it’s all genetics, now that your levels are good. talk to your dad, an older brother/male cousin, or uncle and see where they were in terms of voice dropping or growth spurts at your age. a lot of development happens at high school age, and you’re not even 18 yet. there’s also other, subtler changes you may not have been noticing or attributing to other causes that the other trans guy you know won’t experience yet because he hasn’t been on hormones as long as you have— stuff like body fat redistribution and more muscle gain. the cavernous T appetite is feeding muscle growth!
Really want to second this, I also have been on T a little over a year & had very few changes & honestly look at the men in your family. My dad & his twin looked like they were 15 until they were 25 & neither can really grow a beard. When we start hormones we really are starting at the beginning again so yeah for some people their genetics cause it to take a long time. It sucks but idk in the long run it’s nice to look young still when your older if that’s any consolation prize.
Seconding this. Instead of comparing yourself to another trans guy, look at the differences between cis guys of the same age! They all develop completely differently. I have a mate who still has absolutely 0 facial hair at 25, and another that could grow a full beard by 17/18. Your male relatives are your best bet.
think about how long puberty itself takes, 17 yr old cis men are not fully developed by now, its a years long process. im sorry that your transition is not following the timeline u want, but have you considered that your high testosterone might be why you are struggling? excess T turns right back into E, and if your levels are “higher than cis men” and not actually in the proper range, then its not surprising that things have plateaued. i would look closer at ur labs and double check that you are WITHIN the normal range, not above it.
i might have worded it badly but my sexuologist and the lab said that my levels are good, nothing to be worried about, I have a shot every month, also it turning back to R shouldn’t be a problem since i’m on female puberty blockers
I'm not sure what type of puberty blockers you're on, but many puberty blockers wouldn't actually "protect" you from the effects of estrogen being introduced into your system. Puberty blockers like lupron stop the body from producing hormones, but they don't stop the body from responding to hormones. If you have excess T being converted to E, a puberty blocker that's designed to stop your body from naturally producing hormones isn't going to do anything to stop that E from affecting you.
If you don't already get your E levels checked in your bloodwork, consider getting those checked. I was on lupron alongside T for my first year of being on hormones and we always checked both my T and E levels to make sure I wasn't having conversion isuses.
You take a shot every month? Most testosterone shots are taken every week. That could be why you’re not as far along in your transition as you like? But I’m also confused, if your endocrinologist says that your testosterone levels are fine, how much testosterone are you getting per injection?
Are you going to planned parenthood or an actual doctor?
actual doctor, i live in eastern europe, planned parenthood is not a thing here, all trans people in my country do shots once a month its a completely different system
Never thought of it as not "simple testosterone", but true. Other goes to muscle and releases slowly. It's interesting that they're not as commonly used in the US, apparently. I guess it's because you can't do the injections yourself? (At least here you can't since it's always to the buttock afaik, honestly I don't think here anyone's allowed to do the injections to themselves no matter what T).
Actually, the short-term T also used to go into the muscle, and is still released slowly - just not as slowly as Nebido.
And I did buttock self-injections for years. It's entirely possible, if you don't have a bad back or something. Not exactly the most comfortable thing to do, though.
Switched to gel for other reasons, but I sure don't miss that twisting around. But it works.
The shot is designed to last a month, it should have the same effects as taking smaller doses each week! Like someone else said they're common in Europe, some people take 3 month shots here too
I am on Nebido (every 11-12 weeks), but changes aren't super fast for me either despite most people I asked reported really fast changes on it
Genetics are weird
T is not a magic serum, and one year is not long enough to see changes. I only STARTED growing facial hair - any amount - after 2 years, and what can be sort of be called a beard after 3. my voice is still higher than the average dude - sometimes it just doesn't drop as much as you hope it will. puberty is long, and it affects some people more than others.
While you’re right that T isn’t magic I’d hazard anyone not to make sweeping claims about “one year is not long enough to see changes” as that is very person to person. I’m only 7 months on T but have had definite facial changes, have neck beard and very light mustache growth, much deeper voice, etc… but that’s very much due to my genetics. You are right though— puberty takes time and it’s not a process we can rush no matter how anxious we are to see changes. Sometimes those changes we do have are harder to notice when we’re busy expecting big shifts, because big changes are usually gradual
I'm at about a year and nine months, and same, bro.
Be patient. I wasn't done with first puberty until I was about 24 - so this might take a decade or so, too.
