ATTENTION: TO ANY TRANS PEOPLE/ANYONE PURCHASING THESE PRODUCTS.(including cis people who purchase for trans partners or family.)

This asshole is the owner of FTMconnect. He scams people and is a racist asshole. If you are purchasing any products off FTMconnect please stop. Youre only putting money in this piece of shits pockets. Do not fund this asshole. Do not buy from his website. He attacks BLM and supports white supremecy. Not to mention(again) he rips people off often when buying from his website. Stop buying from him. Stop supporting him. He is shit.

Service announcment over.

Things I wish I knew when starting T

- Keep in mind that T doesn’t work overnight. You won’t turn into a big hairy man in 2 days and probably not even in a year.

- That being said also don’t expect minimal change. Especially mentally. Mental changes will happen a lot more than you expect both good and bad.

- Everyone’s body is different. Your voice may not start dropping until month seven. Sometimes it’s not the dose and sometimes it is. Not every doctor’s approach to testosterone will work for you.

- Your singing voice won’t disappear it may just take some time for it to get “back to normal”

- Periods don’t vanish overnight. And sometimes they get even longer than before. Be prepared for this.

- Some changes may happen a lot more than you expect some won’t or won’t happen to the degree you expected. Your growth may be a lot or only a little. You may grow a ton of hair in the first month. Be prepared but don’t have expectations.

- Doubting yourself especially during and after the first shot is normal. Just be patient and let your body grow.

- PEOPLE 👏 WONT 👏 THINK 👏 YOU’RE 👏 UGLY FOR 👏 BEING 👏 ON 👏 T! I can’t stress this enough. Your dysphoria is the one telling you you’re ugly. Don’t listen to it. You’re handsome and you deserve happiness.

- For some reason cis people, even when you know you 100% pass as a guy still misgender you. It’s really the small changes that count. Don’t let this deter you. Giving it time will help.

- Again with the don’t ahve expectations but don’t expect to grow muscles overnight. That’s just not how bodies work. Some people might find that this happens but it’s usually because they work out in the first place.

- Some things that you may not have wanted when going on T you may want now and vice versa. I went on T really not looking forward to body hair and now I love my body hair.

- Sometimes that big change that you were waiting on is anticlimactic, sometimes it’s the little things that count. Now I will look down at my arms and see a man’s arms and it makes me feel really euphoric.

- Fat redistribution takes a loooooong time. And usually you don’t even notice it when it happens.

- In the end it’s your body so do what you need to do to feel happy.

Some trans guy tips from your dad

@shyguyshiloh @kuchenkat

Spread the word, especially for the board shorts thing!!!!!! They do WONDERS for making hips appear slimmer!!!!!

@cloudstreamer

for my masculine children :-*

Adding a couple things. 

-Patience is a virtue you need to come to terms with. Even on T, things take time. My voice dropped immediately, but my cycle continued for 6 months. We’re all different. 

-In the summer, HYDRATE YOURSELF. A binder is an extra layer, and mine have always been very warm. 

-When its not too hot, layers are your friend. You’d be surprised what even simply an undershirt can do to smooth out your look. 

-You are going to get misgendered. This is a fact, and it sucks. Learn to politely correct people. Remember you might be the first (openly) trans person they meet, so be a good ambassador. 

-When you start T, your smell will change. You will sweat like you’ve never sweat before, and it WILL STINK. Adjust your bathing habits accordingly. 

*coughs in direction of my trans friendos*

If you have a really large chest you might do better with Underworks binders. They aren’t pretty, they’re not soft, but they do a good job and were the first on the market for a very long time. I couldn’t stand gc2b so if you’re like me, try Underworks.

Don’t double bind.

DON’T USE DUCK TAPE. I still have scars from a dumb decision I made as a teen and I’m 31 now.

When the time comes for top surgery, shop around. Find someone who will tailor your chest to your needs. Look at their portfolio. Compare surgeons. See if you can find someone who will work with your health insurance if you have it.

Be safe. Be healthy. Take your time. It’s not a race or a competition.

