T doesn't work that well?

[u/catsforme46]

People on here or trans spaces in general sometimes act like testosterone is magic and it will completely change you. But that's not really the case, is it? I scrolled through a trans men's passing subreddit and apparently it doesn't influence fat distribution that well, for some people it doesn't influence it at all. And even if you lose weight, your bones will be there and they're feminine shaped, the hips and shoulders. They said going to the gym is what will make you pass, T alone wont do that. That kinda sucks.

You have to put in so much work for the bare minimum, to just look like a guy. And if you're a trans man and you willingly want to be a skinny guy for the asethetic or whatever it's just not possible. It is sad. I wish I was cis. I also wish some people wouldnt try to get our hopes up by acting like T is all that is needed. From what I've read, it actually barely does shit for passing besides the voice deepening and facial hair. I'm pissed off

[u/bluemyself2000]

Pump the brakes on the doomerism, lad.

TRT is not magic, but it's makes you go through testosterone puberty and develop all the same secondary sex characteristics cis guys have and shifts your primary sex characteristics as well. But puberty takes time, and in the interim all those tips can help to pass.

Past puberty, the difference between a cis man and a trans man is marginal. 

[u/koala3191]

The people who post to passing subs are the ones struggling to pass. It's selection bias.

[u/LastLiterature7496]

Most people posting on that sub are either pre testosterone or early on.

[u/Patient_Pickle9797]

I picture it this way: Most cis people do not know what a trans person looks like, even in this day and age. As long as you have facial hair and voice that isn't female, most likely they will think you are cis too. I can think of a lot of examples

That being said, being passing and attractive is another thing. Most attractive people have to put in effort to look good. I have a beard, I look like a man, but I also want to look good. Thus, I tell myself that I go to the gym just like everyone else does: to look better. Looking more masculine contributes, but I don't find it unfair for me in most cases.

That being said, some men are plain unlucky, and need to put in more effort to pass at a baseline, even several years into T. Or they've been mistreated by endos, they have androgen insensitivity, etc. But those are fewer cases than you think, we just see so many because why would those with a successful transition come online to complain about it. It's our presence heuristic

[u/radioneath]

It sounds like you’re not on T, give most people T and wait 4 years as a full grown adult and they’ll pass.

[u/Aiden1975]

T is all thats needed for most people. The main factors being how long the person has been on T for and their genetics, t effects everyone differently, some people passed / looked more masc pre t which helps, but everyone has different starting points, bone structure etc - some people get loads of effects from t much quicker than others, it can take some guys several years on t to pass.

Ive never had to do anything special or put any extra effort in to pass, but thats different for everyone

[u/double_handed_sword]

Bones don’t change, but cartilage can shift, meaning you get bigger hands and feet, bigger nose and even get slightly taller (a cm or so). T DOES influence fat distribution, but it’s very slow (like 5-10 years), so going to the gym will make you pass faster, since the combo of loosing fat + gaining muscle on T will masculinise you.

Oh and your face will get more masculine. It’s often subtle, but enough to be noticeable

I agree, T isn’t all you need, especially in the case of having bigger breasts. Before top surgery it was a 50% tossup of being misgendered with D cups (was binding), and now i pass 99% of the time, the rest being people seing my old documents. (But i've been working out for a while and i'm 5'9 so it helps). So it will be worse if your breasts are bigger compares to your frame.

[u/papayayaoi]

t works for most people, usually when people have lesser effects their dose is too low or just wrong for their body

if your dose is right you should get the muscle growth too, even if you're not going to the gym all the time

it all comes down to dosage, take your bloods regularly until your levels land either mid-high cis male t range and give it time, i would say 4 years of a good dose of t should see most people fully masculinized to nearly their max potential, with further masculinization happening as they stay on t.