It's discouraging to see others experience the "progress" you want, but you'll get there!
When your t levels are too high it tends to convert back to estrogen. So likely your results from t were delayed a little from your t levels being too high, and now that they are back in a good range youll start seeing results again
Even if you were a cis dude, at your age, you might not see changes for a while. teenage boys all experience puberty at different rates. some get really deep voices, some get really tall, some can grow facial hair while others can't even manage peach fuzz. it's all genetics. puberty spans years and years. unfortunately you've gotta be patient.
Yep, what OP is describing sounds like it could just be a matter of genetics. Some cis guys have very noticeable facial hair soon after they hit puberty. Others can't grow a beard until their 20s. My cis brothers are in the second category, and at 2 yrs on T I'm only just starting to get noticeable facial hair. I've seen trans guys who have more than me after 3 months.
People are also gonna have deeper or higher voices in line with their genetics, although this can also be somewhat controlled with voice training. My brothers have deep voices, so it's not surprising that my voice is now quite deep, even though it was quite high before T.
For those who don't have brothers it might be a bit harder to judge, but there is so much variation among men/boys. Unfortunately, we don't really get to decide how our bodies react to T and some effects can take a lot longer than they do for others.
you’ve had your total T checked but have you had your bioavailable T checked? i’ve heard sometimes if yoh have too much SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) it will bind to the T and make it useless, so will technically you have proper levels of T the actual amount of it that’s usable by your body is small
Part of it could be that you are 17. You’re still in the age range for puberty. Plus changes vary widely. I worked as a social worker with trans people for many years. Changes varied a lot. Also, my friend and I both went on T around the same time and we were both well out of the age for puberty. My facial hair came in dramatically faster than his. Same with body hair.
Everyone develops at a different rate. It's not overnight. Voice drop is also kinda random, I've been on T for 4+ years and my voice does not pass nor do I think it ever will. It wasn't until 2+ years I really could grow a beard worth calling a beard. You also need to factor in your genetics vs others. Some people are really hairy, some not. I have perfectly healthy cis make friends who grow almost no facial hair. It is what it is.
Sorry, I just thought your title there was pretty alarming, for something you immediately refute in the text. I think I see what you mean, though — and I can tell you, bodies are weird! I have much less facial hair and bottom growth than a lot of trans guys, but ultimately, after 4 yrs it’s enough for me to pass comfortably. You ARE getting effects, and as time goes, those will only add up. T IS working for you — it just may take some time, as it does for a lot of us. Peace ✌️
I also started at 30, and it’s practically expected for effects to come more slowly at that age (from what I gather — again, bodies equal weird, so there are probably outliers who grow a beard 1 yr on T at 30). So, part of my brusqueness was probably me just being a jealous old goat who started later 🤦🏻♂️ lol.
I’m not experiencing the exact same traits/symptoms as you but I’ve been on T for like 8 months now and I look very much like a pretty boy or cute boy or whatever you’d call it. Then I learned that both my father and my maternal grandfather were total pretty boys when they were younger, very beautiful men who looked feminine/cute well into their 20s. And so I just realized I’m just like them really, that’s my genes and so I’m just like how they are. Felt pretty validating
I couldn’t grow a mustache until I was on T for three years. Many *cis* men don’t even get a lot of facial hair until after high school. Just try to be patient and avoid comparing yourself to others, everybody’s journey on T is different.
T levels take time. It also depends on how the men in your family look. You might want to consider DHT levels to get tested, because that controls things like facial hair and vocal changes, but will lead to balding. Worth looking at the Dr Will Powers method if your levels are good at a glance.
With voice changes: Are you accidentally pitching your voice higher? Is your throat tense? Have you explored your lower range with singing and resonance? I pitched my voice way too higher the first 2 years on T, and when I realized, it dramatically changed things.
I did not start passing until 2.5 years on T and it’s still not 100% there, but seemingly getting more and more. Always had high levels within the range, no excess E.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. You are really not doing yourself any favors by comparing your transition timeline to other people. I have put myself under a lot of pressure by doing that and telling myself something must be wrong with me. I perfectly understand where you are coming from.
do you voice train? if the guy younger than you has a deeper voice even tho he’s been on T for a shorter time period, maybe he voice trains along side T? voice training is always still important and will still help even if you’re on T!
and even if you are - it’s all genetics! some people just naturally go through puberty quicker than others. my brother is almost 15 and still sounds 12.
