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TransSingle present a video of  Laverne Cox, a bright star, and transgender activist

A FTM transgender guy is someone who is transitioning from female to male. People who are assigned female gender at birth but they strongly identity with the opposite gender are FTM transgender. They usually choose to undergo medical transition at some point in time. But there is no clear cute norm with regard to that. There are some who skip medical transitioning altogether.

Irrespective of whether they have undergone medical transitioning or not, it is very important for a FTM transgender guy that society perceives him as a man. If that does not happen, it can aggravate the feelings of gender dysphoria that already exist in him. And this is not good for his mental health. It is also important from a romantic point of view since sexuality is deeply connected to a person’s gender identity. So, if he wants to join a trans dating site or a FTM dating service, it is important that he is confident of his manly image.

For guys who choose to undergo the Hormone Replacement Therapy, it is relatively easier to pass off as a man. They usually get bi-weekly injections from the doctor. Besides, there are numerous other ways of getting injected with hormones; it can be through gels, patches and many other ways. Some FTM trans guys will also get testosterone treatment which will work on their faces in a way that gives them a more masculine appearance. It would also make their voices somewhat heavy and manly.

Then, there are some who would choose to go even a step further and undergo chest reconstruction surgery. This surgery specifically flattens out the chest area to give the chest a masculine appearance. Then, there is the bottom surgery performed in order to remove the vagina and create a penis for the transgender man.

However, there are some who choose not to have these treatments for certain reasons. And for such trans men, passing as a man in public might be a bit more challenging. Then most FTM trans guys start coming out even before medical transitioning. This is important because you can’t just wait for the treatment to show effects and then come out. You got to tell society that you are a guy even before.

The whole process of coming out as a man publicly can be quite intimidating for a FTM transgender guys. But with certain tips, you can conveniently pass as the guy that you already are.

Use a Binder

The biggest source of gender dysphoria in FTM transgender guys is the chest area unless they have had the top surgery, of course. So as a trans man, if you haven’t had the top surgery yet and want to flatten out your chest area, the best option for you is to buy a medical binder.

Medical chest binders are easily available online and come in many different styles. There are also plenty of commercial chest binders available in the market these days. It is important to buy the right size though. If you bind your chest using a binder that is a bit too small, it might create difficulties in breathing and you will end up having pain in your shoulders and back.

Trans men who don’t quite want to go for a medical binder can also bind their chest using a sports bra. In fact, using a sports bra is quite a safe way to bond your chest with minimal risk of side effects or injuries. Some FTM trans guys would also use layering to bind their chest using a shirt or bra layering.

However, according to experts, you should not wear binders for longer than 8-12 hours. Also, you should avoid sleeping while wearing your binder. It is also important to have a day off in between once in a while. You have to make sure that you aren’t binding everyday in order to avoid any side effects.

Following these tips, you can happily use a binder to flatten out your chest area. And this will certainly increase your confidence and make people notice you as a man when you are out there in public.

Make use of the Packing Technique

Now, packing is a technique that trans guys make use of to give the illusion of a penis. It basically involves putting something in your pants to mimic the appearance of the bulge created by male genitalia.

Packing is a great way to enhance the self-confidence of a FTM transgender guy who hasn’t had the bottom surgery as yet and increases his chances of passing as a man. After all, sexuality is a very important part of your new gender identity. So, it is natural that you want to simulate the whole experience of having male genitalia.

These days there are so many commercial packers available online. These packers come in different materials and varieties including silicone. And the best thing is they are more or fewer replicas of male genitalia. However, for a trans guy who is new to the whole experience of packing, it is best to try a simple technique first. He can just use a rolled-up sock and place it properly at the right spot inside his pants. It’s way cheaper than using a commercial packer and he can try it out and decide for himself if he likes the whole experience or not.

Learn to Project a Masculine Appearance

This is the key to passing as a male in society. With pro masculine body language, your chances of passing as a man increase dramatically.

