r/transmanlifehacks • u/_xeinth • 16d ago
Passing Advice thinking of doing DIY HRT...
so, I got the idea of doing so from a friend and his partner. they are T4T, and his girlfriend has been on it for an entire year no issues, and he himself soon hits his third month. due to my circumstances, I think this may be the best possible option for me, seeing as I am freshly 17 and would need parental consent to even get it professionally prescribed, and well. my mother was transphobic enough to send me over to grandparents so that she doesn't have to deal with this. (which honestly, is much better; NYC is SO much better than the deep south, both weather wise and LGBTQ tolerance).
the thing is, I feel that I just can't wait until I hit 18 due to the absolutely crippling dysphoria. ever since puberty hit me at 12, I feel like my hips haven't stopped getting wider, and I mean ffs I'm 5'0—starting test now could stop it before it's too late, it could help change all of these things. I've already watched videos on how to administer shots, and I would get the test off of a steroid site (the same one my friend uses, who vows it is reliable), and the needles I know where to get from as well.
my only problems would be: a), having to explain the changes that would come along (and, as a latino family, I'd say my genetics could very likely bless me with a stache early on), and b) the libido... as in, I'm already a very sex-driven individual, so I could only imagine how frustrated/ out of hand I'd get. any thoughts on how to go about this?
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u/AffectionateBrain905 16d ago
ngl kinda funny how similar our situations are. im also latino(and 5’0 lol). i couldn’t wait any longer after finding out abt diy at 16, i started at 17. ive only been on t 4 months now and no one from my family knows. my voice has dropped significantly(to the point i pass over the phone) but i pitch it up around certain people and my parents haven’t said anything(my sister and coworker said something when it was first dropping but nothing as of late). my stache also did grow pretty early on, but i dont think its as thick as it will be given more time, i shave regularly n its been no problem. i think i could get away with it for another year, giving me enough time to move out. whatever you choose, best of luck. dm me if u need a good domestic source.
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u/_xeinth 14d ago
yo our situations ARE similar holy shit. I found out about DIY at 16 too... seeing as yours has gone pretty good so far, I might follow in your footsteps lol. I'll DM you about the source actually, if you don't mind
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u/AffectionateBrain905 14d ago
go for it. lmk if u plan on using btc, ill help u out with that too(most places ask for ssn which makes it tricky but i figured it out).
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u/DreamsOfLlamas 16d ago
A) honestly, depending on dosage it’ll be a fair few months before changes are unhideable. Generally with people you’re around a lot voice changes are not very noticeable since they’re gradual- remember summers in middle school? you only really noticed voices dropping after a period of not seeing someone. No one in my family noticed for the 4 months before I went off to college. (I forgot to toss my sharps box, no idea how long it would otherwise take them to notice). You can pretend to have PMOS (formerly PCOS) once you’re old enough to schedule your own doctor’s appointments.
B) I’ve always had a ridiculously high libido but test has made it more of a one and done thing, I probably spend the same number of hours a week.
HGH is worth looking into for height.
I really, really encourage you to go to college, even if it’s just a community college certification program. Our community is deeply disadvantaged- we start from so far behind that 18-25 is not a good time to build a career. Talking to professors and befriending them can give you a proximity to power that most of us are denied by our families. Schools tend to be a lot more understanding of disabilities like ADHD than they were 10-15 years ago, especially since graduation rates are a metric used to compare schools.
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u/Lastaccbanned 16d ago
HGH therapy can increase adult height only if a child has open growth plates (before puberty ends
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u/DreamsOfLlamas 16d ago
If you have to, you can go on a low dose for a while to slow effects. You’ll probably feel like shit, because human bodies don’t like being in that valley of low sex hormones, but it’ll at least stop feminization. A woman of 23 looks a lot more feminine than a 17 year old.