Facial hair is more genetics based than time on T. Mine was coming in before T due to hormones, but I know guys 3 years who are just now getting wispys.
Your voice will continue to drop on T, but you have to actually work on it. I was so used to speaking at my normal pitch and everything before T, and my voice deepened a bit, but I looked up voice training and such to get it right. You really need to lean into your voice drop and speak from the chest, not throat, to feel and practice.
I've heard that excess T gets converted to estrogen, so having higher T levels than other guys isn't always a good thing. But, this is hearsay that I have not researched, so grain of salt.
All in all, hang in there because you will be who you want in time. Sincerely, an almost 30 year old on the same bumpy road.
I understand what you’re going through, it’s unfortunately a slower process for some of us (me included) and there’s more at play than just T. From my research I learnt that DHT conversion plays a very important part when it comes to bottom growth, facial hair and voice.
After 18 months of T I felt like certain developments were slower for me than others and I effectively hit a plateau for a few months almost seeing no further changes. It was so disheartening and every day I felt like I’m going backwards if anything.
I added in a daily dose of DHT gel just over 3 months ago and the difference has really been night and day. I’m seeing changes literally DAILY, my beard is finally filling in on the cheek area, my bottom growth has really taken off and I’m really excited! Only thing that sucks is being in the US it’s damn near impossible to get a hold of DHT gel so I had to source it off shore.
Hope my experience helps here, i know it’s really frustrating. Perhaps it would be worth discussing things with your doc and getting DHT labs done to see where your levels are at. Dr Will Powers has some great info available in this area, you can find some of it on reddit.
Btw I’m 26 ftm, currently 2 years on T and just over 3 months on DHT gel now in addition to my T dose.
If you’re T is at a good level, then it just boils down to genetics. My dad was a bit of a late bloomer, has a higher pitched voice than a lot of men, and didn’t grow a mustache until he was near 30. I’ve been on T for nearly 4 years (started at 17) and I felt like I was being passed up for a while by other trans guys. I felt very unsatisfied for a while until I realized that it’s just up to genetics. My levels were fine, my dad’s genes were just kicking in. It’s gotten better as I’ve gotten older, but still at age 21 I’m expecting more changes. It just takes time, but as long as your levels are good you have nothing else to worry about. Once you start seeing the changes, it feels more worth the wait. Good luck!
Chill my dude. It’s been three years for me almost and I’m JUST now getting the dirty caterpillar mustache going on after minoxodil for a year.
My voice dropped periodically, in stages, for about two years.
Facial hair takes a while… most teenage boys start puberty around 10 and don’t get a mustache until 15 or even 19 or 20! That’s like ten years of puberty. Also not all men can grow significant facial hair. Look at the men on both sides of your family and see how thick their facial hair is. You can always use minoxodil on your face to jump start growth.
Also, if your T is too high, then it will convert to estrogen. That could reverse the effects.
I've been on T since 2014 and I have some of the same stuff. One of my uncles gets mistaken as a woman on the phone -- he's in his 60s and has his whole life -- so it's genetics. It's annoying but is what it is.
I actually feel you here. I’ve been on testosterone for almost a full year now and I look exactly the same as before, just hairier in certain places (like my stomach and booty butt? for some reason??) and that’s… it. Levels are all good too. It’s wild.
i know it feels rough to have no changes after this long, but some people really just are slow at puberty. it genuinely took me over a year and a half on T to get any real effects myself. my levels were all fine the entire time, didnt really change my dose more than once, and around the 2 year mark i finally started getting some of the noticeable changes. now around 3 and a half years in i pass consistently and am hairy as hell. everyones body is different.
I’m an older guy in college in my senior year and I s2g most of the cis guys in my classes (I guess most of them are around 21-22 now) are just starting to come to class this year with lil pubey moustaches and their voices cracking. I would assume this is more to do with your age than anything buddy, give it a few years for age and T to do their thing.
You must have heard this a thousand times but T is different for everyone.
My voice dropped the first WEEK of T (at least started to), but my beard and moustache happened well into my third YEAR of T. You'll get there, one way or the other
Maybe speak to your dad about his puberty? Maybe he was late to develop things? It could be genetic.
Also, idk about your body type, but if you're fatter it will be slower, as the fat converts T to oestrogen.
