#transmascs tips

Shave your face every day you can/want to. Even if you "have no reason" to shave your face, do it anyway. Tell yourself that being cleanly shaven is a choice you make everyday. Also, most cis dudes with no facial hair are clean shaven, meaning none of that peach fuzz stuff, so this can actually help passing. As an added bonus, shaving can make the hair grow back faster, thicker, and fuller if you plan on wanting to grow a nice ass beard later in life.

Find a work out routine. Don't exercise thinking "I need to get thinner/broader/whatever else so that I can pass." Just don't. Exercise can only change your body type so much, and if you bank on it fixing all your dysphoria just to find out it doesn't, you'll get discouraged. Instead, use exercise to feel good about your body in other ways: feeling stronger, more energized, ready for a good nights sleep, etc. Feeling good about your body in this way can also help increase self esteem.

Write affirmations and nice letters to yourself. Whatever you need to hear, whatever you wish others were saying to you: write it down! Put sticky notes on your walls, fill a notebook with nice thoughts, etc. Need to hear that you're looking super masc today? Write it down. Say it aloud. Be your biggest supporter. Even if you don't believe it at first, you'll start to. This tip applies to literally everyone, by the way.

Packing is kind of over rated. Obviously, it can be gender affirming for some, and that's great! But most people probably aren't looking at your crotch, so if packing is uncomfortable for you, don't think it'll make or break your appearance. If you prefer not to, that's literally fine.

The same goes for binding! Binding is--unfortunately--just fucking uncomfortable. You don't have to do it all the time. A baggy hoodie and a decent sports bra can be lifesavers if you need a break from binding but are still feeling self conscious, too.

Do your best to stop giving a fuck. Don't let other people's opinions hurt you. Not everyone will support you. Not everyone will like you. That's fine. Again, be your own biggest supporter.

Find trans friends. Set up your HRT appointments together. Remind each other about your injections. Support each other. Again, not everyone will support you, so find people that will.

Plan your medical course of action carefully, especially if money is a concern. Decide your prioritize. If you think you would benefit best mentally and physically from starting HRT, do that first. If you think something else--therapy, anxiety meds, an operation--would be more helpful, then do that first. You always have more time. There will be more time, more money, more opportunities. Figure out what would be best for you to do first, and go with it. It'll help you in the long run.

Beware voice training tips. Trying to force a deep voice can hurt like a motherfucker. Also, when you're voice begins to drop, you may have to adjust the way you do certain things, like singing for example. Don't push yourself to make your voice uncomfortably high or low. If it hurts, just stop. Losing your voice or damaging your vocal cords is certainly not worth it.

HRT takes time, surgeries take time, life takes time. Take a deep breath. It's hard to feel like you're stuck in one place, but it will not last forever. Small steps forward are still steps forward. You've got this.

Bonus: Literally nothing is required of you. HRT, operations, and literally everything on this list is entirely optional, and it doesn't make you more or less valid than anyone else. (Just stab anyone who says otherwise /j)