Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Well the doctor visit happened, and the referral process is proceeding, well I assume it is, I have no experience knowing if anything is happening or not.

I plan to wait till October arrives before getting impatient.

But is sucks just sitting here pretending it is ok to just sit here and idly wait.

Meanwhile, my local salon has told me what I already knew, 'wigs are expensive' but sadly the woman has no background with them, and the local market is too small as well. So, I am stuck where I was, wondering, and doing it from a knowledge vacuum. I suspect getting a wig is going to be a pain in the ass and needs to be via online research and input as I have no ftf options to work with here. Oh if I could just be able to say 'how much' and them state a sum, and me be able to save up and then just buy something.

But I will need to look into getting something that won't look pointedly idiotic on me. Life is hard enough, I don't need humiliation.

I am fully aware, that wardrobe and cosmetics will be forced to wait till I can arrive at a proper hair do. Because wearing a dress and male pattern hair loss will make me look stupid.

Having been through the entire process of transition and having known countless trans people I find the ones that are focused take the steering wheel so to say and make progress. Otherwise put they don't wait for gatekeepers.

As far as your lack of resources, well the internet has everything you would ever need. What it cant offer you is the confidence and resolve to go forward. That is for you and you alone.

I will say one final thing. Transition is a wild roller coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. When it is all over if your lucky all you have left is a very normal life. Something to think about.

Katie

Try eBay Lesley. You can find decent wigs there for $20-30. That's where mine came from. ;)

I did not wear a wig for long but i was lucky and my Aunt was a beautician. And she said to buy virgin real hair. It cost more and well worth the money if you are expecting to wear for long peiords.

They can be cut, styled, dyed and even permed if you wish. Also always better to go longer then have cut if you wish.

Izzy

Cant you go to a bigger city that has hair professionals that know good wigs and all that? Its just for a day of getting that counselling. Better than trying it over the internet when you cannot try out stuff.

Quote from: Katie on September 15, 2013, 01:45:47 PM
Having been through the entire process of transition and having known countless trans people I find the ones that are focused take the steering wheel so to say and make progress. Otherwise put they don't wait for gatekeepers.

Haha - I was so not focussed and wandered here and there and elsewhere during transition. As you said - rollercoaster. But yes - I did not give much about the timeplans of the "gatekeepers" except of course I kept asking them to approve my legal name change and then SRS and the legal gender change and had to push for that until they gave it to me ;)
Determination won, but I cannot say I was feeling very focussed but I guess its not untrue - If it came to transitioning, I had at least always the goal in mind. Even if I was plagued by severe doubts at times about making it, about not being a "real TS" and the lot.

So I guess as always - go ahead at your own pace and if you are focussed and well organized - the better. I would not get me a wig from an online store to use daily though. It may work, but often it will not and then you have to try another and another. A F2F counselling is IMO much better.

Another option beside wigs is head scarves.

My wife is a cis-woman with PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome) which caused her to lose a lot of her hair in a way that looks like male pattern baldness.  We spent a LOT on a wig and she quit wearing it because it was too hot and uncomfortable and a pain to clean.

Anyway, she wears head scarves instead now and does fine with them.  You can find nice attractive ones in silk and other materials for a small fraction of the cost of a good wig.

I can understand why you would want a wig but it could be an option in the meantime.

There is a good selection of (in my opinion) quite good quality wigs for cheap at http://www.lightinthebox.com/c/wigs_2636?keyword=wigs (http://www.lightinthebox.com/c/wigs_2636?keyword=wigs), just be aware that you likely have to pay a substantial import fee since it's a chinese website.

In my case, the import fee was almost as much as the order.. but I have no regrets.

Quote from: Marissa on September 15, 2013, 06:56:53 PM
Another option beside wigs is head scarves.

That is a really good option if it is just about the hairline! You can get a selection and match it to wardrobe as a fashion accecoir. Probably more comfy and natural than a wig. I knew a woman who did that all the time. It was almost her trademark at work. Like mens ties - "what color is her headband today?" :)

Sadly I think most think women wearing a scarf have suffered some illness to arrive at that need. I don't wish to make people think I might have cancer.

It has been my own observation, that a lot of women shun hats, they mess up your hair, hat head eh. That's the snag, being able to not wear a hat when a hat would seem out of place. Sure they are warm in winter and logical in the sun, but look out of place indoors. That's the snag, being able to take off the hat and not immediately be stuck with the male pattern hair loss issue.

I'd rather be stuck with a hot sweaty head in summer, which fortunately here is not a very lengthy span of the year for me.

I suppose it will be my current research challenge, to locate a supply and then locate a correct source of opinion on what will look good on me personally. I'm not wanting to shun proper opinion on hair styles of course. Just because I like something, doesn't mean it will be the right choice.