The First Steps

Coming Out

Proud by Diana Denisova

Whether you're coming out to a partner, a parent, a friend, or a family member, there are a few handy tips to help them better understand what this is all about.

Explaining to your Friends and Family

Counseling to Begin Gender Reassignment

Support Groups

Your doctor may require a letter from a qualified mental health care professional to begin hormone treatment. This guideline is recommended in The Standards of Care.

CounselingFind a Counselor or Support Group

Saving Money for Gender Reassignment

Saving Money for Gender Reassignment

Money saving tips to prepare for the cost of transition. Saving money for gender reassignment by creating a budget and making smart financial choices.

Saving Money for Gender Reassignment

Testosterone Hormone Replacement

Depo-testosterone Vials

Testosterone is commonly the first step in the transition process. Learn how to begin the process to achieve your transition goals.


How to Start Hormones Delivery MethodsSide EffectsReducing the Cost of HRTFind a Doctor

Legal Paperwork

Court Ordered Gender Change at a Courthouse

Court ordered name and gender changes are required to change your drivers license, passport, state ID, and other official forms of identification.

How to change your name How to change your gender

Surgery

Reconstructive Chest Surgery

REMOVE by rey1267

Details about chest reconstruction surgery: Double incision bilateral mastectomy and the keyhole Peri-aeriolar incision.

Bilateral Mastectomy Keyhole Surgery

Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy involves the surgical removal of the female sexual organs. Hysterectomy in female to male transsexuals has many benefits. It can increase the effects of testosterone and potentially decrease the chance of cancer.

Hysterectomy

Metoidioplasty

Metoidioplasty (meta) is a female to male gender reassignment surgery (GRS). Metoidioplasty surgeons have a high success rate for the before and after surgery results. Metoidioplasty is a highly customizable female to male surgery that allows each candidate to choose the options that best suit their needs. Because each person who chooses to have metoidioplasty is different, there is a wide range of options that candidates can discus with their metoidioplasty surgeon.

More about Metoidioplasty

Phalloplasty

Phalloplasty is a type of gender reassignment surgery for female to male transsexuals. Phalloplasty surgeons are able to construct a phallus and achieve successful before and after results. Erectile implants may be added following surgical construction of a phallus, allowing the female to male patient to achieve an erection.

The Modern PhalloplastyImplantation of an Erectile Prosthesis

Passing Tips

Binding to create a male-appearing chest

FTM by Mika Darling

Before surgery, if chosen at all, female-to-male transsexuals may chose to bind their breasts to further their masculine appearance. The goal of binding is to flatten the breasts down to create the illusion of a flat chest.

Binding

Packing to Create a Male-Appearing Bulge

Closing the Fly

Soft packing devices (a.k.a. “packers” for short) add a bulge in the pants and help make FTMs feel more at home in their bodies. Many FtM’s find it necessary to pack in certain environments, such as the gym or locker rooms where the lack of a penis, or for that matter, penis looking-part can be an obvious alert to those with wandering eyes. Generally, what the natural born man has, is what the FTM wants, and so it goes that the packing device was created.

Packing for Daily Wear Packing Hard for Sex

Passing in the Mens Restroom

Passing in the Mens Restroom

Prepare for the challenges that different locations can yield for a trans man who is just beginning to transition. Bars, rural locations, or upscale restaurants each present unique challenges in etiquette, and even safety.

Enter the Mens Room

Clothing

At the Flat by For the Wicked

Something as simple as the cut of your pants can make a huge difference in reducing or emphasizing your physical attributes.

Clothing Tips

Hairstyles

Along with dress and binding, the haircut is another key to being perceived as male. Women tend to cut their sideburns at angles, whereas men cut their sideburns straight across–this is one of those things that we perceive but don’t pay attention to when talking to people.

Haircuts

Male Mannerisms and Body Language

Study Aid by Mika Darling

Appearing male isn’t just about physical appearance. There’s a social aspect to it too.