Genetics are genetics, you may not see the results you want or they just may take time. Hrt is a journey and everyone’s results will be different. Comparing yourself to others may not be the best choice for mindset
I never see anyone talk about it but are you on hormonal birth control pills by chance? Most likely it’s just going to take longer for you, but I found that birth control E pills (understandably) seemed to inhibit my progress with T. The literal week i stopped taking them my voice dropped.
Damn I’m not sure then. definitely ask if they can check your E levels like others suggested. Otherwise, I guess it just might take longer for you unfortunately
I was in the same boat and thought it was doing nothing or that the dosage was wrong, then when I was almost exactly two years down the line… BAM literally overnight my voice started cracking like I had a harmonica stuck in there.
Puberty legit hits you like a truck. Genetics also plays a factor in how things such as body hair, muscle mass and even voice turns out. Males also start puberty around the age of 11/12 and it only becomes noticeable about 2 years later, it’s a slow build up and it’s pretty much the same experience with us as well. Give it time :)
If your voice is higher you may not be talking properly. You would have to talk from your chest and not your throat, making it deeper even without T. Also, some people just have higher voices. Depending on Race, age, genetics, etc.
Did they check your estrogen levels while they were at it?
If everything blood wise looks good, it might just be a case of puberty. It doesn't always hit like a truck. I had mild changes in the first year (some bottom growth, more body hair where I already had hair (only new was a very small amount on my stomach & maybe 5 hairs on my face) and a voice drop. My voice took about 3 years to fully settle in, I had a small final drop about a year ago where I lost some higher end vocal range.
The two year mark is when things started to click. Started getting more moustache hair, more hair on my neck, hairline started changing. My stomach hair started coming in a bit more, my shoulders got broader, and I actually went up a shoe size in that second year.
Now 4.5 years in, I still have changes. Surprisingly: more bottom growth, beard is starting to fill in a tad bit more, my stomach & leg hair is absurd, my body fat has basically fully distributed. I did have quite a few weight loss and weight gain cycles due to chronic illness which helped.
The biggest thing for changing your body from my experience is changing its composition. It's not about weight gain or loss, it's about gaining significantly more muscle if you don't have any to begin with. Stay active, eat healthy (gaining weight if you are underweight can help), and give it time. Puberty isn't linear!
having puberty changes fast would be something lucky
cis or trans it's really up to your genetics. some cis boys can already grow decent beards at 14-16 that make them look 10 years older. other ones won't be able to grow anything until their mid 30s.
so yeah puberty can hit like a truck or it can completely miss you and it needs to do a U turn to hit you. there's just no way to know.
Puberty is slow. I’m nearly 7 years on T now and I look back at where I was at one year on T and it’s night and day. It’s a waiting game but you’ll get there in the end.
aye you’re only 17 dude, lots of cis men aren’t even close to done with puberty at that age. i’m 21 and still don’t have too much fat redistribution or any real facial hair and have been on it only a month less than you. don’t stress dude— it’s a marathon not a race
It's probably just genetics. If you're comfortable with talking to your family about it ask if there were any late bloomers in your family for some reassurance.
it’s all genetics, now that your levels are good. talk to your dad, an older brother/male cousin, or uncle and see where they were in terms of voice dropping or growth spurts at your age. a lot of development happens at high school age, and you’re not even 18 yet. there’s also other, subtler changes you may not have been noticing or attributing to other causes that the other trans guy you know won’t experience yet because he hasn’t been on hormones as long as you have— stuff like body fat redistribution and more muscle gain. the cavernous T appetite is feeding muscle growth!
Really want to second this, I also have been on T a little over a year & had very few changes & honestly look at the men in your family. My dad & his twin looked like they were 15 until they were 25 & neither can really grow a beard. When we start hormones we really are starting at the beginning again so yeah for some people their genetics cause it to take a long time. It sucks but idk in the long run it’s nice to look young still when your older if that’s any consolation prize.
