FTM Information
NOTE: This is a quick information dump, not a well-researched article. I am not a doctor/lawyer/therapist, and I can’t guarantee that any of the information is correct. This is a resource put together by me, a trans person, and hopefully I’ll have time to update it sooner. Please only share with people you know for now! I need to make sure it’s correct before I publish it more widely.
Covid 19 UPDATE
If you regularly wear a chest binder and are at risk of getting covid19, please read this message!
Chest binding reduces your ability to breathe normally. If you have a cough or shortness of breath (the major symptoms of covid19), PLEASE do not bind your chest, or bind as little as possible. Obviously we would all be working from home if that were possible, so here's some tips if you need to be out in public.
If you experience pain while binding, take off your binder! You probably need a different binder! Email me (oliver@allofthenorth.com) and I will buy one for you.
Alternatives to chest binding:
Wear layers of clothing. A tight fitting undershirt, with a loose fitting shirt over top, with an unbuttoned button-up over top creates a LOT of distraction from chest bumps.
Wear a baggy sweatshirt
Wear vertical stripes to distract from your curves
Exaggerate your social distancing to the point where no one else can see you
Pretend you are roleplaying/cosplaying as a sickly victorian woman (I legit found it helpful to pretend I was roleplaying a woman when I had to take flights under my dead name) - Wear a sports bra (I wish there was a word to use other than bra?? a bro??)
Tips for binding safely:
Take deep breaths! Set a timer on your phone if you need a reminder. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold it for 7 seconds, let the breath out for 8 seconds. This is also calming and good for stress
Be mindful of your posture! Standing up straight will give you more room in your lungs for those deep deep breaths
Take breaks! Pretend you have to pee a LOT. Go to the restroom, get out of that binder, take a BUNCH of deep breaths and do some stretches
Wear a larger size of binder if you have one
Wear a binder that can be easily undone. These velcro binders are great because you can slip into a bathroom or the break room at work and take a few minutes without having to contort your body: https://mydoubledesign.com/3rd-generation-high-strength-velcro-half-length/
IF YOU NEED MONEY TO BUY A BINDER, EMAIL ME! oliver@allofthenorth.com
I buy binders for people! No questions asked, no strings attached. This includes if you need a second binder e.g. in a larger size or a velcro version, for medical reasons or for variety or for comfort.
Remember that I love you and I KNOW you will get through this, even though it fucking sucks.
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Binders
SAFETY NOTE: There is no safe do-it-yourself way to bind. There isn't. Don't do it. Home-made options are not options. No ace bandages, no duct tape, none of that. I’m so sorry. But we’ll figure it out.
SECOND SAFETY NOTE: Binding with a proper binder can also be dangerous!! Please read instructions on binding before attempting.
tl;dr: If you have the full market of binders to choose from, My recommendation is the half-length, velcro binder by Double T ($60-80).
If you don’t have money for a binder: There are organizations across the world that will send you one for free!! Google for “free binder program” in your country/region, and if you need financial aid please email me at oliver@allofthenorth.com and I will help try my best to you out. If you’re sitting here thinking “I’ll never be able to afford this”, or that "the wait times are too long,” please please please email me because we can figure something out.
More on the binder I recommend: half-length, velcro binder by Double T ($60-80)
The third generation one comes in XS-5XL. The company is owned by a trans-masc person. Durable, and easy to put on. The fabric is soft and cool, and not itchy (I’m SUPER sensitive to fabrics, so that was important to me). Downside, they're $70 (includes free shipping to USA, ~$13 shipping to England, idk about other places).
Binder options generally available:
full length or half length
full is better if you want like, full torso fitting. useful if you have a lot of meat on your hips to squish in. I have big hips relative to my waist so it made a difference for me, but ultimately I found them too warm. They also roll up my stomach when I wear them, so I often had to tuck it back down over the course of the day, which was awkward, but I could rock a button-down shirt like a BOSS.
half is better if you overheat easily or dislike the feeling of tight clothing on your skin. This was a way bigger deal for me so I ended up going with half ones and enjoying the freedom.
