What does hair mean to you? I can tell you this for nothing, it is one of my biggest issues and a massive contributor to my dysphoria.
Transgender Hair – A Transwoman’s Outlook 6 Months on HRT
I’m pretty much 1 year “out” now and about 6 months on HRT and I still have issues with hair.
When I first came out, I would shave pretty much head to toe, every day and I hated it. My face would have 5 o’clock shadow as soon as I’d finish shaving, my head hair was so short and sparse that i looked like a thug and my leg and body hair would grow so thick and fast that it would be in-growing, itchy and painful. It’s safe to say I was not in a good place with hair. Check out my post on make up for transgender women for some of the things I have learned about hiding shadow.
All I would wish for was a full head of long flowing locks and a smooth hairless body. (Well maybe not hairless as that might be a bit odd, but short fine hairs in feminine places instead of constant bear stubble!) The razor blades were costing me a fortune and the shaving rash I would get was beyond a joke, when would it end?! Well… It hasn’t… not quite at least.
I am now 12 sessions of laser hair removal in for my facial hair and although there are still some blue-grey areas and some patchy growth, the laser and HRT are doing a great job at reducing the growth and beginning to align my face with my heart. From what I read, a batch of 14-16 sessions is usually enough to banish nearly (if not) all of the hair, so fingers crossed that day won’t be that far off.
My body hair has thinned and slowed in it’s growth and although I am still shaving my body, it’s only really once a week instead of every day and the hair is getting finer which I really appreciate. Ideally I would like it all gone and again from what I read, with some epilation and a few years on HRT, the growth can be pretty much eliminated so that is what I am aiming for!
My legs… oh my legs! I still need to shave my legs every other day otherwise the growth will be scratchy and itchy, not quite to how it was in the early days but it’s still unpleasant. Obviously me only being 6 months into HRT means that my body still has a lot of changes to go through and one day (hopefully) my legs won’t cause me quite as much grief. Maybe I’ll get them waxed? Errgghh pain!
Now we move on to my head hair. This is my hardest thing to deal with on a daily basis. Ever since coming out I have wanted to look as feminine as possible and I adopted wigs. After a short while I was gifted the wonderful red wig that I currently wear and decided that it was time for me to embrace my differences. I knew, quite frankly, that people would stare at me regardless of what my hair looked like and thought that I wanted to show people that I am bold and daring and the new wig embodied that side of me. The trouble is, wearing a synthetic wig every day is exhausting, and I envy any transgender woman who embraces their natural hair and doesn’t ever deal with wigs. The weight of the hair, the pull of the grips, the heat, the headaches, the constant discomfort. Honestly, wearing a wig sucks! At first it helped give me that extra bit of confidence and made me feel a little more feminine, but as time went by, the strain was getting too much. I was having to wash it twice a week, blow dry it, straighten it every 3 days and constantly make sure that it was brushed. Now that may not seem a lot but when it is on your head and weighing you down, brushing and straightening the thing was a strenuous and headache causing task.
My hair is now about shoulder length, some of it is new and only a few millimetres in length and has been brought on by the HRT combined with Finasteride and Biotin, and I really want to do something with it. I still have receding temples and a thinning patch on my crown, but the hair is growing slowly as the dormant follicles are re-activating and I am holding out some hope that it will continue to improve. For now though, the strain of the wig wearing has gotten too much and I am so grateful to be in the position that I am today. With Kelly’s help and hard work along with her support and devotion, I went for a hair consultation. We discussed the current condition of my hair, colours, extensions etc and have come up with a plan to (hopefully) get my hair to a place where I am not constantly weighed down and can feel more naturally feminine.
So… My point to all this rambling! Hair is an issue for many people, especially those going through transition, but there are options. Some of the options can be expensive granted, with the private HRT arrangement with my local GP and a private care company costing me about £30 a month plus set up and check up fees, and the hair treatment which will be a fair couple of hundred at least, they can add up. However you can pick up enough Biotin and other hair supplements from places like Holland & Barret, Superdrug or other online retailers to last you the whole year for next to nothing! GPs don’t often prescribe Finasteride for hair loss, but if you manage to get a shared care agreement with a private gender care company and your local GP, they are normally happy to prescribe it. (This has been my experience at least and I know unfortunately that some GPs don’t even offer shared care as yet) Maybe try other products like Regaine, I did not feel it worked for me but it might for you.
Look around, do some research, yes it is a difficult time transitioning but you can do it, and you don’t have to do it alone. We are here, as are GPs, counsellors, online doctors and chemists, private care companies, hair salons etc etc.
Reach out, because you are amazing!
