Electrolysis on NHS - anyone, ever?

[Padma]

This is just a bit of an investigation, as I've been hearing conflicting info lately.

Has anyone on here ever got funding through the NHS in the UK for (facial) electrolysis as part of their transition? And if so, in what part of the country?

It puzzles me greatly that the NHS is happy to fork out for laser (at nearly £200 a pop) but won't cover electrolysis, which to me is ageist as it discriminates against those of us with grey hairs . Well, and of course it discriminates against redheads and blondes too.

[Jayne]

I'm seeing my dermatologist in september & will be asking if I can have electrolosys due to my excema.
I was told on my last visit to stop using a razor because of the damage it was doing to my skin, I brought an electric shaver but that's also ravaging my skin.

I'm not very hopefull but i've heard that the NHS in scotland will do electrolosys so maybe the UK NHS will catch up soon.

[Padma]

I've been quietly told that after April when the current PCT is disbanded, my gender clinic will be free to allocate its own funding, which will include electrolysis (not sure whether they just meant down-below hair removal or face too).

[Jayne]

That would be a godsend for me, I was advised to wait until HRT had started to make electrolosys more effective, I was unable to get time off work for my appointment to discuss my HRT & am now waiting for a new appointment.
In the last month I was made redundant & now wont be able to afford electrolosys until i'm working again, it's hard enough to get a job under the best of circumstances but finding employment during transitions going to be really hard.
I know employers can't discriminate against you for being TS but when there's around 300 people applying for every job in my home town it's easy for an employer to find a more suitable candidate.

I find it hard to believe that the NHS will pay for all other aspects of treatment but not electrolosys.

How many women have a full five o'clock shadow?

How many women have to nip off to the toilet to have a sneaky shave & apply heavy amounts of makeup to hide stubble?

How can you be expected to live as a woman with what amounts to a neon sign on your face telling the whole world that you were born as the wrong gender?

I find this all quite perplexing