My Timeline (w/photos)

[Sarah Anne]

Wil do

I have just booked my first laser session for later today OZ time. Quite exited taking small steps.

Can't wait to get rid of the hair as I have always hated it.

How exciting! I remember the first one like it was...well...a few months ago! LOL!
I don't wanna ruin any of the surprises...but when they say it feels like a rubber band is being snapped against your face...they're right

[Luc]

Wow, Sarah. Neither my fiancee nor myself can believe you're not even on HRT--- you look like you were born female!

[mementomori]

you don't need to cut your hair for a job you look so feminine that if you just dress androgynous it wouldnt throw off anyone despite being male on your paperwork  , if you looked very mauscline and had a feminine haircut it would put people at unease ( sad but society is messed up like that(

[Jenny07]

Sarah

First laser session done and dusted, and you were right she did mention it feeling like rubber bands snapped against the face.
She also mentioned that the first session is always the worst, so lets hope so as I have/had very coarse facial hair. 

I am very happy now and have follow ups booked. Hopefully it will clear my face in a few months. I can only hope.

It will change things in so many ways.

Now to get started with a therapist.

Take care

Jen

[Elena G]

FAN-TAS-TIC!

I remember reading once about mind power and hypnosis to achieve results like that, so probably you have some psychic skills after all! It's really amazing to see the transformation, thanks for sharing and hope everything goes well from now on.

PS: I'd like to add that I think you should try to look for a job as your real self, you will feel much better and happier. I just can't imagine why anyone wouldn't hire you.

[Sarah Anne]

@Luc - Thanx so much! I guess to some degree, I was born female...now I'm just trying to look like it!

@Mememtomori - This is a really tough call...The other question is if I do leave my hair long, do I wear it down or do I pull it back? It seems hard to look androgynous to an interview because in my line, I'd have to wear a suit and they are pretty distinctively male or female. And I would have a really hard time putting my male name on an application while looking female. Again, in this area that would be shooting my chances before even opening my mouth!

@Jen - On my second trip back, I told the girl "you know that your website says PAINLESS hair removal and that's a bold face lie!" She laughed and said "well you know, if we put HURTS LIKE HELL, no one would come in!" LOL! She had a valid point! It took me several treatments until I didn't look "patchy". And I always had a very dark and thick beard and it continued to fall out for days after treatment. I'd look so bad that I couldn't present as Sarah until about the 2nd or 3rd week after each treatment and even then, makeup didn't hide it all. Today it is MUCH better with only a few random black specs. However, being 40, I have a few grays that the laser ignored so I have to get them taken care of too.

@Elana G - I'll be honest here...years ago I used to read about all the hypnosis stuff and about a year ago when I decided I wanted to do this, I downloaded a few files about feminising the male body. I thought if nothing more, it would help me relax and that's something I needed too. When I went to bed, I'd pop in my ear buds and fall asleep to those files. I did that for about 2 months. Nothing happened...I didn't feel any different and honestly I never expected to. I simply don't believe in it. Now...does that have anything to do with what's happening now? I don't think so...but stranger things have happened I suppose!

[Elena G]

@Mememtomori - This is a really tough call...The other question is if I do leave my hair long, do I wear it down or do I pull it back? It seems hard to look androgynous to an interview because in my line, I'd have to wear a suit and they are pretty distinctively male or female. And I would have a really hard time putting my male name on an application while looking female. Again, in this area that would be shooting my chances before even opening my mouth!  

I'm sorry, I don't have any say on this, but let me tell you that it'd be a damn shame if, after all you've gone through and the way things have been going, you didn't even try to give it a chance. Again, let me apologize for maybe playing with your mind, but I'm gonna give you some links to check out.

http://www.careerjet.com/lgbt-jobs/pennsylvania-401.html

http://www.indeed.com/q-Lgbt-l-Philadelphia,-PA-jobs.html

Best of luck,
E.

[spx_1112]

Sarah -  Hi it's Shannon.  I am so excited for you.  I hope to continue to stay in touch.  Good luck with RLT and HRT.  Hugs!

[xxchristina22]

you look great Sarah! Couldn't believe it either that you are pre-hrt. Best of luck finding that right job 

[Sarah Anne]

Hi everyone! Well that moment came sooner than I had expected. I have an interview at a school district next week! The debate of my hair has been one I've been losing sleep over. With my presentation and skill set, I hope my hair doesn't cause distraction. Between everyone I know, the debate has been 50/50 on letting it alone or getting it cut. The problem is, I can't tell anyone why I want to keep it so badly. I think I will get an inch or so taken off because it needs cleaned up anyway and it will shorten my ponytale a bit.