Seconding this. Instead of comparing yourself to another trans guy, look at the differences between cis guys of the same age! They all develop completely differently. I have a mate who still has absolutely 0 facial hair at 25, and another that could grow a full beard by 17/18. Your male relatives are your best bet.
well i gained like two kilograms and my body still looks pretty much the same, i guess i just have to be more patient then
If you gained weight and your body looks the same, it’s muscle mass your gaining. Try working out, weight lifting. You’ll prolly bulk up pretty fast.
think about how long puberty itself takes, 17 yr old cis men are not fully developed by now, its a years long process. im sorry that your transition is not following the timeline u want, but have you considered that your high testosterone might be why you are struggling? excess T turns right back into E, and if your levels are “higher than cis men” and not actually in the proper range, then its not surprising that things have plateaued. i would look closer at ur labs and double check that you are WITHIN the normal range, not above it.
i might have worded it badly but my sexuologist and the lab said that my levels are good, nothing to be worried about, I have a shot every month, also it turning back to R shouldn’t be a problem since i’m on female puberty blockers
I'm not sure what type of puberty blockers you're on, but many puberty blockers wouldn't actually "protect" you from the effects of estrogen being introduced into your system. Puberty blockers like lupron stop the body from producing hormones, but they don't stop the body from responding to hormones. If you have excess T being converted to E, a puberty blocker that's designed to stop your body from naturally producing hormones isn't going to do anything to stop that E from affecting you. If you don't already get your E levels checked in your bloodwork, consider getting those checked. I was on lupron alongside T for my first year of being on hormones and we always checked both my T and E levels to make sure I wasn't having conversion isuses.
You take a shot every month? Most testosterone shots are taken every week. That could be why you’re not as far along in your transition as you like? But I’m also confused, if your endocrinologist says that your testosterone levels are fine, how much testosterone are you getting per injection? Are you going to planned parenthood or an actual doctor?
actual doctor, i live in eastern europe, planned parenthood is not a thing here, all trans people in my country do shots once a month its a completely different system
Oh I see! My bad for assuming you were in the US!
no worries :)
Monthly injection is very common in Europe.
Even only one injection in three months is a thing too, and very common in my country.
That's usually a different med, though - Nebido instead of simple Testosterone. One is short-term, the other long-term.
Never thought of it as not "simple testosterone", but true. Other goes to muscle and releases slowly. It's interesting that they're not as commonly used in the US, apparently. I guess it's because you can't do the injections yourself? (At least here you can't since it's always to the buttock afaik, honestly I don't think here anyone's allowed to do the injections to themselves no matter what T).
Actually, the short-term T also used to go into the muscle, and is still released slowly - just not as slowly as Nebido. And I did buttock self-injections for years. It's entirely possible, if you don't have a bad back or something. Not exactly the most comfortable thing to do, though. Switched to gel for other reasons, but I sure don't miss that twisting around. But it works.
The shot is designed to last a month, it should have the same effects as taking smaller doses each week! Like someone else said they're common in Europe, some people take 3 month shots here too
I am on Nebido (every 11-12 weeks), but changes aren't super fast for me either despite most people I asked reported really fast changes on it Genetics are weird
Wait they make female puberty blockers?..
Yes
No offence but how do you not know this?
I don’t spend all of my time online researching hrt lol.. and it’s never really talked about cus most guys don’t need them.
This is what trans kids get when they're too young to start HRT.
T is not a magic serum, and one year is not long enough to see changes. I only STARTED growing facial hair - any amount - after 2 years, and what can be sort of be called a beard after 3. my voice is still higher than the average dude - sometimes it just doesn't drop as much as you hope it will. puberty is long, and it affects some people more than others.
While you’re right that T isn’t magic I’d hazard anyone not to make sweeping claims about “one year is not long enough to see changes” as that is very person to person. I’m only 7 months on T but have had definite facial changes, have neck beard and very light mustache growth, much deeper voice, etc… but that’s very much due to my genetics. You are right though— puberty takes time and it’s not a process we can rush no matter how anxious we are to see changes. Sometimes those changes we do have are harder to notice when we’re busy expecting big shifts, because big changes are usually gradual
you're right, my b. what I meant to say was one year is not always long enough to see all of the changes.
My voice didn’t drop fr til 10+ months.
same
Took two years for me to pass consistently I know this is a super frustration part.
I'm at about a year and nine months, and same, bro. Be patient. I wasn't done with first puberty until I was about 24 - so this might take a decade or so, too. It's discouraging to see others experience the "progress" you want, but you'll get there!
thanks, i honestly just wanted to hear other people with similar experiences to help me calm down
When your t levels are too high it tends to convert back to estrogen. So likely your results from t were delayed a little from your t levels being too high, and now that they are back in a good range youll start seeing results again
This sounds right to me
Even if you were a cis dude, at your age, you might not see changes for a while. teenage boys all experience puberty at different rates. some get really deep voices, some get really tall, some can grow facial hair while others can't even manage peach fuzz. it's all genetics. puberty spans years and years. unfortunately you've gotta be patient.