The first step of building this masculine image of yours as a FTM trans man is to get used to wearing a man’s clothes. When it comes to clothing, everyone has a different approach that suits them. Some trans guys like to go with oversized clothing to get that super manly look. If you perhaps wear a shirt size larger than usual, your shoulders might look bigger and slightly bulkier. But there is no rule really. Well, fitted clothes can also give the impression of a chiseled, toned masculine body.

The important thing is to find men’s clothes that go with your personality and eventually develop your own style. Once you start getting used to male clothing, behaving as a man will also start coming naturally to you. You can also check out profiles of trans guys on transgender dating websites and see what they are wearing.

Now again, there is no manual really that can teach you how to behave like a man. You just have to closely observe men in public places – the way they walk, the way they sit, how they move their head while talking, the tone of their voice while they are speaking. You can also interact with other trans men through a transgender forum and take their advice.

To begin with, one thing that a FTM transgender guy can focus on is sitting. Generally speaking, men tend to literally spread their legs wide apart while sitting. They sit in a very authoritarian position taking up a lot of space with legs as wide as possible. So, this is something that you can begin practicing as a trans man. It is easy to remember and also simple to practice.

Do not feel compelled to fit into a Box

As a FTM transgender guy, the way you want to protect yourself is totally your call. It depends on your personality and orientation. Many trans men have fluid general identities, that is they are Pansexual. Now Pan Sexuality can be defined as a sexual or romantic attraction towards anybody irrespective of their gender identity.  So, if you classify yourself as a pansexual trans guy, then you lay down your own rules. You don’t necessarily need to then get into the entire masculine discourse of heterosexuality.

A FTM trans guy can also prefer to date gay men. Or he may prefer to go the cis guy way, dating heterosexual women through a transgender dating site or a transgender dating app. So, one has to understand that even as a FTM transgender guy, one can have fluid gender identities and that’s totally cool. The way a trans man wants to project himself is totally his call. He might just want to meet single women through FTM trans dating site or a transgender dating app or he might just want to date gay men.

Get Inspired from the Lives of Well-Known Trans Men

There are so many trans men icons who have fought societal prejudices and stereotypes to emerge a winner and live a successful and fulfilling life. If you want happiness, you have to go through the grind and find it out. You just can’t run away from problems and struggles. A FTM transgender man can take inspiration from the lives of famous and successful trans men. This will do wonders to his own image as a trans man and show him the way forward. You can go through a transgender blog to gain insight into the lives of famous trans men.

So many movies have been made about the lives of trans men. There are also movies starring trans men. Most of these movies depict the problems faced by transgender youth. These offer a realistic peep into the world of trans men.

There was the iconic movie ‘Becoming Chaz’ that was released in 2011. This movie was based on the life of Chaz Bono, the son of Cher, who has also penned down a book on his multiple experiences as a transgender man.

Then there is the 1999 movie ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ based on the life story of Brandon Teena, a young trans man who was murdered in 1993.  And it’s so important to mention the contribution made by the legendary Buck Angle in the field of trans awareness. He is a filmmaker, speaker and advocate. He also stars in a documentary made about his own life.

Then there are other famous movies incorporating trans issues such as Just (2002), Call me Kade, Boy I Am (2006) and About Ray (2015).

As a trans man, it is very important to know all about various issues faced by transgender folks and how so many trans heroes have fought out these issues. As a FTM trans guy, you can also join an online transgender forum and communicate with other trans men.

All this will increase your awareness of trans issues and strengthen your identity as a trans man. Knowing that there are so many like you who have fought societal prejudices and emerged a winner, you will no longer be afraid to live out your identity.

A MTF trans woman is a lady who was born with the male biological gender. That is, her body had physical and biological characteristics of a man so she was assigned masculine gender at the time of birth. However, she identifies herself as a female. She had the eerie feeling of being trapped in a male body for a long, a feeling that gave her a lot of anxiety and discomfort. She battled this on a daily basis till she finally decided to come out as a woman. And once she begins to come out as a woman, she might choose to undergo certain medical procedures to develop the outward appearance of the female gender.

