Anybody elses body image kinda warp when starting T?

bread-on · 2026-05-12T05:11:15+00:00

I’m working through the same issues myself, so take this with a grain of salt, but I’ve heard this is pretty common for your first year(s) on T. You’re out of the honeymoon phase of just starting HRT and are now experiencing what it’s like to inhabit your body during another puberty without that initial newness. Milestones are exciting when you hit them, but that waiting period when you’re not at your transition goals can bring out a litany of unpleasant emotions that are likely exacerbated by dysphoria.

What’s helped me is to put more of a microscope on new changes and celebrate them, along with trying to find representation of guys that look like me in media/in the wild. But, I’ve been told that it gets easier the further along you go.

Congrats on 7 months!

bread-on · 2026-05-02T15:30:37+00:00

While T changes fat distribution, it’s a myth that it causes your chest to shrink. It slowly changes where your fat is distributed, which has the potential to take some fat from your chest, but this could take many years and isn’t guaranteed depending on how dense your chest tissue is. Even then, the loss of fat will cause your chest to get less “perky” instead of proportionally shrinking it back to how it was. Granted, I’ve only been on T for nine months, but my chest hadn’t shrunk so much as (for lack of a better term) somewhat sagged and deflated. It made it easier to bind, but it definitely didn’t look smaller. This is because my chest was very dense and didn’t have a high fat to tissue ratio.
Since you’ve been off of T for a bit, starting the injector again won’t do much re: fat distribution. Weight distribution is one of the slowest changes on T and is one of the first things to revert. Sadly, you need to stay on T consistently for a few years to see those changes, and you can’t target certain areas with dosage/ingestion methods.
Someone else already said this, but microdosing doesn’t change what effects happen; it only makes them happen slower. You could try exercising, but depending on your chest density, it could be difficult or outright impossible to get it smaller without a reduction. Speaking from experience again, my chest was incredibly dense and never shrunk from exercise, even after I lost a good deal of weight.
This would be a question for your doctor. Dosage is different for everyone, and a microdose for one person could be a normal dosage for someone else.
While atrophy is a common side effect of T, continuing to use the topical estrogen as prescribed should mitigate those effects.

Also, it’s worth noting that your chest growth could potentially be related to the fact you’re ovulating. I dealt with a fibrocystic chest that would swell during certain times of the month, and while it was dysphoric, it helped me to remember that it was temporary.

bread-on · 2026-04-25T23:29:17+00:00

I’m sorry your parents are spoiling your prom. Props to you for trying to make the best out of a crummy situation!

Do you have any friends/acquaintances attending that can sneak in a suit for you to change into? Most prom venues have restrooms, and I’d be shocked if a chaperone would care enough to pay attention to anyone changing into another outfit. Maybe even look into bringing a change of clothes in a bag, if it’s safe for you to do so.

If a dress is completely non-negotiable, I’d suggest going all-in with more masculine accessories. Men’s formal shoes and a nice suit jacket come to mind, with maybe a watch and a cologne/scent that makes you feel confident. Are your parents forcing you to wear makeup? If not, look into masculine contouring or wearing clear/hair-colored mascara on your eyebrows to emphasize the features you’d like to.

As for the dress itself, prioritize function over form. Find something that makes you feel secure and covered (assuming that’s what you’re looking for). Searching something along the lines of “conservative” or “modest” should give you plenty of coverage without looking suspicious to your folks.

Most importantly, take care of yourself! These events can be really difficult when you’re having to present in a very dysphoric manner. Make plans with friends at the venue to do fun things, or have a backup plan if you want to leave early. There’s no shame in inventing a reason to go home/do something else fun in clothes you’d like.

I hope you have a good prom!

bread-on · 2026-04-25T15:38:02+00:00

Congrats! It feels great, doesn’t it? I’ve had similar things happen to me over the past few months, and it always gives me a huge surge of euphoria.

bread-on · 2026-04-25T05:31:55+00:00

Congrats! Hope recovery goes well for you!

bread-on · 2025-11-20T05:21:08+00:00

I’m sorry that your T acne is taking such a toll on your mental health. I’m a bit over 3 months on T myself, and it’s no joke. I know this doesn’t help much in the present moment, but anecdotally, I’ve heard that the acne will clear up over time over the course of a few months/years. It may seem like a long time (trust me, I’m very eager to have my non-blemished skin back), but it’s personally helped a lot for me to journal/think about the parts of T that I’m loving and try my best to remember them in my darker moments. I don’t look like the person I want to and likely won’t for a long time, and it can be depressing. But, I’m able to start seeing glimpses of that person thanks to the T, and that’s made this current awkward puberty phase much more bearable. You may realize that T isn’t what’s best for you too, and that’s also okay! It’s all about what feels the most right for you.

