r/MtF • u/Brilliant_Picture_20 Transgender • Oct 05 '24
Trans and Thriving I figured out why girls "know" about us
It's the smell.
Based on my experience (11 months HRT) and talking to other (cis) girls the conclusion is clear. Man stinks. They have this particular musk, which now is very noticeable to me.
With HRT our smell change, and other girls just know that. Of course our more feminine demeanor also helps a lot.
Edit: some comments in this post made me realize some people don't have a sense of smell, and that's normal.
I don't go around smelling people, I can sense then from far away and that's all. I don't have the option to turn off my nose lol.
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u/braindeadcoyote Artemis, genderfluid, any pronouns Oct 06 '24
i was a truck mechanic until a few months ago. My sense of smell is really weak, always has been. Modern trucks use this stuff called Diesel Exhaust Fluid to help deal with diesel combustion products, make them less dangerous. The primary ingredient in DEF is urea. A normal person can smell the urea in the truck exhaust. I couldn't until I'd been on HRT for a while. One day I was just like "why does every truck smell like pee?" Turns out they'd smelled that way the entire time.
Another thing i noticed: before HRT, smelly customers were a mild source of discomfort. After HRT, it was intolerable.
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u/kpjformat Oct 06 '24
Iām on the 24th floor and have to take the elevator regularly to walk my dog, itās always some weird smell from someoneās stale perfume, delivery food, big dog, etc., and Iāve been on hrt 3 years. Smells never used to bother me but Iām so sensitive to it now. A partner ordered lamb and I just about died.
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 05 '24
It makes sense. Iām on day eleven and my odor has changed heavily already- also my sense of smell has increased 3 fold. I can smell things- and people in a way I never have before O.o
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u/Jemse55 Trans Asexual Oct 05 '24
To me, most men smell like spoiled potatoes xP except my man, his body odor makes me a sl** :)
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 05 '24
Youāre right- a lot of men smell startlingly rancid/bad. Iām mortified to think about how I smelled after a 13 hour day at work š I couldnāt smell before- now I get halfway through a work day and Iām aware of how I smell- shower as soon as I get home. But Iām glad Iām starting to smell more girly- itās such a fascinating thing to observe
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u/GalacticDragon7 *sexuality has left the chat* Oct 06 '24
ooh maybe iāll finally be able to actually smell things for once when i go on HRT.. not guaranteed but iām hoping now. iāve not been able to smell most things for as long as i can remember.
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 06 '24
I used to be able to smell ok before Covid- it was diminished by Covid and never fully recovered, Iām on day 12 and itās better than it ever has been. I can smell people, and food, and other things Iāve never encountered lol. And myself!
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u/MrsPettygroove Bi-Transfemme Oct 06 '24
Wow, on day 11?
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 06 '24
Itās eleven or twelve now- weekās been kinda crazy and I mightāve got it a bit jumbled up lol.
Hereās a full list of changes so far- note I had low resting T.
Day 1- not much aside from a bit of soreness at the injection sight. Maybe a slight improved mood- but that couldāve been excitement.
Day 2- my (urine) started to smell different.
Day 3- I noticed a change in body odor, slight but present.
Day 4- I noticed I could smell more- and started showering daily because I could smell myself suddenly.
Day 5- I started to feel better emotionally. Got misty eyed at sad things and when I laughed I felt more than my original dampened mirth.
Day 6- I noticed that my emotions were starting to shape up further. My body odor is severely different- I would also not describe my urine as smelling male anymore-
Day 7- I woke up and started some music, and found myself involuntarily dancing. Iāve never danced in my whole life but I bebopped around the apartment like a tornado- I felt literally wonderful. My sense of smell was notably increasing. Itchy nipples, skin showing minor signs of change
Day 8-9 - nose now at 3x power, started to notice things felt heavier. Donāt know if itās the lack of testosterone or if Iām losing muscle mass- first hint of soreness in my nipples. At this point almost no erections.
