FTM passing pre-T: How to start transitioning

Our top FTM passing tips pre-T from haircuts, voice training, and advice on how to stimulate facial hair growth to FTM pre-T workouts to build muscle. Read and share!

First and foremost, passing pre-t will be challenging and stressful both mentally & physically. Yet, you should have in mind that many people went through this and eventually became what they always wanted to be. It’s normal to feel sadness or any other negative emotions during the transition, but remember that you are doing this to make the most important person in the world happy - yourself.

So today we’ll discuss some pre-transition tips that will help you to feel more masculine. We’ve gathered the most important topics, such as deepening your voice, how to grow facial hair pre-t, hairstyles that will help you to pass, and others, so read on if you want to know more!

PASSING PRE-T: TRANSITION TIMELINE

As time goes by, you’re going to notice various changes to your body. It’s an exciting and frightening process at the same time, but clarity makes everything easier - that’s why we prepared a testosterone timeline chart, that will help you to understand what’s going to happen to your body:

FTM transition timeline

Knowing the FTM transition timeline can be a great starting point for thinking about what you could do in advance to prepare for the transition and all the changes that you’ll experience in the future. Have in mind that before starting hormone therapy, it is recommended to have an official diagnosis of gender dysphoria made by a mental health professional. Also, the results of testosterone therapy vary for each patient. Effects can be reversible or irreversible, and happen in different time courses. Your transition will be completed in two years.

You should not worry, since you’ll meet a doctor regularly and he or she will document all the changes thoughtfully while addressing all of your concerns.

SO HOW TO START TRANSITIONING?

There are many things that you can do to pass pre-T. There are some tips on voice training, facial hair growth stimulation, muscle toning, choosing a masculine hairstyle, and packing. Let’s go through each aspect together.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR VOICE DEEPER?

Surely, the most effective way to make your voice more masculine is by using testosterone. On the other hand, you’ll be surprised what consistent training can do to your voice. We picked some of the easiest and most effective voice training tips that will help you to lower your voice pre-T:

 HUMMING AS LOW AS POSSIBLE FOR 30 SECONDS.

Try to hum longer as time goes by. In this way you’ll stretch your vocal cords, resulting in a deeper voice. Repeat this exercise at least several times a day in order to see the results. 

◆ USE YOUR DIAPHRAGM WHILE SPEAKING.

The diaphragm is a muscle between the lungs and stomach. Using a diaphragm while speaking will help your voice to become stronger and to have more resonance. So what does it mean to “talk using diaphragm”? It’s simply using your breath when talking. You should breathe deeply so that you would feel like the air is circulating through your whole body, not only your lungs (which is the feeling that you get when a diaphragm opens widely). There is a simple way to check whether you’re breathing through the diaphragm - put your hand on your stomach and breathe deeply so that your hand would move and try to feel whether your body fills with air. Also, good posture can help you to talk using your diaphragm - be relaxed, don’t lean forward or backward, stand straight so that there would be enough space for you to breathe.

◆ PLACE YOUR CHIN CLOSER TO YOUR NECK AND CHEST WHILE TALKING.

You can try this voice training technique before or after doing the first exercise (try humming as low as possible and then talk looking down, placing your chin closer to your chest, or do both training techniques at the same time).

◆ STRETCH YOUR NECK REGULARLY.

You can hum at the same time to make this exercise more effective. In this way, you’ll make your neck muscles stronger, and stronger neck muscles equal a deeper, more masculine voice. By the way, in order to see results, you’ll have to repeat this exercise every day.

 SPEAK SLOWLY AND CONTROL THE WAY YOUR VOICE SOUNDS.

Try to observe the way you sound and make changes once you’ll notice that your voice start

 SIMPLY TRY TO SING MALE PARTS IN SONGS.

It sounds kind of strange, but it should help you to find your own voice. It’s not only an effective voice training technique but a fun activity as well! 

lowering voice pre-t
FTM PRE-T WORKOUT: HOW TO BUILD MASCULINE BODY?

It’s no secret that male and female body physiology is different. If you want to change and pass as a guy pre-T, you’ll need determination, hard work, and discipline. Here are some tips that should help you build muscles while having fun at the same time:

◆ SWIMMING IS BOTH A FUN AND EFFECTIVE EXERCISE.

