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Surprising Effects of Testosterone
T affected my allergies, eye size, perception of time, and more.
I’m a nonbinary transgender person, and I’ve taken testosterone intermittently for years. In my case, I applied a half-packet of Androgel to my body every day, sometimes every-other day. At times, I took T consistently for months; other times I took weeks or months off of it entirely.
I have always been shooting for an androgynous, pretty-boy kind of appearance. I didn’t want to look fully or stereotypically “male.” I wanted a few of the obvious, well-known changes: a lower voice, a bit more muscle tone in my shoulders and chest, an angularity to my jaw. I didn’t want a beard, or male-pattern baldness; I didn’t want to be on T for so long that I’d need a hysterectomy. The plan was always to stop eventually.
A few months ago I determined that if I stayed on T much longer, my transition would progress past the point that felt comfortable. Too much body hair, skin that was far too rough and thick. So I quit applying Androgel, very abruptly.
In the months since stopping T, my body has returned to a more stereotypically feminine shape, and my periods have become more consistent. My emotions have a slightly different quality: less anxiety, more sadness. My allergies are back. My eyes are bigger-looking. My…
