Ask a trans person!

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by ahk

I have been on T for about 4 months now--

My question is -- when did you start to shave?

Okay, I have an endocrine disorder that I was diagnosed with in my late teens (19) while on active duty in the Marine Corps. Because of that, and probably genetics from hairy blood ancestry, I was able to grow facial hair long, long looooooooong before I even thought about transitioning. That being said:

I've been on T for almost 6 years now, but I didn't start with injectable T at first, and there was a big difference in the speed and amount of change that I experienced when I first started with the T gel (Testim) and sub dermal pellets (Testopel). For the first 6 or 8 months, I was on the pellets and gel, but didn't see any appreciable change. I got to the point where I was not trusting the doctor who was implanting these pellets and it got really, really expensive having to travel over to Los Angeles every 3-4 months from where I live, here in Las Vegas, to get more pellets re-implanted.

After I started injectable T, the changes started coming about pretty quickly, like within the first year. The first thing I noticed was how my hairline receded. The second thing that I saw happening was how the rest of my body, like my chest, back, arms, shoulders, legs and crotch started sprouting hair. I was adopted when I was 3 months old and I know very little about my birth parents, other than the non-identifiable information that the state adoption agency shared with me when I was 18 years old. I have no idea if there's baldness in the male segment of either of my birth parents or not, so I've had to just proceed with this part of transition with a "wait and see" attitude. So, it's been a bit of a surprise for me to watch the hair line just slowly creep back and the back hairs to start sprouting. I guess it's "like a box of chocolates, because I don't know what I'm going to get".

So here I am, nearly 6 years on T this coming January. I have been wearing a full beard for the past year or so and only shaving my neck below my beard line. It gets prickly and uncomfy if I don't and I have to shave that every day. A couple of weeks ago, my boss sent out an email saying that our entire staff had to get fit tested for the N-95 respirator protective mask. This is a filtered mask that health care personnel must wear to protect ourselves from airborne pathogens such as Tuberculosis bacteria and other bad stuff. The email said that "All men must be clean shaven" because facial hair impaired the functionality of the mask. So, I had to shave my beard off. I did leave my long sideburns and my mustache, however, because I'm a "rebel" like that!! Anyway, after getting fit tested, I immediately went back to growing my beard back. Here it is, about 3 weeks from my last shave and my beard is now totally and completely regrown. Yay me!!!!

Good luck on growing your facial hair, if you so desire to. I've met quite a few ladies, my gf included, who really find a man with a full beard to be most attractive!!

~Theo~