pull over vs. velcro/hooks on the side vs. zipper
pullovers are generally the default, but I wasn’t a fan of them. I have big shoulders and hips, so it was a nightmare to get them on/off. I wore a pullover as my first binder, and it did the job. Gc2b is my pullover recommendation. XXS-5XL, around $40. https://www.gc2b.co/
I had a velcro one which was AWESOME because I could get it on and off much easier and loosen/tighten it as needed. you can also go into a bathroom stall and undo it for a bit if you are overwhelmed (vs pullover that you have to like....really worm out of). it’s velcro on the side under one of the arms, so you put it on and it just like, has a gap on one side, and then you velcro it up, and you can pick how tight to velcro it. it’s usually got a decent amount of extra fabric beyond the velcro so the velcro doesn’t touch your skin, and if it DOES, it’s the soft side on your skin. like...velcro has a pokey side and a soft side. idk how to describe them but the soft side is just like fluffy fabric. with the velcro one you don’t have to worry as much about getting one that is too small because it’s easy to loosen it to a bit bigger of a size
In general if you are trying to be stealth then a tight fitting pullover is risky because you can get stuck. I had to ask my roommate for help getting out of it a couple times.
For your first binder I REALLY encourage you to get a size bigger than you think you need, because too tight will be SUPER uncomfy. once you are used to wearing it then getting a tighter one is more feasible, but you’ll probably only be able to wear it for an hour or two at the beginning.
I honestly spent a lot of time just wearing pullover sweatshirts and cargo shorts so that the middle of my body could just look like a big genderless blob.
also—masculine chests are NOT completely flat! which is a super important thing to remember! most trans guys (me included) who bind end up being sad about the results because there’s still some lump on the front, but that’s what cis guy chests look like too! also if you look down your chest will look big still, so use a mirror and look from the front. That’s what other people see.
Care instructions: in my experience you don't have to wash them very often at all...like as often as you wash a bra….which for me was like once a year ha hahhh,,,, If you’re stealth, you can easily wash it in the sink in the bathroom if it gets stinky and then wring it out with your hands and hang-dry it in the back of your closet (put space around it so it doesn't get other things all wet and stay wet). just do a sniff test on it and if it smells fine then you're good!
For measuring yourself, especially if you have to be stealth: A ribbon measuring tape is the easiest, but you can also use a string (or a scarf, or floss, or a charging cable) to measure around your body and then use a flat ruler to measure the length of the string. Don’t pull it tight! Getting a binder that is a little too big is a MUCH better position to be in, since you’ll be able to get used to binding without hurting yourself.
More information for other opinions:
- https://transguys.com/features/chest-binding
- http://www.ftmguide.org/binding.html
- http://mygenderadventure.wixsite.com/broketransboy/single-post/2015/06/17/Binders-Cheap-ones-Free-ones-Donations (cw: the first image is kinda spooky???)
- http://point5cc.com/binding-safely-for-your-body-tips-for-all-body-types-and-sizes/
- http://point5cc.com/the-6-best-tips-for-binding-in-the-summer/
- http://www.ftmguide.org/binding.html
- http://thebutchelor.com/fyi-binding-tips/
Testosterone
Below is a document with information about testosterone hormone therapy. This is what I signed when I started T through Kaiser Permanente in Northern California in 2016. The physical changes listed in the table line up with how I experienced them.
Content warnings:
- Health risks, many of which are just stating "people with testosterone have higher risks of these things than people with estrogen", i.e. you will be closer in risk to cisgender men
- Expected time frames for masculinizing characteristics to start to develop
- Explicit description of genitalia (things happen down there!)
- General anti-smoking, fatphobic stuff that medical forms usually contain
- The "even though your voice will get lower, other aspects of how I speak won't sound manlier" is referring to how people born with deep voices generally learn to speak with chest voice which is a thing you should google if you want to sound more masculine
- Dosages aren't listed here. If you take depo-testosterone (depo means via injection) then you'll probably end up around 50-100mg per week (they ramp you up).
Info about HRT for non-binary folks or anyone wondering if it’s okay to “take hormones just a little” (answer YES, and so much yes that it’s even standardized)
the UCSF guidelines for trans HRT include tables for recommended dosing, including an option for an "Initial-low dose recommended for genderqueer and nonbinary dosing."
masculinizing therapy: http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=guidelines-masculinizing-therapy
feminizing therapy: http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=guidelines-feminizing-therapy
The document:
