Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Does anyone have ideas on how I could possibly style my hair to look feminine while its as short as it is? I could always cheat and wear a wig but I'm not supposed to wear female clothes till my official last day in the Army on Oct 23 so I'm trying to get creative, especially since my breast have decide in the past month they don't care if I'm wearing a guys tee shirt they're gonna pop out anyway. Here's a recent pick (yeah same one from my last thread, hair didn't grow much since then.)

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ff324%2Ftheonecalledwill%2FKatearringsAug.jpg&hash=dd2445324ffaead6e24139fd6a86435e5a54ce64)

Hmm tough question.  Have you tried straightening it?   It is temporary and may completely change how it looks and can be styled.  Also, it will make the hair seem longer.  Also, just the fact that you've straightened your hair will earn you some feminine points right off the bat.  By the way, I do like the profile pic you look great!

The profile is with the wig I know I can totally cheat and just wear the wig, but it feels unauthentic at times to me. Also I want to go full time once my official discharge date comes and I'd like to do it with as much natural me and less probs like when I started and used breast inserts etc. Just wish I could've grown my hair past 8 months instead of starting at the end of August :(.

You definately look fine now, but I bet your hair would look more feminine and really cool spiked up more on top, maybe with gel or spray to hold it up. When it's laying down and groomed the way it is, it looks quite traditionally male.

Maybe some color highlights too.? Spiked on top, maybe "undercut" more on the sides, I think it would look awesome.  ;)

Not really too much you can do in the Army. I'm surprised it is as long as it is now without you hearing a bunch of crap. Wait and then let it grow. Wear a wig until it gets to a good comfortable feminine length. Just go way off post though. But you only have one month left so that is an extra half an inch give or take by the time you ETS. If you don't have to get a haircut before then.

* Not sure if you tried, but try to straighten it with a simple hair straightener you can pick up for like 20$.
* paying more attention to style looks more feminine
* google image "ultra short womens haircuts 2014"

Basically, I used to do this sort of thing wiht my hair, trying to make it more feminine.  A good way is to start off by showering with shampoo and conditioner.  Blowdry/straighten it and style it immediately after with very small amounts of hair product.

Just don't jeopardize your future girl. Play it safe until discharge. There will be plenty of time after that to go totally femme!  I know that stinks, but that is just how it is now. You will get there! :)

I agree with Jessica.  The last thing you need is a dishonorable discharge 3 weeks before your date just for being transgender.  And unfortunately that is how it works in the military.  It's ok to be gay...it's not ok to be trans.

Regarding the hairstyle once your'e ready, I'd go pixie cut.  Go to a good hair stylist and ask them to shape it into a pixie for you.  And have them show you how to style it.

At first it'll look like this

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMXGbgGO8cRDPJGFaDGJLpQ5g7X2QovG7C6WcRvNfsoRp-Qcq9zQ)


Then as the top starts growing out, go back to the same stylist and they can make it more like this:

(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5EVBorACRGBmMpBPk7Yw1FqM_h35wwooBL6mKyI6I7Xzzrn9y9Q)

Well I'm not discharged but I've been on terminal leave, I had 64 days of leave so I haven't been near a military base. I also haven't cut my hair since about 2 weeks before I went on that leave. I kinda do figure its one of those times in transition we all love where you just get to wait. I just want to figure something out for the end of the month because I want to go full time.

Quote from: katiej on September 26, 2014, 12:47:17 PM
I agree with Jessica.  The last thing you need is a dishonorable discharge 3 weeks before your date just for being transgender.  And unfortunately that is how it works in the military.  It's ok to be gay...it's not ok to be trans.

Regarding the hairstyle once your'e ready, I'd go pixie cut.  Go to a good hair stylist and ask them to shape it into a pixie for you.  And have them show you how to style it.

At first it'll look like this

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMXGbgGO8cRDPJGFaDGJLpQ5g7X2QovG7C6WcRvNfsoRp-Qcq9zQ)

Then as the top starts growing out, go back to the same stylist and they can make it more like this:

(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5EVBorACRGBmMpBPk7Yw1FqM_h35wwooBL6mKyI6I7Xzzrn9y9Q)

Oddly my whole chain of command knew I was transgender and was taking hormones. I don't know how the <not allowed> I made it out on a medical retirement, its either because gender identity disorder was in my medical packet or they were afraid I'd try to kill myself based off my history if they pressed the issue, and that would make historic West Point look bad. What they did instead of dealing with me was keep me in out patient group programs until they were able to send me on leave, basically they kept me out of sight out of mind.

OK so you are on leave. When you ETS do you have to come back and take care of all the paperwork in person and in uniform? When I ETSed I walked around post for a week getting paperwork signed, signing paperwork, changing the ID cards from company level to battalion level, all in uniform. If you can do all that in Civies then I really wouldn't worry too much about it. Even if you have to do it in uniform, you are ETSing so I doubt too many people would have a lot to say with non regulation length hair especially since you have been on terminal leave for that long. But like Jessica said, make sure.

I cleared my post and moved back to my home town already. All I have left to do is turn in my active ID for my retiree ID which can be done at a local base in civilians.

Quote from: KittyKat on September 26, 2014, 08:32:51 PM
I cleared my post and moved back to my home town already. All I have left to do is turn in my active ID for my retiree ID which can be done at a local base in civilians.

Let it grow. It will grow at roughly 1/2 an inch per month. The only problem with your hair is that it is so much like mine or looks that way anyway. Mine blow dried look like crap. I tried chemical straighteners done by professionals and they didn't work only just a little but nowhere near straight like I wanted. Flat iron, forget about it. All mine does is get staticy and I can take a dryer sheet and rub my hair down with that and it takes care of the static but after about an hour or two, the waves and curls start bouncing back. Pretty much I am stuck with long hair. Letting it grow I tried different cuts in the beginning like someone else posted and it ended up looking like crap and all I did was lose the length. For about 6 months to a year it will be really awkward. Stick with it though. Take extremely good care of it to prevent split ends by using good conditioners and shampoos, forget the heat styling and pretty much let it do what it wants to do and eventually the length will make the unruliness look pretty good. It took me about a year for the awkwardness to go away after the military. If your hair is like mine though, once you get about 8 inches it will start looking good and the curls and waves will be a little more manageable and it will still look like an unruly mess but a good unruly mess and very little work. Just wash, condition, use a frizz serum or argon oil and the strongest gel and then shake and let dry and run your hands over it after it stiffens up to make it soft and you got it made. Takes a couple of minutes minus the shampoo and conditioner in the shower. But you got to let it get length and be committed even though the awkward stage.