i had a double mastectomy in january of 2025. in these photos, i am about 8 weeks post-operation. while doing my care routine one night, i found myself studying the thin, raised scarlet lines that adorn my newly-scuplted chest. i feel the hard rocks of scar tissue that sit underneath and watch my movements reflected in the mirror in front of me. i thought: this chest, and the distinct, recognizable markings that lie within, are now my unique identifiers - as myself, and as a transgender man.