Swimming helps to burn unnecessary fat in the upper part of the body, resulting in a smaller chest, which is very important for almost every FTM. We recommend swimming every day, for at least 45 minutes. You can increase intensity and duration as time passes by.

◆ TRY STRENGTH/WEIGHT TRAINING UPPER BODY.

In this way, your shoulders will look bigger & more masculine. Weight lifting could be a great solution for growing biceps, triceps and making the chest stronger. Repeat upper body part exercises at least a few times a week. You can exercise both in the gym or at home - whatever helps you to stay motivated.

◆ CARDIO

- it will keep you healthy and help you to become stronger. Remember, that you shouldn’t exercise at full intensity, at the same pace for a whole hour. Cardio is truly effective when you exercise by high-intensity interval training. What does it mean? It means that you can alter between intense exercise and resting. The best part - when done properly, you don’t need to do it every day. Actually, it would be more harmful than effective if you’d do it daily. Your muscles need to rest, so don’t go overboard.

◆ PUSH UPS

If you want masculine arms and chest, you have to give push-ups a try. It’s one of the basic exercises that help to build a strong upper part of the body, especially while exchanging this exercise with other activities. If you do it regularly and with determination, you’ll see results in no time.

Does building muscles still seem like a mission impossible? No worries- we’re here to help! We’ve prepared a detailed pre-T FTM workout routine for you. You can check it out here.

FTM workout routine pre-t
HOW TO GROW YOUR FACIAL HAIR PRE-T?

It is one of the most common questions in the FTM community. Facial hair is definitely an indication of masculinity, for this reason, many FTM’s aspire to have beards or at least somewhat facial hair. Although it seems almost impossible when you're pre-T, we have some useful tips that anyone can try at home. So how to stimulate facial hair growth pre-T?

◆ SHAVE YOUR “PEACH FUZZ”

since men have either some dark, thick facial hair or no hair at all. Also, it’s great preparation for when you’ll start using testosterone. By the way, we’re not suggesting you shave in order to grow back thicker and darker facial hair. It’s a myth and it literally won’t do anything.

◆ YOU CAN TRY USING COCONUT OIL

- apply a considerable amount where you naturally have some facial fuzz and leave it for some time or even overnight. Coconut oil works as a moisturizer as well, so you’ll be able to use it after shaving once your hair will start growing out.

◆ “Minoxidil”

Some FTM use “Minoxidil” to grow facial hair. It’s a solution or foam used for lowering blood pressure and stopping hair loss/stimulating hair growth. We suggest you read more about this product to find out whether it’s suitable for you or not.

◆ DON’T USE MAKE-UP TO IMITATE A BEARD.

It’s too obvious and unnatural. Although you can try using a little bit of powder to slightly darken facial hair when you’re already having some.

HOW TO CHOOSE A SUITABLE HAIRCUT WHEN YOU’RE PRE-T FTM?

An FTM haircut is one of the most important aspects of passing as a male. Generally, you should choose a hairstyle according to your face shape. If you have around, feminine face, we recommend shaving sides and having a longer top that you comb back. It’s one of the best options to give your face a little more angle. Another option could be short, but slightly faded hair. Just don’t go extremely short and don’t try to get a buzz cut. Short hair ≠ masculine look. Short hair will look good only on naturally masculine and angled faces, meanwhile soft, buzz cut with oval faces and full cheeks may result in looking like a little boy. That’s probably not what you’re going for, so try to consult with a hairdresser and choose the best hairstyle according to your face shape. We’ve covered this topic in this article, so take a look!

If you are still having trouble choosing the best FTM hairstyle that would suit you, here’s a great video that might help you to make up your mind:

WHAT ABOUT PACKING?

Let’s talk about another crucial aspect of passing pre-T - packing. If you just started transitioning, your head must be filled with all kinds of questions: when should I start wearing a packer? What kind of packer should I wear? How to wear it? Emisil is here to answer all of your questions about FTM prosthetics.

First and foremost, you and only you can decide when to start packing. There is no “right time” determined, so you should wear it when you feel that you’re ready and comfortable with that idea. You can start by wearing self-made packers from socks and various fabrics around the house, then go out, see how it feels, and if everything feels natural (well, as natural as it can feel) you can consider buying a realistic FTM prosthetic.