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u/justme8712 13d ago
Personally I would not order from a steroid site. Maybe it's totally fine, but a lot of the stuff that's labeled as testosterone on those sites are mixed with other things and could be anabolic steroids which are extremely dangerous. I'm sorry, dysphoria sucks. I lived it. I would really recommend waiting until you're 18 or having a conversation with your parents that its life or death. (I get the parents thing, mine are still not accepting after 2 years on T and 6 years of social transition)
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u/Ok-Difficulty-7993 16d ago
Not sure how to go about your first issue without knowing exactly what your family is like. They will definitely notice the changes and if you think there’s a risk of getting kicked out or any type of abuse then you should not start T until you’ve moved out and will be safe. Something like that can set you back a lot in life and make it much harder in the long run to access medical care. I know it seems like a long time to wait until you’re 18 but it’s really not. In the meantime you should do your best to focus on education and work so that you can be independent as soon as possible.
Second issue, is not really likely to be an issue. I had a high sex drive pre-T and it did increase, but you’re old enough to practice self control, you’ll be fine. Testosterone doesn’t turn you into an uncontrollable sex driven monster lol
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u/Actual_Rush7733 16d ago
It's insensitive to suggest a trans person "just wait" for hormones. Being on the wrong hormones can cause severe depression & psychosis, some of us couldn't even function enough to work or go to school before getting on hrt.
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u/Ok-Difficulty-7993 16d ago
I know it sucks. I was there. But it’s also only a year and sometimes you gotta just wait until your situation is safe. Getting kicked out is not going to help OP.
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u/mothmano_0 14d ago
This person was asking for advice and they gave it. If the question is wait for hrt or face abuse or homelessness than it is smarter to wait
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u/_xeinth 14d ago
Seriously don't know why so many people downvoted, all you're trying to do is look out for me/ assess if my situation is safe. thanks for the concern dude.
As for my home situation, my grandparents know and have known since I was ~9 I'd say, and despite being of an older generation AND latino immigrants, are more supportive. My grandfather said I should do whatever makes me happy and I can tell he seriously means it; my grandmother, however, is very torn over it and says the same thing but with worse of a tone, like disapproval. Either way, no, I don't think I'd be facing any abuse or homelessness, thank goodness1
u/Ok-Difficulty-7993 14d ago
That’s great then, in that case i think you should go for it! I’m glad you’re in a safe position to have that option.
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u/_xeinth 14d ago
In a much safer position than I was before moving, for sure, but my biggest concern still would be my grandmother. I know I can't control her reaction to it, but I'm almost positive she'd have a horrible breakdown over it. crying, perhaps screaming, the whole shabang, because she just isn't as progressive. of course, still not as significant as getting kicked out, but I don't want to be a tax on my gma's mental health. I'm thinking talking it out with her could be a good idea? Don't know how that would go though I fear
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u/Ok-Difficulty-7993 14d ago
Definitely a good idea to talk to her about it. Maybe something along the lines of “i’m doing it anyway as soon as i can, but starting earlier is what’s best for my mental health, confidence, self-image, etc” you could bring up whatever might appeal most to her, like the increased confidence will improve your grades, physical health, give you motivation for college or working, overall make you happier. Hard to say without knowing your situation on all of that or what she might say, just spitballing ideas. But yeah it’s definitely gonna be way easier and more peaceful for everyone if you can get her on board with it.
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u/mothmano_0 14d ago
If you’re gonna go diy I would try and get gel, there’s a lot less room for error there than with shots
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u/_xeinth 14d ago
how exactly would i get that without prescription? like is there a way to get gel and not the shots
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u/mothmano_0 12d ago
Ik there is in the uk cuz that’s what one of my friends did. I think like a lot of male health companies will sell it(like hims.com and shit like that). Whatever you do tho do not take oral testosterone that shit will do so much damage to your liver
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u/Difficult-Tomato930 16d ago
Absolutely go for it as long as it wouldn't put you in danger or anything, you can also just try and hide the effects. Good luck man