Based comment

I am not a trans woman but I was hoping I could chip in with a bit about Finasteride as I used to be on it.

Finasteride is not a general anti androgen, but it does block DHT, which is what some T gets converted to and is the most potent/effective form of T. I’m a guy and I was briefly on it for hair loss but I stopped because it made me depressed (dysphoria) and I also felt a little weaker. So at least from my experience, I would call it an anti-androgen, even if it works specifically against DHT.

One side effect of finasteride reported by some men taking it is breast development, so I would be very surprised if it has anything to do with what you are noticing with your chest.

Have you had a blood test recently? If that’s all good, breast growth can take a long time (several years), and ofc the full extent of it varies from person to person.

I’ve been getting freckles on my body in similar places that aren’t exposed to the sun. I always thought it was related to age rather than testosterone, but who knows! I don’t mind them personally.

Just thought I’d put it out there because I feel like it would be neglectful of me not to: minoxidil fucked my skin and aged me by a good 5-10 years. And I was only using it topically on my scalp for balding! The effects on my face would have been from the residue on my pillow as I roll around in my sleep. I can’t imagine what would have happened to me if I put it on my face. Look up “minoxidil collagen breakdown” for more details; I’ll spare you them here, but taking minoxidil for 1.5 years is one of my biggest regrets.

There is very little data on the likelihood that this impacts someone taking it, mostly bc the hair restoration industry is extremely quick to silence anyone who complains of any kind of side effect. I was even told by the Dr who prescribed it to me that I was “imagining things.”

Whether you heed this caution or not, I wish you the best in your journey to glorious beardom.

Thanks. Yeah, I don’t think their comment is entirely accurate.

If anything, at least in my case, being a “tech nerd” almost acted to validate my gender when I was a kid, and vice versa. I would have had a harder time had I been into something more traditionally feminine, because my family/other transphobes would point at it as evidence that I’m not “really” a guy.

The original comment is probably well-intentioned, but it honestly doesn’t feel very far removed from just using “AFABs” to refer to a social group, which makes my skin crawl. I and many other trans guys’ upbringings are quite different from cis women’s.

How are trans men excluded from tech?

(Not trolling, genuinely asking. N.B. I am a stealth trans man in tech.)

Is the “wrongness” that you feel with presenting as male purely an expression/conformity thing? If you could dress and express yourself as feminine as you feel on the inside, would that be enough? If so, then you might be a non-conforming guy. GNC people, whilst not trans, do have a fair bit in common with trans people in terms of existing in a society that has a largely close-minded understanding of gender.

Otherwise, does it bother you to be referred to using masc terms (like “son”, “brother”, “father” etc.)? Are there parts of your body that cause you distress, because they don’t line with what you expect or think feels right? If yes, then you may benefit from experimenting with labels under the trans umbrella. Only you will be able to determine if it feels right, but without trying you may never know.

Someone… likes the Reddit app?

I was going to comment this exact thing lmao

I’ve come back to this after sleeping to check; has anyone figured out what the hell this means?

Is this article a joke or dead serious?

Fwiw I’m a trans man and I also work in tech lol. I didn’t see the survey. I’m stealth irl and don’t spend much time on trans communities/subs online either. I think this might be fairly common

If anyone’s curious, the first step is wrong. e^x minus its integral is a constant. Not necessarily zero.

I’m a trans guy working as a professional software eng, and yeah, I’m stealth.

I’m sorry I (and presumably many others) don’t act as real life representation save for these online spaces! I promise you we are out there, and being trans doesn’t have to be a barrier.

I don’t think I’d be in hot water if I came out or anything either; I just work at a company that is largely older and conservative so I’m just personally being extra cautious in not wanting to add any unnecessary social tension.