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Young LGBTQIA+ Person
Playing with your look
The cool thing about gender is that there are no rules! There is absolutely nothing you have to abide by. There is no such thing as ‘boy things’ and ‘girl things’. Here’s a handy starting place for some things to experiment with while you’re figuring out your identity.
By Brooklyn Rosner and Ariel Ginger
(From Minus18’s OMG I’m Trans)
Makeup
For many trans people, wearing makeup can be like wearing a second skin and a great way to better express yourself. Concealer and foundation can be used together to make stubble or light facial hair less obvious. Foundation is often used to even out the skin tone, while concealer is used to hide any blemishes on the face.
Highlighting and contouring can be used to create or take away shadows from areas in your face, providing you with a look of a softer, more petite face, or a more rugged, rougher face depending on your preferred look. YouTube is a great place for detailed tutorials.
Play around and roll with what you think works. Makeup is a tool for your to have fun with.
Bras and inserts
Chest dysphoria is pretty common for trans young people, but there are ways to overcome it! Both people with a larger bust and people with flat chests have options.
For flat chested people you have bras and padding. Talking about bras can be a new, awkward and sometimes funny experience. It can be hugely rewarding and feel amazing to rock boobs for the first time.
You can either buy padding like silicone ‘chicken fillets’, or get bras with padding built in. Just double check that your inserts don’t irritate your skin as some materials can cause minor allergic reactions. Make sure to wash you inserts with slightly warm soapy water from time to time as well to keep them in good condition, clean and help them last.
Binding
Binding is a great way to temporarily and non‐surgically reduce the size of your chest to make it appear flat/smaller. There are many ways to bind, but it’s important to do it right. Binding improperly can cause injury as you’re putting a decent amount of pressure on your chest and ribs. If you notice any pain in your chest, give yourself a breather and try to restrict yourself to no more than 8 hours of binding at a time. There are some really great retailers online, such as Underworks.
If you can’t get a professional binder you still have other options. Sports compression wear, neoprene back braces, and even layering tight sports bras can all work as budget binders. Just remember to be careful, and it you feel strong discomfort stop, take a break, and try something different.
Absolutely do not use bandages or duct tape. You see it a lot in movies but they are used to apply pressure and usually tighten with movement, so they’re not safe for binding.
Tucking
Tucking is used to create a flat front in the pants, and reduce the visibility of a penis. It’s often done when wearing tight skirts and/or dresses, or just for personal comfort. Just like binding it’s important to take care, tucking can cause injury if done improperly. Don’t tuck for more than 4–6 hours a time, and taking breaks is a must.
Tucking sometimes involves a technique of placing the testicles back inside the pockets inside your abdomen that lie on either side of the penis. If it feels too weird, a tuck can still work without it. The next step is to pull the penis backwards, in‐between your legs. Secure everything and make sure it stays in place. Wearing a pair of slightly‐too‐tight underwear and a pair of tights can be a way of securing your tuck.
Packing
A packer can be a big help for bottom dysphoria. A packer is pretty much a penis to pack downstairs. Put it down your pants and hey presto!
You may need a harness to make sure it stays in place, but tight underwear will generally do the job. A good tip starting out is don’t buy too big, make it’s secure and you’re good to go!
All in all its important to remember that these are just tips! You can use all of them, none of them, or some of them! What matters is that you do what feels right for you.