Having said that, it is not easy to be a MTF trans woman in this society. Although things are way better than let’s say 20 years ago, they are still far from best. People now perhaps recognize the right of transgender people to live a normal life but accepting them is a different issue altogether. It is still difficult for trans people to find regular jobs. If they are in college or university, completing their education becomes a challenge for them.

A transgender woman goes through a lot of societal challenges once she comes out in the open. But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. These challenges can definitely get her on the verge of a breakdown. But with her characteristic courage, determination and confidence, she can overcome these challenges.

This article tells you about the main challenges faced by a trans woman and how to overcome these.

Struggle with Identity

A trans woman goes through an acute identity crisis for a long time. For every courageous person who has come out as a transgender lady in the public, there is a rather painful background story. She undergoes the most harrowing of identity crisis while growing up. The society judges her by the identity that is assigned at the time of birth. She has the biological characteristics of a man so she is expected to behave like a boy. She is supposed to adopt the typical mannerisms of a guy and socialize in a male pattern as she grows up. But all this gives her enormous distress. She feels like she is trapped in a wrong body and there is no one she can communicate this with. The parents come from the same society so even they might dismiss what she feels and just ask her to conform.

And that is the worst kind of struggle anyone can face. To have people tell you in your face that what you feel so deeply and truly is abnormal, nothing can be more painful than that. This identity crisis often gives rise to gender dysphoria.

All this can be really traumatizing and scary because if you are an adolescent, you can’t even take steps to undergo medical transitioning because you don’t have the finances plus you can’t take such decisions for yourself. That’s why many transgender people come out in the open later in life.

But you don’t have to let this identity crisis mark your life. If you feel like a woman trapped in a male body, speak to your family about it. They might dismiss you at first but if you persist, they will understand you and help you in your journey. If your family is hostile, confide in a friend whom you think understands you. In the meantime, you could get valuable information from a transgender forum and learn from other trans people's experiences. If it gets worse, you could seek help from any of the organizations working for the rights of transgender people. There are many such organizations active these days. A simple Google search will help you figure out how you can get help from one of these.

Struggle to Find Love

This is the common struggle many transgender women face. Once they come out in the open, the next challenge is to find love. Societal apathy makes it next to impossible for a trans woman to seek a partner the way a cis woman does. She can’t just walk into a party and strike a conversation with a guy she finds interesting. The guy might just turn hostile and even abusive the moment she reveals her identity, for all she knows.

So the best bet for a transgender female looking for love is to join a transgender dating site. These days there are many dating sites specially designed for the transgender community. These sites are relatively safer s compared to conventional dating sites. Also on these sites, the person you are talking to more or less knows that you are a transgender woman. In a conventional dating site, there is always that added risk of someone not knowing your identity even if you’ve categorically stated that you are trans.

A trans dating site also gives you the flexibility of communicating with different kinds of people from across the world. Your choices are not limited. If you were dating someone through family or friends, then you would have a limited pool of people to choose from. So this is an added advantage with online dating. Also, there is no pressure to really meet anyone. That’s the best part. You can go on chatting with different people for a long time till you finally decide to go on a date. And if you still feel uncomfortable about meeting someone, you don’t have to. There is no compulsion.

Finding love as a trans woman is definitely not easy but it’s very much possible. It takes all sorts to make this world. There are many wonderful guys out there. Meeting the right one at the right time is all about destiny.

Struggle with Work and Education

Most transgender people undergo some kind of struggle with work and education. This struggle is more acute in countries where the laws are mostly directed against transgender people. But even in countries where the law recognizes their rights, trans people face this problem.

