milesomiles:

Tips for fanfiction writers with trans male headcanon characters:

• Binders👏are👏not👏like👏bras👏You👏do👏not👏hook👏them👏on👏zip👏them👏up👏or👏any👏of👏the👏sorts👏You👏slip👏it👏on👏like👏an👏undershirt👏 (edit: I was informed that binders with hooks do actually exist, I just can’t imagine the binder that I’m currently wearing with hooks it sounds like the most uncomfortable thought to me) (another edit: binders with zippers do exist.)

•Unless you’re writing dramatic scene or something, make sure your character follows the recommended time limits for binders which is 6-8 hours or 8-10 hours if I’m going to be honest the internet is saying two different things.

• Chest binders can sometimes be uncomfortable. Don’t write your character like “they were in extreme discomfort” no cause that can lead to some pretty bad things sometimes. But just write that the fucking hem was itchy, and sometimes it does hurt.

• As cute as the thought is of drawing on binders, that shits expensive, and unless they’re drawing on it with washable markers, I don’t think they would want to permanently ruin their binder that was expensive as fuck.

• Top surgery is literally removing a part of your chest. There are very few instances where the person getting top surgery doesn’t end up with pretty bad scars afterwards. And is impossible for those over a C cup. (Edit: okay it seems as if I phrased this wrong. What I meant by the last sentence was that it’s practically impossible to end up without noticeable permanent scaring when you’re over a size C. There are two different types of operations, one for those with a size A sometimes B called Keyhole/peri-aeoliar surgery which leaves scarring but can fade away in about a year or so. But with larger chests there’s a different surgery which can leave better results as it gives more control to the surgeons but can leave more noticaly permenant scarring. I’m sorry if this came out wrong to someone.)

• Top surgery includes wearing a sort of chest binder for about 6 weeks (thanks you human who told me that, I forget your name) at most after the initial surgery and special tubes for extra fluids and shit. And with evry surgery tjey put you inder laughing gas, so don’t write shit like “they just came out of the doctors office as energetic as ever. “Look!” They exclaimed lifting their shirt to reveal a flat chest” which leads me to my next point which is

• Top surgery is not pretty at first. It’s bruised and scared and scabbed for a while.

• Testosterone, though it is most commonly injected, can also be used in like a sticker/patch form. For injections, the first one anyone gets is at a doctor’s office, then they teach you how to inject it at home. You can get your injections at a very small dose even week or I know some people get larger doses every 6 weeks it depends on the person. The sticker/patch things you wear on your arm all day everyday. You can also have it in different areas but the arm is most suggested. The max dose in patches is a fairly low amount compared to the other alternatives which means less intense effects and sometimes a slower process.

• Don’t even get me started on dysphoria. Not👏liking👏skirts👏doesnt👏mean👏they👏are👏dysphoric👏dysphoria👏in👏this👏sense👏means👏when👏a👏person👏feels👏DISTRESSED👏as👏a👏result👏of👏their👏biological👏sex👏WHICH👏LIKE👏90%👏OF👏THE👏TIME👏CAN👏CAUSE👏DEPRESSION👏OR👏ANXIETY👏

• A lot of the time people doesn’t go with a name close to their birth name. I personally did as it was both easier for my mom and the people around me cause it could seem like a nic name, but also because I loved that name for a long ass time. So if your characters name is say George, I wouldn’t put Gina as their birth name.