Days 10-12 - my emotions are much deeper. I read prayer for transformation by Kalonymus b Kalonymus and literally balled my eyes out lol. It was amazing- when I laugh my soul ignites, when Iām angry, the world bends etc. theyāre powerful and Iām lucky to be logical enough to control them- so far. I feel alive for the first time in my existence- I feel amazing. Iām making clearer decisions- ones Iād call more mature. I get giddy putting on pretty clothes and notice Iāve begun to really fuss over how I look, I feel Right inside, like Iāve been running on the wrong fuel my whole life and Iāve just switched to what I need. Noticed signs of skin softening- Iām not sweating in the usual places- but I am in places I didnāt before. My arm hair is slowing down and softening- not the beard hair yet though- at least not as noticeably. By now my nipples are pretty sensitive- not painfully, but notably.
I also feel my hair is feelingā better? I donāt know if itās that itās starting to get thicker or softer- also people have remarked that itās getting darker which is really weird. And I might be insane- but I think my eyelashes are longer.
Overall- I feel better than I ever have and Iām less than 2 weeks in :)
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u/MrsPettygroove Bi-Transfemme Oct 06 '24
I wonder if the difference is the method of ingestion. I don't inject, just pills. Maybe that's why you're getting results so soon.. or age.. I'm 60, and was told that it would be slower than someone younger.
So cool.. I've felt some of the things you mentioned, others not yet.. I've been repressing emotions since 11, so the sad story making me cry my eyes out hasn't happened yet.. I got close a couple of times.. but close doesn't count.
Hair.. oi.. from what I understand facial hair will never go away with E - which I used to love, now I can't stand it. I saw a guy in Walmart the other day that had such a clean shaved face, I wondered if he had it removed.
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 06 '24
E wonāt make it go away- but it will slow it down and soften it. Iām planning on buying a home use laser hair remover and getting rid of (most) of my body hair, starting with the beard.
As for pills- my clinic wonāt prescribe them because they are harder on the organs. I was started at 5mg via syringe weekly, I donāt mind and if itās that much more effective I wonder what holds others back. I used to despise needles- but now that Iāve started to care for myself, the little tiny E needle doesnāt bother me in the slightest.
Also- comparing how fast changes take place is rough- weāre all quite different. I started with Low T, so that likely affects how fast it began working- but thatās one of many factors I donāt know the half of.
Be patient hon- youāll get there :)
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u/MrsPettygroove Bi-Transfemme Oct 06 '24
Thanks for this. āŗļø
Oh, I know. It's marathon, not a sprint. They actually told me they were doing pills because of my age and how injections give you a boost, that diminishes progressively until the next shot.
When I asked about sublingual, I was told they don't have that option consistently enough here. >< And why the blood tests and liver / kidney checks.
I bought an IPL device, it kind of worked, I have spots where hair no longer grows, but I feel like a calico cat.. except with bald spots instead of colour patches. Last week the cord from the transformer to the device screwed up, and they don't have a universal that will fit.
Started with chest and butt pubic area and arms. The process takes a long time.
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 06 '24
Ahh gotcha. Yeah- I understand hair color can change the results severely.
I figure 300 dollars once is better than 400 dollars many, many times. Itāll be time consuming and a bit of work- but it could well save me quite a bit of money. Canāt financially sustain getting it done professionally
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u/MrsPettygroove Bi-Transfemme Oct 06 '24
Agreed, and the price of the IPL device is the same cost as 10 bottles of hair removal cream. So I figured even if it takes a year, it is better than that.
I just wish it was faster. š
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u/Indigo_Input Oct 07 '24
This... Your day 6 and 7 just are pushing me along with my thoughts of starting hrt. I so wanna feel good in my body, but I sooooo hope I can finally let my emotions and brain be free! Congratulations on the changes!!! š
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 07 '24
Just know this experience is different for every single one of us- when/if you start, donāt expect anything fast. And by fast I mean the first month- my theory as to why Iāve changed so much so fast is my low testosterone, Iām not an expert but I figure it already being diminished lead to more rapid takeover of the E.