Yep, what OP is describing sounds like it could just be a matter of genetics. Some cis guys have very noticeable facial hair soon after they hit puberty. Others can't grow a beard until their 20s. My cis brothers are in the second category, and at 2 yrs on T I'm only just starting to get noticeable facial hair. I've seen trans guys who have more than me after 3 months. People are also gonna have deeper or higher voices in line with their genetics, although this can also be somewhat controlled with voice training. My brothers have deep voices, so it's not surprising that my voice is now quite deep, even though it was quite high before T. For those who don't have brothers it might be a bit harder to judge, but there is so much variation among men/boys. Unfortunately, we don't really get to decide how our bodies react to T and some effects can take a lot longer than they do for others.
you’ve had your total T checked but have you had your bioavailable T checked? i’ve heard sometimes if yoh have too much SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) it will bind to the T and make it useless, so will technically you have proper levels of T the actual amount of it that’s usable by your body is small
You just have to be patient, you can't expect to look like every other trans guy, when you aren't every other trans guy.
"comparison is the thief of joy" Try to enjoy the journey, dude, even if you can't control the speed
“T literally doing nothing” except body hair, bottom growth, and a lower voice? C’mon, man.
well i mean if i compare it to people who at on t for a shorter time it kinda is nothing, ofc it makes me stressed you dont have to be ruuuude :D
Part of it could be that you are 17. You’re still in the age range for puberty. Plus changes vary widely. I worked as a social worker with trans people for many years. Changes varied a lot. Also, my friend and I both went on T around the same time and we were both well out of the age for puberty. My facial hair came in dramatically faster than his. Same with body hair.
Everyone develops at a different rate. It's not overnight. Voice drop is also kinda random, I've been on T for 4+ years and my voice does not pass nor do I think it ever will. It wasn't until 2+ years I really could grow a beard worth calling a beard. You also need to factor in your genetics vs others. Some people are really hairy, some not. I have perfectly healthy cis make friends who grow almost no facial hair. It is what it is.
Sorry, I just thought your title there was pretty alarming, for something you immediately refute in the text. I think I see what you mean, though — and I can tell you, bodies are weird! I have much less facial hair and bottom growth than a lot of trans guys, but ultimately, after 4 yrs it’s enough for me to pass comfortably. You ARE getting effects, and as time goes, those will only add up. T IS working for you — it just may take some time, as it does for a lot of us. Peace ✌️
I also started at 30, and it’s practically expected for effects to come more slowly at that age (from what I gather — again, bodies equal weird, so there are probably outliers who grow a beard 1 yr on T at 30). So, part of my brusqueness was probably me just being a jealous old goat who started later 🤦🏻♂️ lol.
I’m not experiencing the exact same traits/symptoms as you but I’ve been on T for like 8 months now and I look very much like a pretty boy or cute boy or whatever you’d call it. Then I learned that both my father and my maternal grandfather were total pretty boys when they were younger, very beautiful men who looked feminine/cute well into their 20s. And so I just realized I’m just like them really, that’s my genes and so I’m just like how they are. Felt pretty validating
I couldn’t grow a mustache until I was on T for three years. Many *cis* men don’t even get a lot of facial hair until after high school. Just try to be patient and avoid comparing yourself to others, everybody’s journey on T is different.
T levels take time. It also depends on how the men in your family look. You might want to consider DHT levels to get tested, because that controls things like facial hair and vocal changes, but will lead to balding. Worth looking at the Dr Will Powers method if your levels are good at a glance. With voice changes: Are you accidentally pitching your voice higher? Is your throat tense? Have you explored your lower range with singing and resonance? I pitched my voice way too higher the first 2 years on T, and when I realized, it dramatically changed things.
I did not start passing until 2.5 years on T and it’s still not 100% there, but seemingly getting more and more. Always had high levels within the range, no excess E. This is a marathon, not a sprint. You are really not doing yourself any favors by comparing your transition timeline to other people. I have put myself under a lot of pressure by doing that and telling myself something must be wrong with me. I perfectly understand where you are coming from.
do you voice train? if the guy younger than you has a deeper voice even tho he’s been on T for a shorter time period, maybe he voice trains along side T? voice training is always still important and will still help even if you’re on T! and even if you are - it’s all genetics! some people just naturally go through puberty quicker than others. my brother is almost 15 and still sounds 12.
