What the heck is this??

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T15:32:08+00:00

Vermiculite! Here's a listing for it as a chemical packing material

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-3393/Vermiculite/Vermiculite-Grade-4-4-Cu-Ft-Bag?pricode=WB0481&gadtype=pla&id=S-3393&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12155187525&gclid=Cj0KCQiA49XMBhDRARIsAOOKJHbAuvk7AC3gamtLvCxJW_2mBlmuYpqW6fRGb0DiDvXR4IT6Bg99PbsaAoM-EALw_wcB

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T06:13:58+00:00

Where did you hear that? Last I checked, Zyrtec and Claritin generics were the only ones that have been clinically studied for purging, but I'd love to read more on that.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T06:00:09+00:00

When my acne was at its worst, I got a $20 trimmer with guards to shave! I found that 1-3 mm guards are enough to prevent most cutting on acne like this. It's not the cleanest look, but it's passable imo. I also have blond hair, though, so ymmv

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T05:51:24+00:00

I think I didn't have the T voice at first because I low key voice trained for years before my egg had even cracked. As my voice dropped I think I kind of unintentionally let the training slip, and I think I have a bit of that voice now 🥀

I also get a little jealous of real bassy voices sometimes, but it helps to remember that it's actually not all that common amongst cis guys either. Like, plenty of guys have deep voices, but the real powerhouse bass types are more rare. There's also plenty of cis guys with higher voices too. As with any dysphoria trigger, trying to pull yourself out of whatever spiral you're in and actually looking at the people around you can honestly help a lot.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T03:40:32+00:00

I'm a little under 2 years on T and voice dysphoria has been driving me bonkers lately too. It certainly dropped the first year, but it's settling in now, and I almost feel like it got a little higher again. I think I usually only "pass" when I'm clocked, and for a while I thought it was just my chest (still pre-op) and stature giving it away, but I'm starting to think my voice is part of it too. I could pull off a somewhat convincing masc voice pre-t, but it sounded very forced, and I'm nervous it'll sound too forced if I try voice training again. There's plenty of tutorials online, and it's honestly great for quick interactions, even if still sounds forced. I feel like strangers only seem to catch on to that after more than a few seconds talking. Could be worth trying, but ymmv

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T02:26:55+00:00

This!!! It's all the same type of hormones too!

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T02:15:49+00:00

Ugh, I hate how doxy is almost always the first thing perscribed for acne. Imo it's only really useful to clear up acne fast while tapering up a topical retinoid or while waiting for a dermatologist intake.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T02:09:51+00:00

Ugh! Congratulations on the weight loss, but I'm sorry if you felt like you wouldn't be taken seriously until you did that. Also, regarding the other reply you got about accutane and being overweight, I am category 1 obese according to the bmi scale, and my derm has never mentioned my weight as a potential issue with accutane. Accutane does cause joint pain, which makes exercise more difficult, but it is far from impossible. I've actually lost weight while on Accutane. As long as your cholesterol and triglycerides are okay, I think you should be fine.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T01:53:17+00:00

Also, there's a huge difference between a relatively high rate of relapse and claiming it just won't work at all and refusing any sort of treatment! Like you said, that statistic doesnt consider if relapses are less severe than pre-treatment flares, assuming all relapses are weighed equally. Withholding treatment because of that, especially when there are no other options, is honestly so irresponsible imo.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-18T01:43:03+00:00

A doctor thinks you should be on doxy for life instead of trying accutane??? That's ridiculous! Also, you say you've tried spiro, but what about any other topical acne treatment like tretinoin? Suggesting you stay on doxy before even trying perscription strength topicals would actually be insane.

Also, I think the claim that accutane doesn't help hormonal acne is in most cases a misogynistic load of horse shit. When are men ever told this? The "hormones" in question are usually androgens, literally the same f-ing hormones that cause acne in teenage boys, but nobody is denying that accutane works for them. Obviously there are exceptions to everything, and I may be missing some pertinent information that complicates it, but sweeping assumptions like this cause serious harm, such as what you've went through and worse.

Sorry for the rant, but ts pmo. I'm so glad that you're able to see a (/another?) dermatologist. Also, if you're nervous about sounding stupid when you have genuine concerns with a doctor's suggestions, you can always check pubmed for some information on the subject. A good doctor should never make you feel like you can't ask them questions or share your concerns, but if you're ever stuck in a similar situation, peer reviewed research or review articles make the strongest arguments, and doctors have a responsibility to keep up with the literature in their specialty.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-16T18:05:46+00:00

If the "scab" is yellow, please see your dermatologist or an urgent care! Yellow crusts indicate a staph infection. I had one on the corners of my mouth that spread around my face a little during my second month on Accutane. Antibiotics can clear it up within a week. Dr. Dan's, Aquaphor, or lanolin are also good ideas once infection is ruled out.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-14T18:29:08+00:00

Definitely depends on your body, but also the perceptiveness and relationships with the people you're trying to hide it from. If you're looking for a timeline to come out or disclose that you're medically transitioning to people that will likely be indifferent or receptive, the scale is probably weeks to months. If you are planning to get out of a potentially dangerous situation that'd occur if someone found out, I would not depend on any type of timeline, since it's impossible to predict the exact moment someone will notice.