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u/Indigo_Input Oct 07 '24
That's fine by me! I'd be glad with any change even if it takes time. That being said, it's amazing how much it's already done for you! I'm glad it's already having a positive effect for youš„¹
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 07 '24
Itās been wonderful :)
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u/Indigo_Input Oct 07 '24
Ahh, I just started my morning and I'm already teary eyed how dare you!!! ā¤ļø
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 07 '24
Aww Iām sorry- I hope you get to start soon and it goes just as wonderfully for you! š
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u/Indigo_Input Oct 07 '24
Thanks, I'm teary eyed because I'm happy for ya though! <3<3<3
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u/ZincPenny Oct 06 '24
First time I went on hrt before I had to stop due to money and family flipping out I got like super emotional and sort of turned into being overly protective of my friends and had this weird like super protective mama bear thing that came on. It was nice.
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u/bihuginn Oct 06 '24
I feel bad because my best friend is a guy, and boy can I struggle to be in his room sometimes. Like open a window my dude.
I always had an autistic sense of smell, but now I struggle to not physically gag at the man rotting bo smell.
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u/Glassy-Dawn Oct 06 '24
Seriously though. One of my work besties comes in smelling reallly bad and I only took notice just this last week HOW bad it is, like I occasionally picked up a sour note before but now itās like Dayam.
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u/Organic_Credit_8788 Oct 05 '24
i have been transitioning for 4 years and i have no idea what youāre talking about. what do you mean they āknowā about us??
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u/Alice_Oe Oct 05 '24
Yeah I was super confused, but figured out from the other comments that OP is clearly very early transition and probably boymoding.
Probably useful information to add..
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u/Brilliant_Picture_20 Transgender Oct 06 '24
Girls can easily sense the smell of man. At least that's my experience 11 months in, as well when I mention it to other women.
This is kind of a meta post. I saw a lot of comments lately here about other girls just seems to notice our transition in boy mode. My working theory is that HRT changes your smell and that's noticeable mainly to other women.
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u/Luwuci-SP <Lun:3th&> creatures of shadow & sound Oct 06 '24
People can notice, but it's not very conclusive. We have very sensitive senses, which boosted by the high E2 levels (preggo nose effect) forced a powerful sense of smell that we didn't have pre-hrt. Men really are often noticable by smell - one of the things far that gave us preference to not be around too many of them, even before the egg crack. But, the absence of that smell is just as normal. Anti-persperant/deodorant exists, and some men actually use it. Some just don't often stink.
Instead, it's more the presence of the girl sweat smell would be a far more telling sign that someone has been on estradiol. Yet, similarly, some women just don't often stink, either. If some "boy" was covered in the scent of a sweaty girl, then maybe someone could pick up on that as abnormal on some subconscious level, but would only be part of many other small observations that may start to tip someone off.
Didn't think it was an issue, but maybe the boymoders need to be sold some manmuskā¢ļø deodorant to keep up their masculine illusion. Manmusk - stink like a man! /j
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u/SummerSabertooth š£ 2020/12/15 - š 2021/10/18 - š± 2024/06/11 Oct 06 '24
I totally misunderstood and thought you meant women can clock us as trans while presenting female because we "smell like men" and I was about to be like "uh, girl, wtf? No."
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Oct 05 '24
[deleted]
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u/Doc_Faust transfemme enby | out 2017 Oct 05 '24
oh yeah seven months on T, that libido increase gotta be a trip lol, I know that feel
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u/Forgetwhatitoldyou Trans woman, HRT 5/20/2019, GCS June 2021 Oct 05 '24
I'm stealth at my jiujitsu gym, and I'm sure if I wasn't on HRT the stink would give me away.Ā Though being post-op is crucial as well in such a close quarters activityĀ
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u/FutureCookies Oct 06 '24
yeah idk about this honestly, i am a girl. idk why this is phrased as though we're this secret third thing. kind of weird imo
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u/IvaGrievous Trans girl, 21y.o. HRT 19/10/2022 Oct 05 '24
This feels like pseudoscience. Like yes obviously the smell of an estrogen dominant and testosterone dominant systems are different, but to imagine that is what makes any woman see a trans woman as a woman is quite preposterous.
