Wanted; Side Effects of Testosterone

Testosterone comes with many side effects—but mostly, those side effects are exactly the goal: masculinization. In this blog, I’ll talk about the wanted side effects of testosterone, some of which are also tracked on the page where I keep my personal data. If you’re thinking about starting testosterone yourself, feel free to use this blog as a source of information, but not as a medical guideline. Always talk to a doctor first.

The medicine

Testosterone can be taken through injections or transdermal gel. The time between injections varies—weekly to every 12 weeks—depending on the type of testosterone. The gel is applied daily. The leaflet for the injectable testosterone I use states:

“Nebido is used in adult men as testosterone replacement (supplementation) to treat various health problems caused by low testosterone levels (male hypogonadism).”

In my case, that’s actually accurate. I am a man with low testosterone, and this medication solves that. So, what does testosterone actually do for me? What are these wanted side effects of testosterone?

The Physical

Lower voice

I actually already had quite a low voice. When I was younger, I felt insecure about it. Then, at one point, someone from HR at the company where I worked told me she thought my low voice was beautiful. After that, I grew to accept it and wear it with pride. It just shows how a small gesture can change someone’s self-image. Even though my voice was already low, I still hoped it would get lower when I decided to start my transition. From day one of taking testosterone, I found myself talking to myself a lot, checking if anything had changed.

My experience is that a voice isn’t as binary as you might think. Depending on the time of day or the kind of interaction, your voice can vary quite a bit — sometimes higher, sometimes lower. You can find the progression of my voice pitch on my personal data page. It shows a gradual lowering, but since last month I’ve really started hearing the difference myself. I should mention that it depends on how enthusiastic I am — because one side effect of enthusiasm is definitely a higher pitch!

Hair Growth

This was probably the biggest surprise of transitioning. Before I started testosterone, the most wanted side effects were a deeper voice and facial hair. Body hair was something I expected but wasn’t super excited about. As the hormones started working, I began wondering: Would I get chest hair? Leg hair? Maybe even butt hair? Then one day, when I suddenly noticed hair sprouting all over my body, I literally jumped for joy. “Whoa, look at me!” I exclaimed. “Hair everywhere! I’m sure those hairs weren’t there before!”

Fat and Muscles

Muscles are nice, but the fat distribution does the real work. I naturally have a fairly sturdy build, and I notice that my strength increases much more easily when I work out since testosterone than before. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to put in the effort — you do. What I love most is the change in fat distribution. This changes your face and silhouette, which play a big role in the unconscious way people perceive someone’s gender. I also get very clear feedback from people: where I used to be addressed as “ma’am,” I now hear people talking to me more gender-neutrally (and sometimes even calling me “sir”). That comes from some uncertainty about perceiving my gender. Instead of that being unpleasent, I think that’s super cool. It tells me that real changes are happening.

“Now it gets intimate”

Bottom Growth

What is bottom growth? I didn’t even know it was a thing until I did a deep dive into starting testosterone. Under the influence of testosterone, the clitoris grows into what can become a small penis. Many trans people call it a t-dick, dicklet, or peen. At first, I found it a bit strange — especially since a part of my body I preferred not to think about was suddenly going to get bigger and might demand more attention. I decided to accept it and embrace whatever would happen. Bottom growth was one of the first noticeable physical changes; after just one week, I could see and feel the difference. It’s very slow but definitely apparent. And honestly, it feels good to know that through this change, I’m also getting a new beginning in that area.

Menstruation stops

I actually expected my periods to stop right away, period. That was my hope, at least. But now, five months later, it hasn’t happened yet. I do notice changes, though — from much shorter periods (yay!) to suddenly double the length (boo!). I’m just patiently waiting, because stopping menstruation is definitely a desired side effect of testosterone. People’s bodies react very differently to this; for some, it can take months, for others, it might not stop at all. Time will tell.

The Mind

The biggest surprise was what happened in my head. Most of the desired physical side effects of testosterone are well documented, but there’s also a lot going on mentally. The first few days — and only the first few days — I felt really out of sorts. It felt like the world was spinning; I couldn’t focus on anything, and my mind was in a fog. After a few days, that started to fade, and an unprecedented calm replaced it. Honestly, I didn’t know a mind could feel so peaceful. The endless thinking about things that don’t really matter — “You have to do it this way,” “You said that,” “It has to be done in this order,” etc. — all disappeared. Sometimes I still hear that chatter faintly in my head, but it doesn’t bother me anymore. At first, I worried it would change back, but now, five months later, my mind is still calm. I don’t know if this is specifically a side effect of testosterone or if it has to do with the fact that I’m making the right choices for myself, but it’s definitely a very welcome side effect.

Who Is That? That’s Me!

I imagined everything that would happen in words, but now I realize there’s also a “how you feel” layer to it. It’s much more complex than words — it’s a real experience happening right now.

Changes in your body can literally be felt, physically in your body, in every fiber and maybe even in every cell. That’s what makes the experience real and gives the overall effects meaning. The physical sensation of hair on your face or gaining muscle adds a completely new dimension to all the desired side effects of testosterone. It’s a profoundly powerful experience to watch your body change in the direction you want. It makes me feel calm and comfortable in my existence, to look in the mirror and finally be able to say, “Hey, that’s me!”