(Part 2) Best products from r/ftm

these get a lot of hate, but I have found them to be very comfortable & breathable. I wear a 34DD (ish) and they're super effective, so I imagine they'd look really good on someone smaller. They look good on their own, too:

front

side

I wouldn't recommend the underworks binders if ventilation/breathability is an issue. I have this and I'm always too hot in it.

I also have this one and it's way tight. It undoes easily and it looks great, but it's pretty uncomfortable to wear for more than like an hour.

Here are the books I gave to my mom:
My Child is Transgender: 10 Tips for Parents of Adult Trans Children
by Matt Kailey
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00867Y6OU

Now What?: A Handbook for Families with Transgender Children
by Rex Butt
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010NZBEUQ

Transitions of the Heart: Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance by Mothers of Transgender and Gender Variant Children
by Rachel Pepper
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TUY3PW

The first one is really quick and simple but is a good introduction. The second was my favorite, it was written by a parent and I think many parents can relate. It's really really great, don't let the author's name fool you. I didn't read all of the last one, but I figured it would be good to throw another one in there to tug on the heartstrings and sort of show my parents that if the parents in the book can adjust, so can they.

Consult with your doctor first, but i would focus more on caring for your scars for the long term than hiding them in the short term. Take care of the scars so they heal more thoroughly. Things like scar away work pretty dang well (but are expensive because of the size of top surgery scars.

Scar Away on Amazon

There are leashes you can get for running that are made specifically to go around your waist and have stretch. I use one with my dog when I have to. Also my dog is a huge puller (rescue husky... can't get that sled dog mentality out of him) and the Halti works wonders. Goes around his muzzle and he pulls much, much less with it on.

I'm having top surgery in a week and have just decided to board him for the two weeks after surgery with a reputable boarder. I am lucky in that my wife will be able to walk him until I start feeling better as well. If you can afford it probably paying for a dog walker for the first week/two weeks would be best, and then getting the waist leash/Halti combo after that would make things easiest.

https://www.amazon.ca/AmazonBasics-Handle-Bungee-Leash-Green/dp/B074KRY2Y1/ref=asc_df_B074KRY2Y1/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292973975464&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16808357357053716272&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001582&hvtargid=pla-438064515061&psc=1

https://www.amazon.ca/HALTI-Halti-Headcollar-Black-Padded/dp/B004OB1F6O/ref=asc_df_B004OB1F6O/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292973975464&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=130123123144771330&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001582&hvtargid=pla-446729589058&psc=1

I have many! Here are a few:


Gender Failure by Rae Spoon and Ivan Coyote This is the book version of the authors' live show that toured in 2012. They both are nonbinary, and the stories they tell are about that.


Second Son by Ryan Sallans Ryan has been a role model of mine for a long time, so I was really excited to get his book. It's a pretty basic transition memoir, but he has a really great voice.


Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein This one is a classic, and one I wish I had read much sooner! It's a transition memoir, but she also has some awesome discussions about gender in general too. Also, check out The Next Generation which is a collection of the work of trans* writers and artists.

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg I think everyone should read this. It's a memoir/fiction sort of thing, and gender and transition are shown to be much more complex than in other transition memoirs. This one is quite old though, so maybe your library already has it?

Lastly, I will suggest Red: A Crayon's Story, which is basically the sweetest story about a blue crayon that was given a red wrapper by mistake.

No problem.

I had some issues where I kept changing something in it and messing all my progress up. Been doing much better now that I realized I was the problem. Seems like a lot in writing, but it really isn't much.
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AM:

• Wash hands
  
  
• Wash face with Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser gently using kojac sponge
  
  
• Pat dry with washcloth
  
  
• Apply Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera with a cotton square/circle
  
  
• After shaking to mix, pat on CeraVe Moisturizing Cream to which I had previously added almost .5 fl oz/15mL of 100% pure tea tree oil. (I think I read that it should be no more than 10% tea tree oil.) Last time I used Now tea tree oil but I have also used Jason.
  