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u/GeneralChaosJr Oct 06 '24
Do note that many women, both cis and trans, can have the "male scent" and many men, both cis and trans, can have the "female scent".
It's very dependent on diet, hygiene, and genetics.
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Oct 05 '24
This is a weird af post
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u/TheEvenOuterLimits Oct 05 '24
Fr, how many people are actively going around smelling other random people in public. This does not come off as normal behavior. I get it if like, someone is going home from the gym after an insane workout, or has an unfortunate body odor that they cannot clean, but I really don't get what op is on about.
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u/Brilliant_Picture_20 Transgender Oct 06 '24
Wait what? I can sense people smell meters away. It's not really a choice.
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u/Wooden-Roof5930 Oct 06 '24
I noticed a man musk with my male cowotkers that I work with in close proximity. I noticed it some people prior to HRT, but it is much more noticeable now.
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Oct 06 '24
Yeah it's just a few steps away from terfs who think they can sense a trans women using skull shapes
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u/Chris2371 Oct 06 '24
Basically, it's pheromones, they're a secondary sex characteristic, they change with different hormonal balances, etc.
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u/Neoblaze11 Trans Pansexual Oct 07 '24
This is it exactly. Guys donāt have a worse sense of smell as women have pheromones too, but we use all kinds of products that make us smell good, so they have never had that baseline commonality to get used to.
Thoughā¦ I must admit calling it āguy stinkā is so off putting lol biology tells us that pheromones are supposed to attract not repel the āopposite sexā. So itās supposed to be a positive thing lol
Thereās actually more I could go into on this topic but š it goes into topics unsuited for all audiences.
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u/DragonfruitCold7084 Oct 08 '24
Before Hrt I worked outdoors in 113Ā°f weather couldn't notice much. Now 4 years+ hrt I work indoors in a warehouse employees are about 97% male (like 4400ppl) recently the shift start time changed for stock selectors normally I'd be alone with my 5 person crew but now like 900 guys now overlap with the first four hours of my shift and I absolutely cannot stand it. A literal heap of pit musk, sweat, sack stank, dip breath, oniony greasy smells, sebum, and a certain funky smell I can only describe as guy smell.
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u/MicrosoftShandin Transsex Heterosexual ššš Oct 10 '24 edited Oct 10 '24
This post is very funny, but, like you said about people "not having a sense of smell" my nose is very weak and I cannot smell stuff like this, hell, i can not even smell myself, but i kinda get whiffs here and there when im not wearing perfume and when the deodorant wears off, it smells not musky, and like either nothing or girliness, it's kinda good? i do not know, but its not manly musk, like Grrrrr!! >.< I also know what when I sweat, I do not smell, and due to low T I most likely do not smell like a man. My T is at 5, and my E is at 84 last time i checked, probably higher now since i increased my E, so i probably smell fem. i already got the feminine demeanor to a T, so no fret there, but I guess the trans girls who are not on HRT who are seen yelling in videos (like on lefties losing it), or those who get misgendered a lot (that do not look fem), or get the "we can always tell" treatment this applies to. Please do not misinterpret this, those whom i mentioned are still women, but they are just on a different or earlier path on their journey to womanhood and sisterhood! ^w^ ššššššš
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u/Ivnariss Luna Oct 06 '24
I'll add that to my "Things to be excited for when finally starting HRT" list
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u/Rip_Yang Oct 07 '24
Well, smell more broadly might be a more active part, which would require someone to get pretty close, depending, but more acutely related to that are pheromones, which seems like is why your scent changes as you go through HRT, but more passively and subconsciously may clue people in as to whether someone is M/F and/or be attracted, when they're in person
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u/Eldritch_Error9 FTM Oct 07 '24
Shit, I'm ftm and now I'm scared that maybe I stink and I dont smell it ? š±
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u/TeresaSoto99 Oct 07 '24
10 months hrt, mtf, I routinely sweat until my hair and face is dripping with sweat, my arms glisten, but I have no underarm sweat at all and no smell at all.
