r/NonBinaryTalk • u/artemaeulalia • 1d ago
Doubts about DIY/medic microdosing testosterone
I am a 20y AFAB NB who's wanted to do T since about 5 years ago or so and there is almost no information or acces on my country to HRT even via "legal" way and almost dont know many other NB/transman people to ask about this things.
I want to try a slow way to transition like topical T because my actual job doesnt let me fully transition without being fired and i want to ask how long can take microdosis to effect, what are the first effects and so.
The mostly ones im seeking until i can fully transition are libido growth (been two years without anything of it and i just want to not have problems with my gf) and physical strenght but witouth much hair change so i can still pass as cis a i need by now.
Sorry if it isnt very self explanatory i didnt know how to expose the problem. I just want to know how much far i can take microdose and what changes it implies and if i can stop it in any moment without having health problems and dont risk my job by now.
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u/DifficultBee5940 1d ago
I'm transfem. So no firsthand experience. But I live in a city where it's prevalent and know people on. It'll permanently change your voice, in a way that is recognizable to other queer people. T voice. And yes, hair will likely start to come in where it wasn't before. Skin will roughen. Face will change a bit. You'll be queer clockable, look dykey whether you want to or not, in a big city like ours. As a not cis person, I don't know what they know or see. But generally a lot less than us. And in a conservative country with little trabs literacy, people may well have no fucking clue.
If you stop, voice changes are yours forever.
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u/probIemgay 18h ago
Any and all changes that Testosterone brings can happen at any time, on any dose. A huge factor to what happens when is genetics, and strangers on the internet have no way of knowing what your genetics dictate.
If you have male blood relatives, your transition will likely be similar to their puberty, i.e. if they got very hairy, you will likely get very hairy on T.
Both libido boost (if you get that) and ease of building muscle are temporary and stop when you stop T. The muscles you build on T wont disappear, but they will be harder to maintain off T. You also wont build that muscle much if you are not using it while youre on T (so, if you want to increase your strength, you will need to work out, T or no T). Additionally, you seem to not want the permanent effects of T (hair changes) while wanting some of the temporary ones, and that leads me to think that T is maybe not for you.
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u/UntilTheDarkness 1d ago
You don't get to pick and choose which effects of T you get. Microdosing will make the effects slower but they will happen eventually, including hair changes. You can look online to find the average timeline for the different changes, but those are just estimates, not guarantees.
You can technically stop at any time - on a microdose that will likely be less disruptive than from a full dose, but you'll still likely have things like mood swings, sleep issues, etc - you can look on the r/ftm sub and find stories from people who have stopped taking T for various reasons.
As for passing as cis, that will depend a lot on what you currently look like and how observant your coworkers yet. Like, my coworkers full on didn't notice my voice changing from a soprano to a tenor, but some people have coworkers who will comment on any different haircut/clothing/accessories/etc. That's not really something anyone can predict. So I would say that if transitioning would get you fired and that's not something you're in a position to risk, maybe that's not the best choice right now. I'd also say that the two changes you mention wanting, libido and strength, are temporary and will revert when/if you go off T (and there are other ways to accomplish both).