For a trans woman, completing her education or keeping a job is a major challenge. That is why many transgender women keep on delaying medical procedures because they are scared of losing on education or work. There are many transgender women who are forced to lead double lives. They have to hide their identity at the workplace. They are forced to live out their real identity only in private or with close friends. That’s why it’s no surprise that many trans women just quit their jobs.

For a MTF transgender woman with no savings or little financial means, this can be a source of acute distress. Everyone has the right to earn their livelihood. But in case of trans people, even if the company doesn’t directly discriminate against them, there is so much apathy and transphobia at the workplace that they end up quitting anyway.

For a MTF trans woman trying to live a normal life post-medical treatment, all this can be very complicated. Even if she legally gets assigned the female gender after the gender reassignment surgery, she still faces problems.

The only way to address this is by creating more and more awareness around issues faced by the transgender community. Many people don’t even know what is exactly meant by the term trans. They probably confuse trans people with gays and lesbians. So firstly, a massive social movement is needed to educated people about the meaning and implications of the term transgender. Laws alone cannot bring changes. It’ only when cis people in schools, colleges and workplaces will become champions of transgender rights that things will begin to change for good.

Struggle with Conventional Notions of Femininity

This is a typical struggle that a trans woman undergoes. She has the pressure to conform to the conventional standards of femininity. Just feeling like a woman isn’t enough. She has to make sure that her dress, appearance, behaviour simulate that of a cis woman. She attends grooming classes, learns the art of applying makeup, and takes voice lessons to make her voice sound more feminine.

Somewhere, a trans woman has to find her own ground. She has to create her own distinct style and aura. Even all cis women are not the same. Some cis women are ultra-feminine whereas others are more tomboyish and carefree. So there is no sure shot manual to being a woman really. A transgender woman should feel free to embrace femininity in her own unique style. She should not get bogged down by the whole conventional baggage of femininity. Her essence is that of a beautiful woman. And her outward being should reflect that in its distinctive aura. 

Your hands require regular care and attention, just like the face and body. For a MTF trans woman, the care required is even greater because your hands might not be conventionally dainty or feminine. But you are a beautiful woman inside out. The beauty radiates through your face and shines in your soul. Your external appearance is just a mirror that reflects your beauty and hands are an important part of that look. It’s like completing a full circle. When your external beauty and internal beauty intertwine, the world is bound to notice your unique aura.

As a MTF trans woman, your hands are also a proud witness of the arduous journey you’ve undertaken.

This article gives you a few tips that would help you feminize your hands and make those more gorgeous and delicate looking.

Always Keep Your Hands Moisturized

Moisturize your hands regularly. This is the bare minimum essential for feminizing your hands. Even if we have normal skin, our hands tend to be drier than other body parts. Therefore, it is important to moisturize your hands immediately after a shower. You could use a good quality body moisturizer for the purpose or go for a hand cream. Many good quality brands these days offer excellent hand creams that have been formulated especially for the skin on your hands.

As a MTF trans woman, you want to leave no stone unturned in making arrangements for that special date with someone you met through a transgender dating site. But there are certain things about your appearance you can’t change. You cannot change the build of your hand but you can certainly make those softer and delicate with regular care. If you have had a difficult life full of challenges, it’s normal to have your hands go rough or coarse in texture. With regular hydration and moisture, you can improve the texture.

There are certain ingredients that work wonders for locking in moisture. If your hands are too dry and need extra attention, looks for creams and lotion that contain ingredients like shea butter and strawberry butter. The good old Vaseline petroleum jelly is also great for moisturizing hands! For extra moisture, use a thick hand cream or lotion at night before you go to sleep, and make sure you cover your hands with gloves later on. This will lock in the moisture while you are having your regular beauty sleep and you shall wake up to wonderfully soft hands.

Last but not the least, for any hand cream or lotion to work well, it’s important to stay hydrated. Make sure you drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day and consume salads and fruits like papaya, watermelon, etc on a regular basis.

Natural Oils Should Be Your Best Friend!