If you’re already done with self-made packers and want something super realistic, customized according to your needs and your body, you’ve come to the right place - Emisil offers exceptional packers made by artists. The best options for FTM pre-T beginners are compact STP, all the flaccid models, such as FL01, FL04, FL05 and if you’re looking for something suitable for playing, rather than everyday wear, we recommend ER1.

FL01, FL04, FL05 are perfect for everyday wear. These prosthetics look natural, are comfortable, and stay in place for the whole day (if worn properly). Meanwhile, compact STP is used for everyday wear and when “nature calls”. It costs less than other Emisil prosthetics, while offering great quality, just like any other Emisil product, for this reason, it’s a great choice for beginners. If you never had a packer, but want to try it for pleasure rather than packing, we recommend ER1. It’s quite a universal and popular packer, so there’s a good chance that you will be pleasantly surprised after using it. We have many products that will make your transition journey easier - you can check our whole stock here.

PASSING AT SCHOOL

Being an FTM when studying at school can feel like an added weight to your shoulders. There are many fears related to passing as a male in school, such as “how I will be perceived, treated, will I be accepted?”. Remember, that this experience is temporary and it will get better no matter what. But until then, know that we and many other FTM community members support you!

Meet Jame - a young FTM who went through everything that you are experiencing right now. This YouTuber has some amazing tips that you must hear while being pre-T:

It’s ok if you’re not ready to come out yet. Don’t rush things and do what makes you feel comfortable. You can start by taking small steps, and you’ll be surprised what difference it makes. For instance, start using men’s hygiene or beauty products - shower gel, soap, shampoo, deodorant, perfume, hair gel, and others. Then, you can start wearing male underwear, boxers, and socks. These are the things that others won’t necessarily notice, but they will make a huge difference in the way you feel. At this stage, you probably have long hair that you’re not ready to say goodbye to. And it’s perfectly fine, but you need to know that even cis guys with long hair are being misgendered sometimes. So, is passing with long hair possible? On the other hand, there are some clever tricks to help you look more masculine even with long hair. Don’t just leave your hair to hang naturally. Female hair is usually falling around the face, forming a shape and forehead, while you need to form something similar to an upside-down U shape with your hairline. You can do that by combing your hair towards the back or even shaving some parts to make a more masculine shape. You can shave sides or a small section in the back of your head if you feel ready for a bigger change - it may help you to achieve that edgy, more masc look. Also, hiding your hair in a hat or a cap can be a good idea at times, but don’t rely on it too much. It might be too obvious that you’re trying to hide and in some situations, headwear is a no-go. In addition, trying to copy the “man bun” look is not recommended, since when being pre-T, it may and probably will look feminine, just as if a girl would put her hair up.

Once you’ll feel ready to take another step, try wearing men’s accessories - watches, sunglasses, belts, hats. If men's clothing seems like something difficult to wrap your head around, we got your back – check out this article on the FTM clothing guide.
This will require more courage and mental preparation, but as time passes you’ll get more and more comfortable. Maybe by this time, you’ll be ready to come out to your closest people, and eventually, you can start choosing some masculine garments. It’s a pretty huge step, it’s normal to have doubts and fears, just don’t allow them to stop you from doing what makes you feel like the real you.

IF YOU’RE AFRAID OF NEVER PASSING...

It’s something that almost every FTM has in the back of their mind. So it’s perfectly normal and common. Just don’t forget that testosterone will definitely make an impact on your looks, so it’s not worth being pessimistic in advance.

If you can’t get rid of this feeling, remember that we are always our greatest critics and everyone around you might see you as more masculine than you actually think. Passing as a male has a lot to do with confidence, it’s not only just the way you dress or talk. Try to be more confident, be proud of who you are, and own it!

Also, there are many short, slim, skinny cisgender males with soft, feminine faces. So you already look more masculine than those guys. To be honest, you already pass more than some actual males.

FTM passing pre-t tips

Each transition journey is unique. So take time, make mistakes, fall and get up again. Yes, being pre-T trans can be hard sometimes, but you are strong enough to handle it. Be determined & patient. Don’t allow others to get to you, live your best life, and most importantly - love yourself. 


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