller. Spending some time doing online searches are useful as there are a few places around that sell clothes for smaller sized men. Unfortunately their names escape me at the moment.

DeeAnn

[mistunderstood]

There is a place called tranzwear that sell realy nice stuff the link for them is http://www.tranzwear.net I have ordered from them and had no problem getting my stuff and it was a nice quality to. As for binders it depends. If he is a big guy it will be hard to find a good binder that will not cost a lot. Underworks is a great place to buy from. I have ordered from the before and had no problems from them. When he gits to the point of packies it can be fun to order. So many choices like how long,coloring, do you want to use it for sex or pee or just as a bulge. I guess my biggest advice would be research every thing before you order any thing and he can check out a web site called Hudson's FTM resource guide http://www.ftmguide.org
Good luck in helping your friend.

[Nancy Sue]

This is the very first time I came to this area, ever, just to see what "the guys" are talking about - and the very first post I see is a girl asking a question of guys, and three of the four responses are from the ladies. Interesting.

My suggestion for top control for him is Under Armor Heat Gear compression t-shirts. They are available with short sleeves, long sleeves (what I wear under ski gear), and athletic shirt styles. Personally, being an mtf ts, I wear women's, but he would want the men's. I have some of these, but rarely wear them because they compress my chest too much. These might be perfect for him.

If he doesn't mind wearing women's underwear sometimes, he might like the Maidenform 1276 Comfort Devotion camisole, which some mtf girls (like me) like. It has moderate control in the tummy region (maybe your ftm friend would find this helpful, maybe not), and since it does give more top control than most of us ladies like to wear (when presenting - I wear these as underdressing when in drab), it would give him better bindingl of the top than many other garments of this type. I would recommend that he check them out, at least.

[anton jon]

Hi Sammy , I am male to female so I hope you dont mind me replying.
My friend is very small and he buys his clotes in the teen department. I have been with him when he was shopping and you really would not know he buys his clothes in the teens department. This might work for your friend and some of the clothes I would be very happy to wear myself when I am anthony. This might work for your friend but it can't hurt to have a look and see if he like anything or can find sizes to fit.

I hope my advice helps and please wish you friend all the best on his journey

Lots of love

Anton jon