The worse thing is, if I cut it and for whatever reason I am not selected for the job, I will be devastated! Honestly, I'd be devastated either way but I'd really be hating life if that scenario plays out. It's too important to me now so I have to give it a shot by pulling it back. If I apply for 10 jobs and no one takes me, I'll know it's the hair. If I were full time, this would soooooo not be an issue! 

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

Pardon me for being too lazy to read the whole thread but I assume that you are trying to be hired in "guy mode?" If that is the case, why?

[Sarah Anne]

Pardon me for being too lazy to read the whole thread but I assume that you are trying to be hired in "guy mode?" If that is the case, why?

Yes, that is the case. I am not publically out to family and friends except for a very small selection. I am living PT at the moment.

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

If your livelihood depends on it, you may be very wise to keep "it" under wraps. In retrospect, I would have been much better off had I not been so obstinate about presenting as female early on. Where in Pennsylvania are you located? In political discussions it is said that some parts of your state are almost as lib as Berkeley while other parts are "like Alabama."

If you want to be read as male, try experimenting with different eyeglasses. Do not cut your hair if you can avoid it.

In my first year out, I was offered a male part in a movie but the director insisted I get a buzz cut.  I had to wear a wig for two years after that! Although not a starring role, I was prominently featured in the trailer and my scene is routinely mentioned as one of the few that worked in this otherwise atrocious stinker! Thank God this movie bombed, otherwise I would never have lived this down...except that no one who sees this film would believe General H***kins and I are the same person.

[Danigrl]

you are very beautiful! 

[NotThereYet]

So, UCBerkeleyPostop, pardon my curiosity, but are you an actress now? Or have you changed line of work?

Ciao,
Andrea

[NotThereYet]

@Sarah

How are you? How did the interview go today? How did you do, hun? What did you end up wearing and what did you do with your hair?

I wish the best of luck in your job search, at the moment that is really your first priority, I think.

One thing though: in your line of work it should not be too hard to find a job, since the demand is very high a), and b) I think it is a pretty good place to transition, since most IT guys are seen as "weird" anyway. :-)

A good luck hug,
Andrea

[UCBerkeleyPostop]

So, UCBerkeleyPostop, pardon my curiosity, but are you an actress now? Or have you changed line of work?

Ciao,
Andrea

I was a member of a rather renowned acting troupe in Miami (2002-2004) which led to this role but I was always more of a comic and vocalist then an actor, although I think if I concentrated on it, I could be a great actor. I have transferred this skill set into being a dynamic public speaker and, hopefully, future teacher or lawyer. Currently, I am junior History Major at UC Berkeley. I occasionally appear in the Bay Area as a vocalist mostly at open mikes and a few private parties.


Didn't meant to hijack the thread.  Best of luck to Sarah Anne!

[Sarah Anne]

@Sarah

How are you? How did the interview go today? How did you do, hun? What did you end up wearing and what did you do with your hair?

I wish the best of luck in your job search, at the moment that is really your first priority, I think.

One thing though: in your line of work it should not be too hard to find a job, since the demand is very high a), and b) I think it is a pretty good place to transition, since most IT guys are seen as "weird" anyway. :-)

A good luck hug,
Andrea

Hiya NotThere!!
The interview isn't until this coming Tuesday so it hasn't happened yet. My therapist said "sometimes to get to a place in life, you need to sacrifice and do things you don't want to do." However, if I am looked upon negatively because of my hair, there is no way this could be a place of transition in the future. Therefore I am going to get maybe an inch taken off to clean it up a bit...but otherwise I'm taking my chances! People who don't know of my condition cannot understand why I would make such a drastic choice. Ah well, life is an adventure isn't it!?

Sarah

[Lyric]

I love your pictures, Sarah. Please don't cut off an inch of your beautiful hair. It looks perfect on you and you look perfect. I think it would be very counter to your transitional process to essentially impersonate a man to get a job right now. You look like a woman. You want to be a woman. I think you should just apply for jobs as a transgender woman and let the cards fall where they lay. There are plenty of big companies in the US that have strict rules against discriminating against transgenders. So you don't live in San Francisco. Few of us do. Your job change is a perfect time for this. If you don't start taking yourself completely seriously I assure you that nobody else ever will.

Self-employment has it's advantages, but it can be quite a struggle, too. I've been self-employed for a good 5 years now. If you go that route, be ready for some length lean times and plenty of pitfalls.

~ Lyric ~

[Amazon D]

Hey you forgot to thank all the speechless lurkers   

Well shut my mouth