*incoherent screaming* MY TRANS MEN/ TRANS MASCULINE FOLLOWERS, L O O K👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

OP is right about amazon binders but they didnt stress it enough or give the right reasons.

any cheap/offbrand binder is BAD, but not just,because of shipping or sizing or discomfort. binding with cheap binders or other methods is potentially fatal. I know I’m preaching to the choir and most of you know this but i ALWAYS emphasize that point in case i happen to reach that one person who doesn’t know and is binding improperly or considering it.

Bad binding can break ribs, puncture or crush your lungs, damage your trachea and esophagus, and cause long lasting scarring, muscular issues, spinal issues, and respiratory dysfunction. It can also kill you, and fuck up your ability to get top surgery in the future.

NEVER EVER:

-use binders from anywhere but major, reputable companies like GC2B and Underworks. Bonus if the company specifically markets towards trans folks. Stick to those two companies unless they’re unavailable in your country or something and research any other company REALLY thoroughly.

-double bind!!! Once binder at a time, period. Nothing else. You should never wear a bra of any sort with it either.

-bind with multiple sports bras, this is as dangerous as anything else. One good quality, properly sized sports bra is a good alternative until you can get a proper binder, but using a too small one or more than one is dangerous.

-use a too small binder. Equally dangerous and I’ve also been told it sometimes has poorer results on how you look anyway.

-bind with other materials. Common ones are duct tape or ace bandages. These are about the most dangerous ways to bind out there. NEVER do it. Yes, some people have done it for years with minimal issues. Others have died from one day of it. Do not try it, even just for an hour or two.

GenderMender ftm prosthetic nipples!

Hey guys today I’m going to tell you about a cool new product from the company GenderMender! These are prosthetic nipples for ftms! I’ve never seen anything like this before and they’re really cool! So why would you want nipples? Here are some reasons you can use these: if you had top surgery and had complications and lost your nipples, if you’ve had top surgery and decided to get your nipples removed you can use these when you are in a public place like the beach and want to go shirtless but don’t want people to stare because you don’t have nipples. Also if you have had top surgery but are unhappy with how your nipples turned out you can put these on over them! If you look at the second picture I included you’ll see a guy showing a before and after of his chest with his natural nipples and with the prosthetic nipples over them which I think they look incredible! I haven’t had top surgery yet so I can’t compare them to my natural nipples but I did put them on my abdomen to show how realistic they look and how well they blend in. The quality of these is excellent and they’re very soft and comfortable to have on your skin. Not only are these nipples available as an ftm version they also have a trans woman version too! One really cool thing about the company GenderMender that makes them is they offer over 100 different skin tones to choose from and if you message the owner he’ll send you a sample sheet with all the colors for free as long as you send it back after you choose what color you want. That’s really cool and I don’t know of any other company that does that for free. And not only does GenderMender sell prosthetic nipples they also sell packers that you can adhere to yourself in three different types flaccid, semi hard, and hard in two sizes a 4 inch and a 6 inch. As far as price goes you can by one pair of nipples for $29 and four pairs for $59 which are both good deals. You can also buy a bottle of adhesive for $15. So if you want to check these out for yourself go to :

https://www.etsy.com/listing/293620741/transgender-ftm-prosthetic-nipples?ref=shop_home_active_22

*** EDIT I don’t know that many trans women follow my page but just in case here’s a link to the prosthetic nipples for trans women that GenderMender also offers: https://www.etsy.com/listing/290817469/nipples-for-women-transgender?ref=related-2

10 Tips for Recovering from Chest Surgery

I decided to compile some tips that I found helpful when recovering from chest surgery. I tried to think of things that aren’t are the average lists. 

1. Laxatives: Start taking laxatives 2 days before surgery and continue when you get home from surgery for about a week post op. 

2. Arnica: Start taking arnica tablets about a week before surgery and continue when you get home from surgery. Arnica helps reduce swelling and bruising. 

3. Pillows: If you have a recliner that is ideal but if you don’t then using a bunch of pillows to keep yourself propped up in bed is necessary. Also keep ones under your butt to help with back pain and under your elbows. 

4. Gravol: If you’re driving more than just a couple minutes you will probably feel really sick on your way back. Gravol helps keep the nausea down. Just double check with the nurse that it won’t interfere with any of your medication. 

