High cost of transitioning

[coldHeart]

I am more than happy to be starting in the HRT club next month however because I have not choice but to go private & being unable to work due to medical problems HRT will be the only part of transitioning I will able to afford, I would love to have a little surgery on my face, that is out of the question, I would need to have laser/electro on my face hair that again is a no no so what I'm asking where do I go from here!, I have tried all sort's of make up ideas to try & cover my Beard, lucky it takes two days to become stubble but I want it gone.
I could sell a kidney or kidnapped Laurie for money but I've come this far only to hit a brick wall, I,m depressed of the thought of spending my life living part time I need for my survival to be full part or death but if you can't afford it..what an I to do!
I'm open to any ideas good stupid or mad
By the way I'm UK based.
Sara.

[Dena]

I am not an expert on this but I believe that your medical system covers HRT, GCS and some hair removal. Once you are in the system, possibly the money you would spend for continued HRT could be applied to hair removal. The other thought is you don't need all the money at once so hair removal can be pay as you can afford it.

[coldHeart]

Problem I have is there is a two year plus waiting list where I live, & I will only be able to foot the cost of HRT for a limited time.

[Laurie]

Sara,

I gave you a more comprehensive answer to this thread elsewhere. For this post al I am going to suggest is to put all these worries on hold until after you are on HRT and it has had a chance to work it wonders on you thought processes. I believe it is going to help you with dealing with these issues you have mentioned here as well as others.
  Take a step back and wait for the HRT to work a bit, then take another looks at these here.

Love ya and hugs,
   Laurie

[coldHeart]

I understand what you mean Laurie but in some peoples eye's I could walk out side & be passable which I want so much but this stubble!.
Perhaps I can wear a crash helmet.

[coldHeart]

Has any one else had this problem of not being able to afford treatment, be glad to read your views.

[Kendra]

Hi Sara,

Good question, difficult to answer.  Before I attempt any part of that - Congratulations on making the decision to place high priority on something so important to you.  I cannot guarantee my predictions but I am convinced HRT will be wonderful for you. 

I assume you have spent time checking posts on the Hair Removal forum and also areas focused on makeup techniques.  (Go far enough back and I think just about every question has been answered).  It's awesome your ex-girlfriend showed you how to apply makeup - not all of us are that lucky - but she probably doesn't have experience covering up stubble which I previously had to deal with.  In addition to the standard hair removal methods (and avoiding scams) there are alternatives that have worked for Susan's members.  Some facial hair cover-up techniques  work better than others and are less tedious. 

Eyebrows frame a face more than most people realize.  Carefully trimmed eyebrows are a must-have for many females - and there are ways to split the difference if someone is not full time.  Even someone presenting male all the time can often benefit from a small amount of careful trimming there.

If medical issues are preventing you from working, also consider some long term ideas that are not directly related to transition.  Down time from work might be an opportunity to bolster your education, with the goal of a career in an industry which might fit well with physical/health limitations.  Some industries and business categories are friendlier to transgender employees.  Just some ideas. 

And best wishes!  Very glad to see you ask this question.

[Dena]

The only other options I can think of is cutting expenses or earning additional income with a job or with abilities you have. In my case, I was able to get by without a second job and instead controlled living expenses. Others may have a part time job or be able to do handy work with skills or abilities they have that are in demand. We have one member who was into collecting and sold her collection in order to generate the money she needed.

Just remember that there is a point where facial hair no longer requires shaving but still needs periodic removal. At that point you can pass effectively even though you still need additional treatment. Getting to that point is the primary goal.

[LizK]

Hi Sara

If its your beard that you are really having issue with and the only way to stop it showing sounds like removal.

Kidnapping Laurie is an attractive prospect I agree ...not so sure as to the chances of anyone willing to pay money to have her back though....Maybe Moni?

On to the more serious answer...if you let HRT do its job and see if you can save a few bucks and maybe pick up a cheap laser package on Scoopon or similar. Try a Go Fund Me site maybe...Do you have any talents you could use for Busking?

Just a couple of thoughts

[coldHeart]

ElizabethK I think moni would pay us to kidnapped Laurie lol yes I can sing but I would need to be sat in a bath on the streets.

Kendra
Hi again, my eye brows have all really been shaped but because I used to have a goatie its left its Mark.

The only sane ideal is to have Davina & her love bus as the get away drive & a few if us bust a bank
you lot up for it!, oh yes Laurie you can wear stockings over you head if you must.

[Kendra]

Sara since you mentioned stockings, I will add a pointer to reply #7 in the following thread to help with math.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,226976.msg2012692.html

[Alora]

be passable which I want so much but this stubble!.

Ok so I might touch a nerve...

But like you I am limited in the funds department. I finally broke down and did a bunch of research on homeopathic topical s that can be applied to my skin after waxing.

Now I'm a bit of a masochist, I chose to wax my face myself (I so don't recommend it for the first time), but I'm happy with the results so far. Granted, it's only been a few days since I finished, but I'm happy so far.

Waxing is not to be feared if you take the proper post skin care precautions.

Loves [emoji182][emoji179][emoji182]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[josie76]

Another thought if you can just save a bit up. I started my beard removal with a home IPL. No it's not the final answer but it did thin it out on my cheeks and neck. After months since I last used it, those areas remained thinned. For a little more up front there is a couple of home laser units. These may prove more effective and do not come with the replacement bulb costs. For what I spent on bulbs I could have bought a Tria laser unit and then some. On the plus side these units can continue to be used on other body hair. Like the breasts and chest. HRT help with a lot of it but I still have a bit that requires shaving. I was saving my bulb life for my face but after about 6 months of the IPL on my face I have given up. The remaining hairs need a professional laser.

