While some of the physical changes that occur due to taking testosterone are permanent, some of them will only persist while a person is actively taking testosterone. The University of San Francisco Transgender Care The program states that facial hair growth, clitoral growth, deepening of the voice, and development of male pattern baldness are permanent changes that will not be affected by stopping testosterone. However, the redistribution of body fat, changes in the menstrual cycle, changes in the skin, and changes in muscle mass and strength are all dependent on the active intake of testosterone. If trans men decide to stop taking testosterone for whatever reason, their bodies will slowly change.
For some trans men, the fact that many physical changes are not permanent is comforting. It lets them see if they like the changes testosterone brings knowing they can quit anytime without too many long-term effects, as one trans man said Initiated.
However, some trans men may want to limit certain permanent physical changes, for various reasons. Some choose to use additional medications to prevent some of the permanent changes, especially facial hair growth and clitoral growth. A paper published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine suggests using a DHT blocker like finasteride alongside testosterone to suppress clitoral and facial hair growth. Although trans men cannot choose the physical changes they get from taking testosterone, as this is largely determined by genetics, drugs like finasteride can provide some level of control over physical changes.