Male Mannerisms

Shaving

Shaving

Manicured facial hair accents can increase the appearance of a more squared jawline, which can result in a more masculine appearance.

Shaving

From Our Readers

  • Neat site. Just making a compliment and all that stuff. I've been on my 2nd year of testosterone so far, had my chest surgery but am not really all that happy with it right now because my family says it doesnt pass still. I paid $5,750. Recently had my documents changed from court order of name and gender change and social security and birth certificate. So thats where i am right now. Been living full time for 8 years. Anyways, just sayin hi.
    Otoko
  • Wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your site as it has been really a blessing to find! I have been on Testosterone shots now for about 15 yrs and still pre-op. Just really didn't know where to get any more information for FTMs.   Lost my only FtM buddy, best friend, couple years ago. Thanks for keeping us informed! Respecfully yours,
    K.Y. Blue
  • Just wanted to let you know how helpful and informative your site has been. A wonderful addition to the internet, extremely useful and has made my research a lot easier. Thanks for sharing your experiences with the wider world; it's people like you that pave the way for simiarly minded others.
    Jas
  • I just wanted say you are truely a beautiful person.
    Kris
  • Hey corbin- we've been doing this at about the same pace coincidentally. My one year on T anniversary is approaching March 1st and i just had chest surgery with Dr. Brownstein mid-January. It's been good for me to be able to track your progress with mine.
    Wes
  • Your site is great dude. There arent many guys in England with a website like this. It's really informative.
    Callum MacLean
  • Hey Corbin, it takes a whole lot of guts to put yourself out there, thanks for doing it. My partner started T about a year ago and will be having the "top surgery" hopefully this year. I know he'll be "complete" and happy. Thanks you for all the info you've provided.
    M.G.
  • Hey corbin. I'm also an FTM. I'm 16 and just wanted to drop you a line to tell you good luck with all you've done and in your future surgeries. I hope someday I'll be as lucky as you.
    J.D.
  • Thanks so much for this site. I am the partner of an FTM and your site helped me to consider some questions I hadn't thought about before. Good luck to you and thanks for being brave enough to post.
    Slugger12
  • Wow, what a cool site! I loved your pictures - you've changed so much! I'm not FTM, but I find you guys fascinating and really enjoyed your site so I wanted to wish you all the very best in your transition and every continued luck.
    Danielle Richwoods
  • Last night a friend of mine had his pre-top surgery party. One of our MTF friends brought over the video of the Tyra Banks show you were on. She was the lady who was on with her daughter. Anyways, we all thought you are looking great!
    Nate
  • Before I started T, I looked at a lot of guys transition journals to get a first-hand look at the changes that happen. Now I have a pretty good idea what was in store for me. I found your site educational, and it gave me a lot of hope.
    Skyler
  • Corbin you rock! Your pics are wonderful and your voice clips are god sent. I showed them to a bunch of latino trans guys. Thank you for all your effort and energy. A Labour of Love, Indeed.
    Anatolia
  • Thanks for posting this site. It helped me think about my plans, or lack of plans for the future. I think you have a lot of courage which I lack due to co-workers. I think that's the only fear of mine. Anyway, you rock dude and thanks for being honest with yourself. I'm sure you are helping a lot of furture men out there!
    Can't Say
  • I am FTM, and I've read a lot of technical stuff about transition, but your website has personalized the whole process in a way that textbooks can't. Thank you so much for doing this.
    Dre J.

Corbin's Transition

  • 6 years, 10 months on TCorbin has been on testosterone for 8 years. See first-hand how testosterone can be life-changing in this month-by-month journal about transitioning from female to male.
    Corbin's Journal
  • Corbin had a bilateral mastectomy performed by Dr. Peter Raphael 7 years ago. Check out his Chest Surgery PhotoJournal to see the progression of his results over the years.
    Chest Surgery Pictures
  • Details about gender reassignment surgery for female-to-male transsexuals.

    FTM Surgery