Which leads to the next step.you can shop around and find laser treatments priced per visit. This will let you get it done when you can save enough to do it. I know in the larger city there are some deals for several sessions for $100 while out in the rural area I have to pay around $300 each for a doctor or dermatologists nurse to blast my face.

One more thing, talk to the person before you sign on there. My first treatment the doctor running it left areas untreated. So after about three days without shaving I have circles of clean skin on my chin and jaw area. My next appointment is at a derm place and the nurse assured me she would not be so sloppy. She couldn't hardly believe so much got missed the first time I went somewhere.

Also I can actually recommend a battery powered home Electrolosis unit for scattered grey hairs. There is a unit branded Clean and Easy. It does work if you don't mind guiding a super thin wiring along your hair down to the root. I've found it takes 2-3 on cycles at 15 seconds each to really kill the hair. It is galvanic meaning the DC current reacts to produce lye in the pore. If you get it when you pull gently with a tweezer the hair and clear inner sheath will pull right out. The effectiveness actually seems to work better on my grey hairs. Not sure why, they just seem to take less lye to kill than the dark hairs do.
A small warning with this one. You need steady hands, a magnafying mirror, good light,  and a gentle touch. If you jam the wire in you can poke yourself and cause a small blood scab to form from bleeding. If you are gentle you only get skin irritation a day or so from the lye in the pores. Also you can only kill the actively growing hairs, just like any other method. Also use rubbing alcohol to sterilize the wire and your skin surface unless you want a massive breakout.
This thing is only like $40 and a pair of replacement tips are under $10 for when you bend them, which you will.

Plucking and waxing do not work. You may end up with smooth skin for a week but it will all come back. I did it once. Glorious for a shot time to feel smooth skin on my face, but I want it to last.

[amandam]

I've used the All in One, which is like the Clean and Easy. Removed a few hairs but gave up. So hard to use. But at least those hairs never came back.

[Kylo]

Problem I have is there is a two year plus waiting list where I live, & I will only be able to foot the cost of HRT for a limited time.

Can't you get the HRT covered by the basic £8-9 prescription charge per unit? If you're unemployed and jobseeking you get free prescriptions, right?

[coldHeart]

Can't you get the HRT covered by the basic £8-9 prescription charge per unit? If you're unemployed and jobseeking you get free prescriptions, right?

Unfortunately no, I might be unable to work because of the medical problem but I still have to pay for prescriptions, crazy


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[Julia1996]

Obviously hair removal is the best way to deal with facial hair but you have said you can't afford it so I'm going to give you a couple of other options. I have heard that waxing makes electrolysis more difficult later on. But if you decide you want to wax doing it at home is cheaper than having it done at a salon. You can get wax and a wax warmer pretty cheap on amazon. Gigi is a good brand and it's what we use at work. The honey wax that use the linen strips is no good for facial hair. You need the Brazilian hard wax. It's a thick wax that hardens when it cools. You rip off the hardened wax itself instead of using strips. This wax doesn't leave any hairs behind and it will pick up shorter hairs than regular sugar or honey wax. I've used Brazilian wax on facial hair. One of my clients has a thick beard and had a lot of trouble with his skin from shaving. He decided he wanted to try waxing. It removed all the hair but he said it really hurt which I believe because his eyes kept tearing up.  He also bled in a few spots. He said he would never do it again. I'm not trying to discourage you. I'm just telling you what you're in for if you decide to wax your face.

Your second option is to use makeup to cover it.  One of the guys I work with does drag. He uses a makeup called Dermablend. It's actually made for burn victims.  It really covers though. After he shaves he uses orange concealer to cover the dark shadow before he puts on the makeup. You can also use orange lipstick which is cheaper.

I hope some of this helps.
Hugs
Julia

[ds1987]

First of all...CONGRATULATIONS for approaching the starting line of hormones!!  This is a big celebratory moment, revel in it and all its glory

Your second option is to use makeup to cover it.  One of the guys I work with does drag. He uses a makeup called Dermablend. It's actually made for burn victims.  It really covers though. After he shaves he uses orange concealer to cover the dark shadow before he puts on the makeup. You can also use orange lipstick which is cheaper.

I was going to say exactly this too!  The orange is great for post shave as it works against the blue of the shadow.  Check out the "color wheel" and see how one color cancels out another (such as a green color corrector for redness).  Some people may need orange, others pink, it varies based on the color that presents after shaving.  Totally something you can play around with a bit if you try a few cheap options first, such as NYX and Maybelline (they both have good options), before upgrading to a high end like Bobbi Brown.  And I haven't personally used Dermablend, but I have heard incredible things.  If you know a Younique rep near you, their foundation and concealer are also incredible, they last a long time, and have been known to hide entire sleeve tattoos, let alone stubble.

When conserved correctly, makeup is a good primary alternative when hair removal options aren't financially feasible.  Feel free to message me (or I'm sure any of the other ladies on here) if you want to talk more about it.  It can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.

Much love,
Aria

[davina61]

Your not alone in only affording private HRT and then only because I have cashed in a very small pension fund (only paid out £6oo a year) Will have to wait for Aunty NHS for anything else,18months left on the countdown . I shave twice a day and luckily its only my moustache shadow that shows , easy to cover . A really good face cream is a must and I find helps with the shaving reducing soreness. Never had a lot of £££s so used to waiting for things. The worst for me is my Velcro arms , just hope the HRT fixes that.

[josie76]

If you want to look into beard wax removal, search for Turkish beard waxing. I've seen videos from Turkish barber shop where they do it without making the customer bleed.

I considered such but decided against it myself.