Another year, another milestone.
For archival, informational, nostalgic purposes, go back to my 2 Year mark, and my progress after the 1st Year. If you’re new here, check out the top surgery tag for more posts.
Scars
My scars are fading, ever so slowly. I get angry at them sometimes, for not behaving, like everyone else’s.
I haven’t had any additional treatments after the injections and laser, just intermittently massaging them with silicone gel. Though I might get a cortisone injection again due to some raised tissue. Someone recommended treating them with Castor Oil, which is supposed to break up and heal the internal scar tissue (remember, there was a lot done underneath the skin that we never really see) as well as the external, and should be effective even after this many years. So far I’ve tried it two or three times. I feel that it did help, I just need to be more diligent.
Look Good, Feel Good
I look good. I feel good about how I look. Which is… different than usual.
I’ve been working out more this year, trying to build up my pecs, get fit, get strong, get better at rock climbing. So far I’ve lost 15 pounds. It might not sound like a lot, but consider that it’s ~12% of my body weight. Also, this has been over the course of three years. At last, this long term commitment to some vague body-mind improvement is generating results.
Who knew I’d look way better in my almost-thirties than in my early twenties? Yet it’s not just about exercise and eating healthy; it’s about finding the motivation to stick with it. Now that my life is slowly smoothing out, due in no small part to resolving gender stressors, it’s a lot easier to push forward. My spirit is stronger.
3 Year Gallery
I don’t have a lot more to say this time that won’t be a repeat of what I’ve said before, so here are the embarrassing photos you’ve all been waiting for.
3-2-1 Yearly Comparison
Side-By-Side Side Progression
genderqueer.me 
Looks great and very natural! Can definitely see more chest and shoulder development between year 2 and 3 from working out and losing some weight. Thanks for posting it – Jamie
You need to look into the camera and smile. Or are you the bashful type? 😉
I don’t post chest pictures with my face, it’s on purpose 🙂
You look very good, I agree with Charli above. 🙂 You should be proud of your weight loss, exercise, and healthier eating habits. 🙂
Micah, I had raised scarring for years until I went to a massage therapist for a massage who did some deep tissue massage to the scar tissue under the skin. It hurt like hell while it was being done and for days afterwards but there is no more raised area. I had my surgery 26 years ago. I saw the massage therapist for a massage this past year and he asked me if I wanted him to break up the congestion in my chest. I had no idea how painful it would be but I know longer have any raised areas. Keep building your pectorals and shoulders and soon enough it won’t even be an issue for you. Your eyes focus on the scarring but when you see your shoulders like little cantaloupes you will shift your focus.
I’ve been wanting to get deep tissue massage, I just haven’t found anyone I’m comfortable asking. I’ll keep visualizing those cantaloupes for motivation 😉
I know you waited 26 years, but how soon do you think you could have gone the professional massage route? I’m 7 weeks post op and have some hypertrophic scarring happening, but I don’t mind it at all compared to the huge scar tissue mass just beneath the surface. I’ll probably try the moisture remedies (silicone strips and lube, etc.), but I can’t imagine they’ll affect the deeper tissue. I can’t tell if I’m doing scar massage correctly on my own, either.
Thanks for the tip either way!
I think you have to wait until the wounds are fully closed. My guess would be 8-12 weeks post-op… but could be more. You could start calling up providers and asking about it. Also look into Castor Oil, it’s supposed to help with the inner scar tissue.
AMAZING! Give them time, sometimes scars take a bit longer to heal but they are barely visible really. You achieved so much be proud.
You look fantastic!
Thanks for being there Micah. I just want to thank you for being there. Sometimes I feel very alone, wanting a neutrois body to match my spirit, and you’ve proven it isn’t an impossible dream.
I just wish it wasn’t taking me so long to save up and find a good doctor (guess where I live…yep, the South).
So thank you.
And congratulations.
Thank you, and stay strong!
Hi, micah. I had surgery 6 months ago with Garramone. I have hypertrophic scars too. Very disappointing as I was crazy meticulous about silicone scar tretment. But like you said, it is not something we can control.
It looks like your scars got wider/thicker between the 5 month picture and the one year picture (although lighter in color). At what month would you say your scars hit their peak and no longer “grew”? I am wondering when it will start to get better, rather than worse! Right now my scars are wider than yours were at 5 months.
I see a big difference in your pictures between 2 years and 3 years. A big jump in looking better!
Thanks!
The scars widened – and also flattened – due to the cortisone injections. A lot of what was bothering me was not so much the look but the raised texture; now I can barely feel them when I run my fingers across my skin.
The more they flatten, the more they widen. You should go through the archives and compare. I really recommend cortisone for hypertrophic scars, along with silicone gel and massaging.
That makes sense…the flattening causes them to be wider. Thanks for the replying. I will do more searching through your photos.
You might try using Shea’s cocoa butter on the scars, too. When my eldest son opened his face up all the way down to the skull just over his right eye, I feared that the scar would be horrendous and disfiguring for life, now, his scar is slightly visible if you look for it, or if you are in heavy sunlight and the light hits it just right. It appears as a different color of skin tone, but is hardly noticeable otherwise. I wish you luck with the scars as I know we are always more aware of what we perceive of our body than anyone else is, so I hope it all works out just as you want and that you can barely see them when you look at yourself in the future!
Who did your surgery?
Dr Steinwald in Chicago
Hi, I have two ugly looking scars on my chest as well. Do you have any advice on how to get rid of them? PLEASE…it looks so UGLY!!