5. Pill chart and alarms: It can be hard to remember when and what you took. My partner was great at having an alarm set on her phone and writing down what I took and when. 

6. Protein: Protein helps the body heal and helps keep you full which is really important especially if you can’t eat a lot after. Try making smoothies with protein powder and protein bars.

7. Deodorant Wipes: I found a pack of these in the travel section of the drug store and they were good because for over a week I wasn’t allowed to shower and it was horrible but this made it slightly less horrible.

8. Melatonin: For the first while the T3s helped me sleep but after I was off then I had a hard time getting comfortable since I don’t normally sleep on my back. Melatonin helped a lot with that. 

9. Avoid alcohol: Obviously, when you’re on pain meds you really can’t drink but I’ve seen a lot of people ask how long you should wait. Its recommended that after plastic surgery, especially something with grafts, you should avoid drinking for at least 4 weeks. This doens’t seem to be common knowledge among the community. 

10. Listen to your body and take it easy: It became a joke when I was recovering about “taking it easy” because my Mum said it to me a lot but she was right. Relax. Don’t push yourself. Don’t rush recovery. Just take it easy and listen to your body. 

OP, while trying to do good by posting this, has some flawed advice.

1) DON’T take laxatives, oh my god. Laxatives MAKE you poop. Take the stool softeners given to you by your doctor regularly, though. They don’t help a whole lot, but they do help. Narcotics are well known for causing severe constipation. Only take laxatives if you get constipated for a while. If it comes to that, I highly recommend Miralax. Get the name brand, even though it’s pricey, and mix it into your favorite drink. You can’t taste it (unlike the other brands), and it’s not too harsh on you but will get the job done.

2) Arnica is homeopathic. There are studies done that say it’s just a placebo. Your doctor should have prescribed you a high strength NSAID (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug). If for some weird reason they didn’t, ask them if you can take ibuprofen at regular intervals. Keeping the swelling down will help with pain and healing.

4) First off, don’t drive while on pain medications. It’s unsafe, and if caught by the police you’ll be given a DUI.

Second, OP said to check with your doctor about drug interactions, but didn’t express how VITAL that is and why. Gravol or Dramamine, both good for motion sickness, contain a drug called diphenhydramine which when sold alone is used as a sleep aid. DO NOT MIX SLEEP AIDS WITH NARCOTICS. This means don’t take Benadryl, Dramamine, gravol, MELATONIN, NyQuil, ZZZquil, or anything like that if your doctor gave you pain medication such as T3s (Tylenol 3s have codeine in them), Vicodin, Percocet, Morphine, Dilaudid, Fentanyl, OxyContin, Demerol, Methadone, etc. Narcotics and sleep aids both act as sedatives, which lower your breathing. When they interact, they can make you pass out and stop breathing completely. This is why some people mix the two to commit suicide. Alcohol, also a sedative, interacts with narcotics to do the same thing. Don’t drink alcohol if you’re on narcotics!

8) Again, melatonin and narcotics should NOT be taken together. I do recommend melatonin if you’re not on narcotics, however.

9) On top the narcotic interaction, alcohol also thins your blood and slows down your healing. So even if you’re past taking narcotics, it’s probably best to skip drinking until you’re pretty far along healing-wise. (This is also why tattoo artists don’t want you drunk during the tattooing process, even if you confirmed your design while sober. You’ll bleed more, which gets in the way of the ink going in. It’s also why it’s a good idea to not drink for awhile after getting one.)

OPs other advice is really good. Especially the pill alarms and charts. You may hate the idea of waking up every 4 hours just to take pain medication right after getting home from the hospital (all you’ll wanna do is sleep!), but by god you’ll hurt like the dickens if you don’t. Also, I’ve found personally that if you let pain get too bad before taking something for it, it seems to take longer and more medication to get the pain to subside.

Shower as close to your surgery time as possible. Even if you’re allowed to shower soon after surgery, you won’t want to.

Go grocery shopping a day or so before your surgery, especially if you live alone or with people who won’t prepare food for you regularly. Buy instant meals and nutritious stuff. You won’t have the energy to cook for awhile after the surgery, never mind running to the grocery store. Don’t just buy junk food.