  
• Wait a while and sunscreen before going out, added to help scarring. Not sure if the one I had been using was good for my skin though so I won't put a brand here.
  
  I mainly use the kojac sponge because it cuts down on me picking the flacky skin off my face which tended to be the gateway to me picking acne or peeling off scabs.
  
  __
  
  PM:
  
  (I do my face wash last step in the shower even though places tend to recommend against it because of the heat; if I turned up the heat a lot during my shower, I turn it down to wash my face. It seemed to me that I used more heat in the sink after showering since my hands can stand heat better than the rest of my body.)
  
  
• Wash face and neck with Hado Labo Rohto Gokujyn Hyaluronic Acid Cleansing Foam (Harsher so I prefer it at night.)
  
  
• Pat dry with towel before drying any other part of my body. (I go face, hair, upper back, rest of me and don't lay a towel on my back after showering since that seemed to cause acne.)
  
  
• Apply Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera with a cotton square/circle
  
  
• After shaking to mix, pat on Differin Gel
  
  
• Pat on same CeraVe Moisturizing Cream as above to face and neck.
  
  __
  Shower details:
  
  I use shampoo/conditioner that doesn't contain sulfates. I know my one friend realized that sulfates in her shampoo were likely what was causing her back to break out. I use this which is expensive but it lasts me a year even though I tend to overuse it.
  
  I also wash in the following order: shampoo, conditioner (leave in), private areas with water, wash my hands with my body soap (Dr. Bronner's), then my shoulders/back before any other part since that seemed to cut down on back acne as well. Last, in order, I wash my armpits, groin (not the inside of genitals, I mean my groin pit?? [Where my leg bends] I cover my genitals to keep soap out of that area.), feet. Then I rinse out the conditioner and do my face wash routine.
  
  Edit: Also forgot to mention that I avoid letting soap sit on my skin. Trial and error seems to show that that causes me to breakout as well so I rinse it off as I go.
  
  I don't change my pillowcase every night but I flip them. I have two pillows I sleep on and I sleep once on each before changing the pillowcase.
  ____
  
  I would definitely recommend changing one thing or adding one thing at a time and patch testing if you can.
  __
  
  ETA: If your acne is severe, I'd still recommend a dermatologist when you can go. Or maybe talking to your primary doctor even. My HRT prescriber, for my acne, prescribed me Doxycycline and Tretinoin at one point. I don't use either, currently, but you can try using a non-dermatologist if you don't have any other option.
  
  Edit2: Clarified some minor things.

I think what you posted is a really good start if it's specific to your area. For additional resources, this website has a lot of info for providers on prescribing T (http://transhealth.ucsf.edu/trans?page=guidelines-masculinizing-therapy) & the WPATH Standards of Care would be a good one (https://www.wpath.org/publications/soc), but I know there's some disagreement about some of its recommendations. The book Trans Bodies, Trans Selves (https://www.amazon.com/Trans-Bodies-Selves-Transgender-Community/dp/0199325359) is a really good comprehensive overview & would be a great place for a psychiatrist who wants to learn more to start. It's basically a textbook but costs around $30 on Amazon, they keep the price low to make it as accessible as possible.

So I got BV like just a couple months on T, and I tried the metronidazole gel (awful, gross to deal with, didn't fix anything and gave me a yeast infection). I then tried this acidifying gel that actually really helped "bio active multi-gyn actigel" it can burn a little at first but after that it's just sweet relief from all the BV symptoms. The most effective thing for me was combining the actigel with an oral antibiotic, that's what killed the BV for good, otherwise I was needing to reapply daily to keep the BV symptoms from coming back.

For the atrophy issues you should probably be looking at an estrogen cream though. But if you're not ready to try that or if BV persists afterwards I would definitely try this gel.

Link to gel: https://www.amazon.com/Bio-active-Multi-gyn-Previously-Bio-fem-Actigel/dp/B00MFE313C/ref=asc_df_B00MFE313C/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312029707365&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14970753481022399058&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9001648&hvtargid=pla-494431764435&psc=1

That's a pretty good guide anyway, it should be a decent followup. If they ask for more materials or suggestions, other recommended reading books for parents are things like The Transgender Child and Matt Kailey's My Child Is Transgender. Both of them are targeted more specifically at parents and cover the issues very well from their point of view.