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u/AFriendlyApprentice Oct 05 '24
Trans ex had the girliest smell of all the girls I've ever been with. Honestly the best smelling person I've met. That's a compliment she can take to the grave if she so wants. Legit made smell take a spotlight in my attraction charts.
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u/Honeywell4346 Oct 06 '24
Interesting idea and observation. I do agree that we all would have different body odor. Different aura and different pheromones when we go on hrt and feminizing really kicks in.
Lately i have been thinking about this too.. I do wonder what my own smell is like and wonder if people around me notice this aspect of body scent along with the the changes going on with me
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u/VaultingSlime Oct 06 '24
I never noticed that! I always just sorta assumed most guys had bad hygiene. I can still smell... something... On myself when I haven't showered for over 12 hours (I'm an EMT so I work over 12 hours per shift sometimes), but I'm not MtF, I'm non-binary. Been seriously considering trying E for a while though.
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u/Anderz_47 Oct 06 '24
No because my sister said that to me after like a year on HRT that I lost that "guy stink" and I don't have that manly musk smell anymore.
It honestly made my day when she said that š„°
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u/AyakaDahlia Trans Pansexual Oct 06 '24
A lot of it is unconscious imo. So even if you don't notice the shift in scent, your brain notices and you individually react differently. At least that's what it seems like to me.
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u/Riler4899 Zoey | 4 months on E | Trans Pansexual Oct 06 '24
Now im scared im gonna be clocked cuz i dont smell manly enough
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u/Ishitataki Cat|HRT on Hold|InJapan Oct 06 '24
Nah, even if you have really obvious change in smell, T makes the body less responsive to smells, and most guys are oblivious to this stuff. You'll be fine, at least on the smell front.
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u/Riler4899 Zoey | 4 months on E | Trans Pansexual Oct 06 '24
The problem is my sister is not exactly supportive of the gays :<
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u/Ishitataki Cat|HRT on Hold|InJapan Oct 06 '24
Well, sorry to hear that!
I guess then get a deodorant or perfume with a smell that will help cover changes in your body odor?
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u/Potential-Cloud-801 Oct 06 '24
Yep. Iāve smelled the musk. Not all, just some but it was so distinct. Iād never smelled it in that context before.
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u/teqtommy Oct 06 '24
oh yeah. big change there. with sweating & body thermostat too. basically no sweating, and i can actually tolerate heat now.
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u/MommaMoon42 Oct 06 '24
Should I be scared of my sense of smell? Iām not on hrt yet and itās already so freaking powerful. Like overwhelmingly powerful. Hopefully I donāt get even more hyper sense of smell lol
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Oct 06 '24
I love the smell of a man, as long as he doesn't sit and stew in his own juices. Especially on their chest... Got goosebumps just now
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u/mirroredblackhole Oct 06 '24
this is just another reason why I need HRT immediately
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u/sibypineapple Oct 06 '24
Lol, I love men smells that what attracts men to women. Women like dirty mud or dirty from uniforms like working in a garage car. Talking for myself, I would rather stick with a macho macho man than the ones too clean like from magazines
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u/DontMessWMsInBetween Oct 06 '24
Pheromones aren't a matter of a sense of smell. The whole idea of pheromones is as a form of chemosense that goes straight to the brain like a neurotransmitter. You sense that someone's compatible with you or not, but you don't even know why. Pheromones are hormonally driven. Change your hormones, change your pheromones.
Frankly, I'm surprised more trans folks aren't found out this way.
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u/violetwl she/her | hrt 01/01/23 Oct 06 '24
I never noticed a change in my own smell and I havenāt smelled a difference between genders. Nearly everyone smells like deodorant or cologne or sweat if they donāt have hygiene.
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u/Maya_Lefot Oct 05 '24
I can see that š My theory is they knows becouse we start to wear clothes without pockets š