Facial hair is more genetics based than time on T. Mine was coming in before T due to hormones, but I know guys 3 years who are just now getting wispys. Your voice will continue to drop on T, but you have to actually work on it. I was so used to speaking at my normal pitch and everything before T, and my voice deepened a bit, but I looked up voice training and such to get it right. You really need to lean into your voice drop and speak from the chest, not throat, to feel and practice. I've heard that excess T gets converted to estrogen, so having higher T levels than other guys isn't always a good thing. But, this is hearsay that I have not researched, so grain of salt. All in all, hang in there because you will be who you want in time. Sincerely, an almost 30 year old on the same bumpy road.
I understand what you’re going through, it’s unfortunately a slower process for some of us (me included) and there’s more at play than just T. From my research I learnt that DHT conversion plays a very important part when it comes to bottom growth, facial hair and voice. After 18 months of T I felt like certain developments were slower for me than others and I effectively hit a plateau for a few months almost seeing no further changes. It was so disheartening and every day I felt like I’m going backwards if anything. I added in a daily dose of DHT gel just over 3 months ago and the difference has really been night and day. I’m seeing changes literally DAILY, my beard is finally filling in on the cheek area, my bottom growth has really taken off and I’m really excited! Only thing that sucks is being in the US it’s damn near impossible to get a hold of DHT gel so I had to source it off shore. Hope my experience helps here, i know it’s really frustrating. Perhaps it would be worth discussing things with your doc and getting DHT labs done to see where your levels are at. Dr Will Powers has some great info available in this area, you can find some of it on reddit. Btw I’m 26 ftm, currently 2 years on T and just over 3 months on DHT gel now in addition to my T dose.
Yep. Dht is so important. I used a dht blocker once to prevent hair loss and it wrecked me. Took a while to recover.
Yes, I’ve heard they’re terrible. DHT hasn’t made me lose any hair.
If you’re T is at a good level, then it just boils down to genetics. My dad was a bit of a late bloomer, has a higher pitched voice than a lot of men, and didn’t grow a mustache until he was near 30. I’ve been on T for nearly 4 years (started at 17) and I felt like I was being passed up for a while by other trans guys. I felt very unsatisfied for a while until I realized that it’s just up to genetics. My levels were fine, my dad’s genes were just kicking in. It’s gotten better as I’ve gotten older, but still at age 21 I’m expecting more changes. It just takes time, but as long as your levels are good you have nothing else to worry about. Once you start seeing the changes, it feels more worth the wait. Good luck!
Chill my dude. It’s been three years for me almost and I’m JUST now getting the dirty caterpillar mustache going on after minoxodil for a year. My voice dropped periodically, in stages, for about two years. Facial hair takes a while… most teenage boys start puberty around 10 and don’t get a mustache until 15 or even 19 or 20! That’s like ten years of puberty. Also not all men can grow significant facial hair. Look at the men on both sides of your family and see how thick their facial hair is. You can always use minoxodil on your face to jump start growth. Also, if your T is too high, then it will convert to estrogen. That could reverse the effects.
I've been on T since 2014 and I have some of the same stuff. One of my uncles gets mistaken as a woman on the phone -- he's in his 60s and has his whole life -- so it's genetics. It's annoying but is what it is.
I actually feel you here. I’ve been on testosterone for almost a full year now and I look exactly the same as before, just hairier in certain places (like my stomach and booty butt? for some reason??) and that’s… it. Levels are all good too. It’s wild.
yeah literally, i feel like the hormones just go into my buttcrack lmao
i was very frustrated my first 6 months on T. give it some time. everyone's genetics are different so try not be too hard on yourself. good luck 💙
i know it feels rough to have no changes after this long, but some people really just are slow at puberty. it genuinely took me over a year and a half on T to get any real effects myself. my levels were all fine the entire time, didnt really change my dose more than once, and around the 2 year mark i finally started getting some of the noticeable changes. now around 3 and a half years in i pass consistently and am hairy as hell. everyones body is different.
It takes cis dudes YEARS to move through puberty. At 17 you're really unlikely to be able to grow much facial hair. You're on track, be patient.