Try buying an underworks binder if you can afford it. G2bc binders aren’t as comfortable as the underworks ones I own. I pretty much exclusively wear underworks now.

This one is very comfortable.

Thanks dude! As a matter of fact, they are some super cheap shoes I found on Amazon. I wear kids sizes so [these] (https://www.amazon.com/Deer-Stags-Kids-Ballard-Bootie/dp/B01DW4MLAC) happened to work. (*** first time testing a link... let's see if it worked)

XS mr limpy is generally what’s recommended, it’s about the size of a flaccid cis penis, it should be fine!

Here is the book, I found it pretty hard to find effective resources for transmasc people beyond just “speak from your chest”. (understandable, T drops your voice considerably, voice training isn’t a necessity for many transmasc people.) Speaking from your chest is the goal, but it’s hard to figure out how to do that in an effective way that doesn’t make you sound really nasal, so the exercises really helped me.

The Underworks binding bra is probably your best bet, though it likely won't be quite as effective as a normal Underworks binder.

I personally find these super comfy. They are also a really light material so any wetness drys really quick, they also are super stretchy and have a really soft waist band so there is no digging into your skin. They are just so comfortable and come in a bunch of pattens and colors as well.

Also, if you can't afford a "good" binder like Underworks (I can't either) [this] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F3WV0KO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) one works really well, even on my DDs so it might be worth a shot!

I just checked on amazon, they run the same (though what seems like a similar deal also goes for $31 and $75?!?!?! That's what I was thinking of when I first saw your post).

I'm glad I can help!

I use Celeteque Back Acne Spray since it is the only one available in my country.
I've found alternatives to acne body spray

https://www.paulaschoice.com/clear-acne-body-spray/624.html

https://www.sephora.com/product/clarifying-body-spray-P34402

https://www.amazon.com/Neutrogena-Body-Clear-Spray-Ounce/dp/B003X18NPW

I got this: https://www.amazon.com/BS-Atelier-Olga/dp/B074P3P5JM

For guys who like internal stimulation, this goes inside you on one end so you have some sensation feedback from what you're doing with the other end. Used with a harness it's pretty secure, and it feels really good using it on a partner. The company BS Atelier sells more realistic looking ones too but they're a little more expensive.

I have some binders I want to give away, not sell. Is that okay? :T

• I was given a white Underworks 947, size Large. I don't like the feeling of the fabric, so I'd like to kick it forward to someone else who can use it. Lightly used. Claimed!
  
  
• I have a moderately used Ancient Fish King binder, XXL in gray. It's a bit small on me now, and I wear a L in Underworks and XL in gc2b. This was my first kind of binder and while it's not great at its job, it is safe to use for 8-ish hours.
  
  
• I have a quite heavily used XL gc2b half binder in gray. It's not nearly as effective as a new binder would be, but it's still as safe, and still does its job somewhat. Claimed!
  
  I'm in the US, and willing to pay shipping (to within the US). PM me for photos, more info, or to claim one!
  
  

Gotta agree with everything said here. I use Cerave "in the tub" as my moisturizer with a pump lid. It can be found at stores like Walmart or on Amazon. It's for normal to dry skin, so if you have oily skin I wouldn't use it as it's fairly thick. That being said, Cerave also sells lighter moisturizers. Here is their website.

Here’s a book that will help:
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Crayons-Story-Michael-Hall/dp/0062252070/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GR0Z1SCBCOOM&keywords=red+a+crayon%27s+story&qid=1554616859&s=gateway&sprefix=Red+a+%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-1

I gave my dad Matt Kailey's guide for parents of adult children. http://www.amazon.com/My-Child-Transgender-Parents-Children-ebook/dp/B00867Y6OU/ref=la_B001JS16J6_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413304647&sr=1-5