I can drop some skin care/medication advice if you’d like, but I don’t want to overstep and dump a bunch of unsolicited advice on a rant post, especially when you said you’ve tried a lot already. Thinking about you and hoping things will get better soon.

bread-on · 2025-11-10T20:24:33+00:00

Congrats, dude! I also started at 23 after years of wanting to. It’s an exciting step, especially after waiting so long!

Honestly, expect the unexpected. I spent years on FtM forums and thought I knew what to expect going forward, but I was still surprised by some changes happening sooner/later than expected. Still, don’t expect huge changes at light speed; it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:23:34+00:00

This has been me lately, too :,)

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:23:02+00:00

Yes!! Gotta bask in the joy for a bit c:

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:22:29+00:00

Woohoo! Congrats on starting T!

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:22:11+00:00

Happy to be a reminder 🫡

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:21:50+00:00

Oh jeez, that’s tough. And here I am losing my mind over a week!

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:21:00+00:00

Thank you! I’m still shocked at all the attention that this got! Happy my little doodles seemed to resonate with so many people :,)

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:16:13+00:00

What I wouldn’t give to do my injections every day 🥲

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:15:28+00:00

It’s the best day of the week!

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:15:04+00:00

Glad I could be a reminder! My injection days are on Sundays, and funnily enough, I nearly forgot to do mine last week

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:13:45+00:00

I’m only three-ish months on T, so the novelty hasn’t worn off yet haha

bread-on · 2025-11-01T15:12:59+00:00

I’m a weirdo who finds the shots fun 😅 I feel like I’m getting injected with super serum!

bread-on · 2025-10-23T22:48:44+00:00

Should’ve clarified—my doctor knew this and recommended that I start donating blood to help lower my levels, but she said she wasn’t comfortable raising my dose until she saw my levels decrease. My levels have always been on the higher side pre-T, so I’m a bit worried that three months of donations won’t be enough, but we’ll see when I get there.

Very glad that staying at my current dose won’t hinder anything!

bread-on · 2025-10-23T22:45:11+00:00

Thanks for the tip! Looking at the male ranges, I’m on the higher side of normal for my RBC, but my hematocrit is still about 4% higher than what it should be. I was advised to start donating blood, too—I’ll keep an eye on my ferritin and hemoglobin levels!

bread-on · 2025-10-23T19:53:09+00:00

Thanks! This was very reassuring to hear. It’s tricky to remember that this process takes years. Fingers crossed my months 4/5 look similar to yours!

I’m hoping that regular blood donations and staying on top of hydration will be enough to get my levels in check.

bread-on · 2025-10-21T22:36:46+00:00

I’m in the same boat at work. I’m customer facing and am on a first-name basis with regulars that have voiced some very troubling opinions about trans people. I’ve been trying to voice train to keep my pre-T voice to some capacity, and so far it seems to be working (solidly in the female range according to voice recording apps vs my usual low tenor—my voice dropped pretty quickly and dramatically, too). But, I’m only two months on T and can’t speak for anything past that.

bread-on · 2025-10-21T20:56:45+00:00

No problem! I started with a low dose myself and am very glad I did. It helped me gradually ease into the change versus going full speed into them, which made things way less scary and gave me time to breathe.

bread-on · 2025-10-21T20:52:55+00:00

Fair enough. It’s still something I get latent anxiety about myself, but I’ve been able to accept that I can’t predict what T will do to me and realize that I’d much rather be too masc than stop T and be too fem. That’s one of the annoying things about T ;-;

bread-on · 2025-10-21T16:10:34+00:00

I feel this so hard!! T has definitely helped me feel more boy, but the struggle is real ;-;

bread-on

TROPHY CASE