Also important: ask your doctor about grapefruits, even there’s just the slightest chance you’ll want one or it’s juice while in recovery. No, I’m serious. Grapefruits can interact with a certain medications, such as narcotics and some heart medications, causing them to increase their potency to dangerously high levels.

If you get nauseated in the recovery room or anytime you’re at the hospital after the surgery, tell them. They gave me a little circular sticker/patch on my neck thats medicated to treat nausea and it worked wonders for me and can last up to 72 hours, and I fully recommend asking for one. (Anesthesia can make you nauseated when you’re coming off of it after surgery.)

And by the way, this advice is good for any surgery, not just chest surgery.

Much better advice.  And yes, pain management is much easier if you never let it snowball out of control.  It really helped with my most recent surgery.

Baby wipes can help you get through the showerless period.  I may make an appointment with my hair stylist to come in for a shampoo twice a week, because the salon has reclining chairs and basins, and it would be so worth a little money just to have my hair clean.

For people like me who have bad reactions to many meds: take vitamin C leading up to the surgery and keep taking it afterward; it helps with healing and it’s a mild anti-inflammatory as well.  A gram once a day is plenty -- if you find you’re gassy or you get loose stools, reduce the amount (one more reason to start taking it in advance).  Also, ginger or peppermint helps with nausea, bring some Altoids/hard peppermints or candied ginger for the ride home.  If your appetite is lacking but you need to eat, add ginger or black pepper to your food.

Last of all, HYDRATE!  I can’t stress this enough.  It will help the nurses when they need to put a line in, and you will heal more easily if your body can wash out all the cellular byproducts and drug metabolites.  Tea, flavored water, juice, anything that you find easy to drink -- but go easy on the caffeine, it may cause drug interactions, and caffeine can interfere with healing.

God okay so I’m going to say this now; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not risk your health or anyone’s in the form of getting a “cheap” binder of ebay or where ever. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE save your $4-$10 dollars for those cheap ebay ones and put it towards a gc2b binder. Or if you want an Underworks go for that but I highly suggest gc2b. They’re about $40 (with shipping) and will last you WAY longer than any cheap ebay one. They are MEANT for lasting you. I wash mine many times week, wear it daily, Wear them daily. I have two. Had them for almost a year now. But I cannot urge you enough to PLEASE save up your pennies for a PROPER SAFE binder. Binders you can breathe in, binders you can move in, binders that don’t crush your ribs, binders that are comfortable, binders that are safe.

This isn’t a safe binder:

It uses clasps and not compression.

This is a c2b binder; made by trans people for trans people:

These binders have no clasps but uses spandex to compress you safety. 

Measure your chest before ordering to make sure you don’t get one too small or too large.

UPDATE (06/12)

I wanted to add more information on where you can buy binders and info in general about binders

You can buy binders from these sites

@gc2b-apparel​ (OPs #1 Recommendation)

@shapeshiftersinc​

http://www.f2mbinders.com/ (AKA underworks)

http://www.t-kingdom.com/

http://www.lesloveboat.com/shop/index.php?language=en

http://www.danae.info/en/?___from_store=nl

http://showcase.designveronique.com/designveronique/shop/postsurgical/men-1.html

http://en.nabeshirt.com/shop/

Used Binders

If you can’t afford a binder, don’t despair! Used binders are often passed on by post-op trans men or those whose binders may no longer fit. There are a few programs available that help distribute donated second-hand binders:

You can also try asking around for an inexpensive hand-me-down binder on one of themailing lists for trans guys or check out LiveJournal’s FTM Garage Sale and the FtM Sales, Swap, and Support group on Facebook.

How to Choose a Chest Binder

If you still remember your old bra size, you can find out your binder size by using theBra to Chest Size Converter Tool. If you don’t know your old bra size, you can measure yourself the old-fashioned way:

Selecting a binder brand and style can be difficult: there are so many options that it can be overwhelming! Plus, there aren’t very many reviews of binders other than those about Underworks’ and T-Kingdom’s more popular models. After buying your binder, help make the experience easier for guys in the future by contributing your review to one of the review sites listed below.

