Transition without facial hair removal.

[Coffeedrew]

I am really inspired by all of the replys. Thanks.

[RobynD]

It's low on my list of priorities, partially because it doesn't bother me that much. Estrogen seems to have both lightened it in color, made it softer and really stunted its growth. Eventually, I will probably get it all zapped off though.

[Miss Clara]

Not being a patient person, I hate to say this, but slow and steady is probably the best route. Long ago, I used Electrology2000 near Dallas for one day, 8 hours, two technicians. They were _very_ trans friendly. However, my face was a mess for a month. And, now, 15 years later, I still have scarring on my face where they worked. I tried various laser options in the years after that. Perhaps, perhaps, in the best light, the hair was thinned out a bit by laser. Mostly a waste of money for me. So, I expect slow and steady is the most sure way. My personal problem with that approach is the steady part, as I have nothing in my life that can occur on a regular basis...

I tried to reduce the scarring I got from volume electrolysis with three treatments of fractional CO2 laser resurfacing with no appreciable improvement.  These treatments improved my skin in other ways, though.  After much research and hesitation, I've recently undergone dermabrasion on my lower face in hopes that it will improve my appearance.  It's too early to report on the efficacy of dermabrasion, but early indications are that a smoothing has occurred.  I'll report back later on the final results. 

The procedure is simple in concept.  The surgeon removes the top layer of skin and some of the underlying dermis layer, thus removing the skin's pebbly irregularities left by electrolysis.  It's done with a local anesthetic and (optional) sedation.  It takes about 30 minutes and is painless.  When the numbing wears off there is some discomfort for 24 hours, easily quelled with 500 mg of Tylenol.  The treated skin is quite red afterward, and it takes a couple of months for the pinkish hue to fully disappear.  Makeup can be used to hide it.  I'm told to allow a week of down time before returning to normal life.  The key is to keep the treated skin moist with a thick layer of Bacitracin ointment day and night for at least five days to prevent the formation of scabs, and then use sun block to protect the skin from UV radiation for 6 months.

I found almost no information on the web about using dermabrasion to reduce scarring from electrolysis, and I have no reason to believe it will do any good.  Much of what's out there concerns acne scarring which dermabrasion can help reduce.  Acne scars are not as deep as electrolysis scars, though, so it may not be as effective.  I found several accounts from people reporting a worse appearance after dermabrasion than before.  I think the results you obtain from dermabrasion is very dependent on the person doing it.  It requires a lot of skill to do it right.  Going too deep, i.e., penetrating the dermis layer will cause permanent scarring.  I made a point to have the procedure done by an experienced board certified plastic surgeon, not an aesthetician at a beauty salon where micro dermabrasion is typically done.

Has anyone had dermabrasion to reduce facial scarring from electrolysis or other?

[SeptagonScars]

Cis woman here but detransitioning. I took testosterone for many years and developed a lot of very thick and dark facial hair that I'm now dysphoric about. So I'm in a similar situation. I get 5 o'clock stubble that peeks through makeup, and even when newly shaved it shows a clear bluish shadow.

It does make me uncomfortable but I'm considering keeping it. I don't need to leave the house every day so I can go several days per week without shaving or wearing any makeup. Also I live alone. When I do go out however I always shave very closely and cover up my beard shadow with makeup.

My reasons for maybe wanting to keep it may not apply to anyone else than me, but still. Because I'm detransitioning I worry that if I'd get it permanently removed I might change my mind someday if I at some point later on would wish to transition again. I don't think I would, but yeah that thought lingers as a "what if".

Another reason is that I like playing with different forms of gender expressions, switching between masc and fem and androgynous looks, so I might actually want to save out a beard again at some point, but wear it as a woman. Like that could be a very striking look, also considering I did get very good and even beard growth so it's not patchy, although I'm aware it will likely thin out a bit once I've stopped taking the testosterone.

Women can like having beards and still be women, or just like having the option to grow a beard. And I think it can definitely look good too. Then whether you're cis or trans doesn't matter. Although it's relatively rare for cis women to have the ability to grow beards, we do exist

Financially though, I'm not sure about this, but wouldn't it actually be more expensive in the long run to shave every day with buying razors and shave creams etc for god knows how many years forward (I hope you live a long and happy life), than paying for hair removal? I don't know about you, but the rate I need to buy more shaving tools is not cheap at all. I probably spend around 20 dollars per week, every week on just shaving tools. However that goes for my entire body and not just my face. My not so typically feminine amount of body hair bothers me much more.

If you should keep it or remove it is up to you, I'm just saying it wouldn't be wrong to keep it. And I thought maybe giving a cis perspective on women with facial hair could be of interest. I'm not entirely sure if I pass as my female birth sex or not now, but I think for the most part I do. Most people in the area where I live know of me as a guy (since before my detransition) which hinders my ability to pass as a girl now regardless of how I look. Also my voice "gives me away", but that's a different topic.

[Allison S]

Cis woman here but detransitioning. I took testosterone for many years and developed a lot of very thick and dark facial hair that I'm now dysphoric about. So I'm in a similar situation. I get 5 o'clock stubble that peeks through makeup, and even when newly shaved it shows a clear bluish shadow.

It does make me uncomfortable but I'm considering keeping it. I don't need to leave the house every day so I can go several days per week without shaving or wearing any makeup. Also I live alone. When I do go out however I always shave very closely and cover up my beard shadow with makeup.