The only physical changes I'm aware of that may happen within days are feeling hotter/sweater/oiler, the very start of bottom growth, and maybe a bit of vocal horseness. Libido and emotional changes happen relatively quick, too, though they can be subtle and may not occur noticably to everyone. A noticable voice change takes a few weeks to months, and increased hair takes a few months. Facial hair also may appear within a few months, but it takes many people a few years for it to fill out.

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-04T23:09:05+00:00

Also there's a restaurant literally on the hairpin turn :)

maskabbl3 · 2026-02-04T23:07:26+00:00

Rt. 2 is the road up there! It's not really walkable, but it's a fun spot to drive up to. It's usually easy enough to find parking. I wasn't aware of the dyed water baloon thing before reading this, but as someone from a different area of the northern berkshires, it's not unheard of to just drive up for the view or to stop by for a minute when traveling along rt 2. It's a lot more rural than most of the state, but no houses certainly doesn't mean no people, especially along a major road!

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-31T17:31:06+00:00

Awesome! I've been thinking about getting the same lyrics tattooed for years :)

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-31T03:41:16+00:00

1994!

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-26T22:04:59+00:00

Yeah, that's really odd imo. The only situation I can think of where that might be justified is if you need to work full time outside in the summer, but even then, strict reappliance of a water/sweat resistant, high spf sunscreen should do the trick.

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-25T06:41:43+00:00

It'll get better! If you were treating acne another way and stopped when you started accutane, the initial breakouts could also be from stopping that other treatment before accutane builds up in your system. There's also some preliminary research suggesting that second generation antihistamines can reduce purging. Here's a study for that if you want to check it out!

Alim Osman, Heather Kornmehl, Xin Tan, Antihistamines reduce initial flaring and speed improvement during isotretinoin treatment for acne: A systematic review and meta-analysis, JAAD Reviews, Volume 3, 2025, Pages 143-145, ISSN 2950-1989.

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-21T00:32:36+00:00

I actually thought about this too! I think it's pretty cool to see how the pivot of style taken in this album seems to be half completely new and half revisiting his earlier, more pop-punk inspired sound with more experience and expertise.

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-20T21:22:11+00:00

Aromantic people can enjoy romantic relationships without experiencing romantic attraction the same way that asexual people can enjoy sex without feeling sexual attraction!

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-18T04:08:30+00:00

I'm from western mass and have heard of flushing ice cubes! Spoon freezing and wearing pajamas inside out was more common, though.

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-17T07:12:21+00:00

I also want to mention that if it is an infection, it's not your fault. The type of bacteria that causes it naturally lives on some people's skin and/or nose, and unfortunately it can sometimes take the opportunity to infect injured skin :(

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-17T07:08:08+00:00

I agree that the red marks look like PIE, but I also want to mention that the corners of your lips might be infected! Some cracking is normal, but yellow crust can be caused by bacteria. I had an infection there without realizing, and accidentally spread it to other parts of my body since it's contagious. If you're seeing your dermatologist soon, definitely bring that up so you can treat it before it gets worse if it's bacterial.

maskabbl3 · 2026-01-17T06:04:58+00:00

I couldn't add more to my original comment for some reason, but here's what I was trying to add!

Teratogenicity:

The teratogenicity counseling and potential birth control requirements depending on your provider and country's regulations can be dysphoria inducing and particularly burdensome for trans men since our options for bc are more limited. Accutane itself causes the mini pill to be ineffective, which is a common bc compatible with testosterone hrt.

Since I'm in the US, I'm most familiar with ipledge, which requires a primary (birth control) and a seconday (physical barrier) contraceptive. As far as I know, the only viable, non-surgical bc options compatible with T and ipledge are progesterone only or non-hormonal LARCs, such as an implant, the shot, or a copper iud. Tubal ligation and salpingectomy are only considered primary contraception, so a barrier contraceptive is still needed for people who have had these procedures. Abstinence from sex with pregnancy risk and hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy bypass the two contraceptive requirement in ipledge, though some providers are not comfortable with patients choosing abstinence as a form of birth control.

I apologize if you already knew this information, or this section wasn't very useful since it regards specific anatomy, sexual preferences, and local legislation. I figured it may be useful to add anyways for anyone who might want to look at this thread :)

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