Natural oils can work wonders for hand care. You can replace a hand cream or moisturizer with one or better still, use it in addition to these things. Natural oils like olive oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and avocado oil can work wonders for your hands. Just massage your hands with a drop or two of one of these oils whenever you have time and you are good to go. Natural oils have an additional benefit over moisturizers in that they would increase blood circulation, making your hands look more healthy and vibrant.

Whether you are using moisturizers or natural oils or a combination of both, one golden rule to remember is that with hand care, more is always better! Our hands tend to get dry real quick as we use these repeatedly for a number of tasks every day. This makes them more prone to dirt and invisible bacteria, making the skin harsh and somewhat rough. It is therefore important to pamper your hands with these natural oils whenever you can steal a moment or two.

Go for Regular Manicures

For a MTF trans woman wanting to feminize her hands, regular manicures are totally worth it. If cost is an issue, you don’t have to go for over-the-top expensive ones. A basic manicure would do the trick. Going for a professional manicure has many advantages. The expert would get to know your specific concerns and customize a session accordingly. Regular manicures would not just keep your hands soft and supple but you would also get rid of any unwanted tan on your hands. Not to mention, it would ensure you always have those perfect nails.

A manicure is also a great option for a transgender woman who has a super busy schedule. A session at the parlour once a fortnight gets you sorted. It can also be a savior for emergency conditions. Let’s assume you met someone interesting through a trans dating site and the two of you are planning to go on a date. But your hands are not in the best condition at the moment. In such a scenario, a great manicure can give you an instant fix. This doesn’t mean that regular care and grooming of your hands is not needed but it can at least take care of that emergency situation.

Take Extra Care of Your Nails

Nails are a very important feature of a woman’s hands. Therefore, as a MTF trans woman, it’s important that you take extra care of these. A golden rule to follow is to avoid wearing your nails way too long or short. Keep experimenting with the length and with time you would find your ideal length. Nails that are too long look weird and are hard to manage as well. So make sure the length of your nails is just right.

While choosing nail polish, make sure it goes well with your skin tone and the general character of your hands. If you are not sure about what would suit you best, go for nude shades or lighter shades of colors like pink. Go for bright red nail polish by all means if you like but make sure you’d be able to pull it off.

The condition of your nails is also an important factor while choosing nail polish. If your nails are a bit unkempt and not in the best of condition, it’s safe to go for muted and low-key shades. Wearing bright colors would just draw more attention to the imperfection of your nails and you don’t want that.

Go for Hand Jewelry

The use of hand jewelry can give an ultra-feminine look to your hands. No guy could resist a set of soft smooth, well-manicured hands with trendy and chic hand jewelry. So a MTF trans women should definitely consider wearing bracelets and rings for feminizing their hands.

However, you have to be careful while choosing the right jewelry for your hands. Make sure you don’t go over top with hands accessories. You want to look beautiful and elegant, not bizarre and weird. It’s best to stick to just one or two simple pieces. If you wear too many rings, that would just draw even more attention to areas you are not very comfortable with.

The shape and build of your hands is also an important factor to consider while buying hand jewelry. Many MTF trans women already struggle with the issue of somewhat big hands so wearing delicate jewelry might draw even more attention to the size of your hands. Instead, go for hand accessories that are in sync with the size of your hands.

A chunky bracelet would be ideal for someone with big hands. The whole point behind wearing hand jewelry is to make sure the femininity of one’s hands is accentuated. Finally, the most important thing is to go for hand jewelry that suits your personality. Every personality has a distinct aura. Your makeup, dressing sense, everything should complement that aura. The same is true for hand accessories.

Finally, just be proud of yourself and the journey you’ve undertaken. As a MTF trans woman, your hands are a proud testimony to the many hurdles you’ve overcome through sheer willpower and determination. The difficult times are over. Now is the time to celebrate and pamper yourself. Just like your beautiful soul and indefatigable spirit, your hands deserve every bit of that pampering.