My reasons for maybe wanting to keep it may not apply to anyone else than me, but still. Because I'm detransitioning I worry that if I'd get it permanently removed I might change my mind someday if I at some point later on would wish to transition again. I don't think I would, but yeah that thought lingers as a "what if".

Another reason is that I like playing with different forms of gender expressions, switching between masc and fem and androgynous looks, so I might actually want to save out a beard again at some point, but wear it as a woman. Like that could be a very striking look, also considering I did get very good and even beard growth so it's not patchy, although I'm aware it will likely thin out a bit once I've stopped taking the testosterone.

Women can like having beards and still be women, or just like having the option to grow a beard. And I think it can definitely look good too. Then whether you're cis or trans doesn't matter. Although it's relatively rare for cis women to have the ability to grow beards, we do exist

Financially though, I'm not sure about this, but wouldn't it actually be more expensive in the long run to shave every day with buying razors and shave creams etc for god knows how many years forward (I hope you live a long and happy life), than paying for hair removal? I don't know about you, but the rate I need to buy more shaving tools is not cheap at all. I probably spend around 20 dollars per week, every week on just shaving tools. However that goes for my entire body and not just my face. My not so typically feminine amount of body hair bothers me much more.

If you should keep it or remove it is up to you, I'm just saying it wouldn't be wrong to keep it. And I thought maybe giving a cis perspective on women with facial hair could be of interest. I'm not entirely sure if I pass as my female birth sex or not now, but I think for the most part I do. Most people in the area where I live know of me as a guy (since before my detransition) which hinders my ability to pass as a girl now regardless of how I look. Also my voice "gives me away", but that's a different topic.

Your posts are always so interesting to me. So even without the bone structure of a person assigned male at birth you share a lot of the same struggles as us mtf do... Not to undermine what you're going through, because I understand (I know cliche being that I'm trans..) but your detransition experience makes me feel a bit better... Again I feel bad because I don't mean that your struggles make me happy, but rather that I may have hope too? I mean you were assigned female at birth.. It's just a thought of mine.

But my reason for quoting the specific part you shared is because it's very true. I think some people can have trauma and still be trans of course, but your honesty about your experience with detransitioning actually does help the trans community. Am I making sense saying that? I think it just shows that mistskes do happen, and it's okay. People panic about and stigmatize hrt, but other than a few physical and mental changes, it's really not a big deal? We're the same people at our core... Of course if hrt effects a person's health negatively then there's more to consider than boobs and beard.

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[SeptagonScars]

Your posts are always so interesting to me. So even without the bone structure of a person assigned male at birth you share a lot of the same struggles as us mtf do... Not to undermine what you're going through, because I understand (I know cliche being that I'm trans..) but your detransition experience makes me feel a bit better... Again I feel bad because I don't mean that your struggles make me happy, but rather that I may have hope too? I mean you were assigned female at birth.. It's just a thought of mine.

But my reason for quoting the specific part you shared is because it's very true. I think some people can have trauma and still be trans of course, but your honesty about your experience with detransitioning actually does help the trans community. Am I making sense saying that? I think it just shows that mistskes do happen, and it's okay. People panic about and stigmatize hrt, but other than a few physical and mental changes, it's really not a big deal? We're the same people at our core... Of course if hrt effects a person's health negatively then there's more to consider than boobs and beard.

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I don't take that the wrong way at all, and I'm glad it makes you feel better and that I give hope. There absolutely is hope! No need to feel bad about that. I think the bone structure is probably what people (in general) pay attention to the least, or that's what I've experienced both in my transition to male and in my detransition back to female. I have unmistakenly wide hips on an otherwise small frame, but it doesn't seem to be what people look at when they try to determine my gender. Face, voice, clothing style and body language seems to be what I've mostly been judged by gender-wise.

I've felt I've been kinda insensitive about that I also think my struggles are a bit similar to what mtf's go through. I mean I know it's not the same, but some things feel kinda similar. It's given me very valuable insight to how it can be like for you too, and like I feel even more compassion cause of a deeper understanding. Like I don't "just" get the ftm perspective now. I too have to "fight" to be seen as the woman I am at heart, while others don't believe me. And that's a painful thing that I think you might know as well. To be judged by our secondary sex characteristics that don't reflect us.

I also think my experiences with detransitioning can be helpful for the trans community, and that I'm sharing them openly and with honesty. And perhaps even more importantly: without shame. Because it's not shameful to be trans and transition, nor is it shameful to detransition. Yes, mistakes do happen, and it's not the worst that can happen. When I was still in my transition I thought that if I'd ever have to detransition that would be the end of me. But I was wrong. Yes it's hard and painful, but absolutely possible to live with and fight through. And I'm sure it will get better with time and more healing as well.

I agree about hrt. Even the permanent changes can be reversed one way or another. Bodies are maluable. But of course I still think one should be careful and as sure as possible before starting it, like it shouldn't be taken on a whim. That's probably redundant to say, but still. In my detransition, I'm just gonna have to "steal" some of your mtf transition resources I am still the same person as I've always been, but also even if I hadn't taken testosterone my mind and perspective would still have changed, some way or another, by just me ageing and getting new experiences in life and growing as a person.