Essentially, there are two types of binders: short ones and long ones. The short ones end right at your waist. The down side of these is that if you carry some extra weight, short binders tend to roll up and act more like a bra. The long ones can be pulled down past your waist by several inches, however it’s inevitable that it will still roll up. To reduce the chances of this, wear a belt. Choosing between a short and long binder has more to do with your body type, specifically your abdomen, and not your chest size.

Lastly, consider the location of the company you’re buying from. Buying from a company that’s closer to you can save you a significant amount of money on shipping costs.

How to Put On a Chest Binder

It might seem silly, but you’re probably going to need some help figuring out how to put on your new binder, particularly if you purchased one of the longer styles.

Don’t be disappointed if you look in the mirror and it looks like you have one big boob in the middle of your chest. You just need to adjust your chest. Reach in from the neck hole and push your chesticles down and out. You’re basically pushing your nipple toward your armpit to achieve the flattest looking chest possible.

FTM Chest Binding Tips

Very important: When binding, you should not by any means feel as though you can’t breathe or like you’re going to pass out from a lack of oxygen.

Binders aren’t the most comfortable things in the world. To make binding more comfortable, and to reduce the possibility of the binder moving around a bit, some guys wear a light shirt underneath.

Depending on the size of your chest, you may need to layer clothing on top of the binder to get optimal chest flattening. You’ll find that some of the shirts in your closet require you to layer more than shirts in your wardrobe.

You can swim in your binder. Just wear a sleeveless or sleeved T-shirt over it. Don’t worry if your binder seems less effective after a swim, this isn’t permanent. Simply wash it and it will go back to normal.

Your chest will look bigger than it really is when you look down at it. Check in the mirror for a more accurate side view.

Not all binders breathe well, and the reality is that you’re probably going to get hot. If you’ve already started testosterone, you’re definitely going to sweat. The build up of sweat can irritate your skin causing rashes and sores. Wearing a thin cotton shirt that breathes well underneath your binder may help prevent this. If you find this uncomfortable, try applying corn starch to your body before putting on your binder to help keep it from holding in moisture. If you’ve already experienced skin irritation of some sort, take care of it the same way you would an open wound. Washing the irritated area with anti-bacterial soap will keep it clean and help it heal faster.

Conclusion

Chest binding, as cumbersome as it may seem, can be very freeing for transgender men. There’s a plethora of quality FTM chest binding products available for body types of all shapes and sizes. Regardless of what you use for binding, please remember to put your health first. Now that you’re armed with all the information you need to find the right binder for you, go forth and feel more comfortable in your skin!

FTM Chest Binder Reviews

(Note: These sites are no longer updated.)

More FTM Chest Binding Resources

Do you have any tips about binding? Want to share your experience with a particular binder brand or model? Do you know of other binder manufacturers, particularly those outside of Asia and the US? Please leave your comments below.

Last updated: 05/20/16 (x)

@kinitalia amigann olha issoo

Just a note: for people with large hips, the pull-up method may not work. I certainly can't fit my hips through the neckhole of my gc2b binders. So I pull it over my head, but I do it in a particular way. * Make sure you keep track of the bottom of the binder, especially for long ones. If it gets bunched up inside, you'll have a bad time. * If you have big shoulders or a bad shoulder, do it one arm at a time. Put your dominant hand or bad arm through first, then either your head or your other arm. Experiment to see which is most comfortable. Then put your last body part through as best you can. * When both arms and your head are through, you will be standing there with it bunched up in your armpits, and you'll feel like you can't move. DON'T PANIC. You kept track of the bottom of the binder, right? Find the bottom edge in front, and start working it free around to the sides. Tug it down. Keep working around toward the back. * When you have the whole bottom hem out of the bunched up fabric, you're home free. Tug the binder down carefully over your chest, making sure you pull down all the way around to avoid putting too much stress on one part of the binder. It should slide into place.  Then you can adjust your chest as in the instructions above. I cannot stress enough that your skin and the binder must be dry. If you're damp from a shower, towel off and air dry, or use a hair dryer or fan.  If you can’t get everything dry enough to be smooth, a little cornstarch may help. And finally, especially for the first dozen times, make sure there's someone within call who can help you if you get trapped. I've had to ask a housemate to help out, and while it was embarrassing, I might have hurt myself or the binder otherwise. Go gently, pay attention, and be patient.