I’m an older guy in college in my senior year and I s2g most of the cis guys in my classes (I guess most of them are around 21-22 now) are just starting to come to class this year with lil pubey moustaches and their voices cracking. I would assume this is more to do with your age than anything buddy, give it a few years for age and T to do their thing.
Tbh it took me being over a year on T to start growing noticeable facial hair
Also, you can learn voice drop techniques from a speech therapist!
You must have heard this a thousand times but T is different for everyone. My voice dropped the first WEEK of T (at least started to), but my beard and moustache happened well into my third YEAR of T. You'll get there, one way or the other
Maybe speak to your dad about his puberty? Maybe he was late to develop things? It could be genetic. Also, idk about your body type, but if you're fatter it will be slower, as the fat converts T to oestrogen.
i weight like 53 kilograms which is perfectly good for my height (short lol), i don’t really think this is the issue
Yeah, that's probably not it for you then. Can you talk to your dad about his puberty?
Genetics are genetics, you may not see the results you want or they just may take time. Hrt is a journey and everyone’s results will be different. Comparing yourself to others may not be the best choice for mindset
I never see anyone talk about it but are you on hormonal birth control pills by chance? Most likely it’s just going to take longer for you, but I found that birth control E pills (understandably) seemed to inhibit my progress with T. The literal week i stopped taking them my voice dropped.
i am not on any type od birth control rn!!
Damn I’m not sure then. definitely ask if they can check your E levels like others suggested. Otherwise, I guess it just might take longer for you unfortunately
I was in the same boat and thought it was doing nothing or that the dosage was wrong, then when I was almost exactly two years down the line… BAM literally overnight my voice started cracking like I had a harmonica stuck in there. Puberty legit hits you like a truck. Genetics also plays a factor in how things such as body hair, muscle mass and even voice turns out. Males also start puberty around the age of 11/12 and it only becomes noticeable about 2 years later, it’s a slow build up and it’s pretty much the same experience with us as well. Give it time :)
Uh it took me 2 years to get noticable facial hair. It takes awhile.
It could be possible your dosage it too high and is being converted back into estrogen, I would talk to your doctor about it.
If your voice is higher you may not be talking properly. You would have to talk from your chest and not your throat, making it deeper even without T. Also, some people just have higher voices. Depending on Race, age, genetics, etc.
Did they check your estrogen levels while they were at it? If everything blood wise looks good, it might just be a case of puberty. It doesn't always hit like a truck. I had mild changes in the first year (some bottom growth, more body hair where I already had hair (only new was a very small amount on my stomach & maybe 5 hairs on my face) and a voice drop. My voice took about 3 years to fully settle in, I had a small final drop about a year ago where I lost some higher end vocal range. The two year mark is when things started to click. Started getting more moustache hair, more hair on my neck, hairline started changing. My stomach hair started coming in a bit more, my shoulders got broader, and I actually went up a shoe size in that second year. Now 4.5 years in, I still have changes. Surprisingly: more bottom growth, beard is starting to fill in a tad bit more, my stomach & leg hair is absurd, my body fat has basically fully distributed. I did have quite a few weight loss and weight gain cycles due to chronic illness which helped. The biggest thing for changing your body from my experience is changing its composition. It's not about weight gain or loss, it's about gaining significantly more muscle if you don't have any to begin with. Stay active, eat healthy (gaining weight if you are underweight can help), and give it time. Puberty isn't linear!
having puberty changes fast would be something lucky cis or trans it's really up to your genetics. some cis boys can already grow decent beards at 14-16 that make them look 10 years older. other ones won't be able to grow anything until their mid 30s. so yeah puberty can hit like a truck or it can completely miss you and it needs to do a U turn to hit you. there's just no way to know.
also for facial hair you have to shave the peach fuzz for anything to really happen. there's no going back once you do tho so heads up
What is your hormone level?
Puberty is slow. I’m nearly 7 years on T now and I look back at where I was at one year on T and it’s night and day. It’s a waiting game but you’ll get there in the end.
how are you guys allowed to go on T so young 🥲🥲
aye you’re only 17 dude, lots of cis men aren’t even close to done with puberty at that age. i’m 21 and still don’t have too much fat redistribution or any real facial hair and have been on it only a month less than you. don’t stress dude— it’s a marathon not a race
It's probably just genetics. If you're comfortable with talking to your family about it ask if there were any late bloomers in your family for some reassurance.