Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transsexual talk => Female to male transsexual talk (FTM) => Topic started by: Calistine on July 23, 2009, 07:36:39 PM

Title: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Calistine on July 23, 2009, 07:36:39 PM
This may sound crazy. But I am an ftm who is being forced to do laser hair removal because I was living as a "girl" with a lot of facial hair. I told my mom I don't want to do it because I feel male. Of course it dun work :/ Will I get hair again on T?
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: CodyJess on July 23, 2009, 08:22:29 PM
How are you being forced? Or are you just being pressured really strongly? It's ultimately up to you if you want to stand up for yourself on this and make a big deal out of it or not, but it's definitely worth considering other options as means of getting out of it. (depilatories, waxing, shaving, that sort of thing)

Maybe you can... spontaneously develop a phobia of lasers or something? ::)
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Quicksand on July 23, 2009, 08:23:20 PM
The way laser hair removal works is that it kills the follicle altogether.  So no, unfortunately T won't grow it back where it was removed. :(  I was in the exact same situation a few years ago though, and I did a ton of research and presented my mother with all the possible dangers, ranging from permanent discoloration of the skin and burns, all the way to death (indirectly, from people applying too much numbing cream prior to the hair removal and overdosing).

Granted, I played it up a bit to make it sound more dramatic than it is, since it is relatively safe procedure, but my goal was to stress that getting rid of my 5 o'clock shadow wasn't worth the risks.  I don't know if that would work with your mom, but it's just a suggestion.  You could also suggest a compromise of sorts where you make sure to shave, or wax, or do some other form of hair removal that isn't permanent.  Good luck.
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Lachlann on July 23, 2009, 08:26:01 PM
There's no real need for you to get this done. It's not life threatening, it's purely cosmetic.

I don't think you can be forced by anyone to do it.
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Mister on July 23, 2009, 10:21:23 PM
it's not going to grow back.  just keep shaving your face and it'll seem like the laser's done it's job.
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Autumn on July 23, 2009, 11:36:54 PM
Yeah I think lasering someone against their will is pretty much torture. It can be incredibly painful and it's purely cosmetic in most cases (like this one. Not so for mtf), plus the emotional damage of losing what you want to keep.

Sue your parents if they force you to do it  >:-)

If your parents are 'forcing' you into a $1000-2000 cosmetic procedure, they're probably well loaded.

Edit: Also once you get in the room no laser technician is going to force you to undergo the procedure, even in an extreme case that it comes to that. The place I go, all of the techs are nurses or otherwise licensed and degreed medical professionals. Your parents will not be allowed in the room anyway at the time of the procedure.
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Calistine on July 24, 2009, 10:10:32 AM
ahahaha, my dad has no idea that the laser is so expensive, maybe I should tell him and ill stop going :D
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: milliontoone on July 26, 2009, 08:55:25 AM
Don't do it, laser is pretty expensive, you need multiple visits and can cause permanent scarring.  I really feel for you no one should try and force you into altering yourself cosmetically it has to be your decision and you have to be comfortable with it.  Please if they do try and force you to undergo this procedure tell the aesthitician and I feel sure that they would not perform the procedure on an unwilling person.
Oh and if you do undergo it no the hair is unlikely to grow back.  So my advice would deffo be AVOID.
Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Ms Jessica on July 28, 2009, 06:16:52 PM
Like others have said, it does kill the follicle, but sometimes requires multiple treatments to do so. 

T acts on existing follicles and sort of activate them into producing dark hair if it's in the right places: face, chest, etc. IIRC, T gets converted to DHT (a slightly more potent form) in the body, and it's the DHT that actually is responsible for things like beard growth. 

Title: Re: If I get my hair lasered will it grow back if I go on t?
Post by: Calistine on July 31, 2009, 09:57:39 PM
Excuse me ladies and gentleman..i am about to rant.
I am angry...I wish I never agreed to do the laser. Well I never truly did...I just never said no. I hate undergoing laser treatment. I loved the facial hair I had..but now I can't have it. Im pissed. I think my mom isnt going to make me go anymore..but I wish she listened to me two years ago.  I never was a fan of mustaches..but i  liked the little hairs on my chin. F**k the laser. Unless your a dedicated transwoman...DONT DO IT.

Post Merge: August 05, 2009, 02:04:35 PM

So I tried to maturely tell my mom that I don't want to do this anymore. She was like YOU WANNA HAVE A BEARD???!! And I was like...yeah kinda. And she was like I don't wanna talk about this right now! And I told her it can't wait its really important. But she wasnt listening, so I ratted her out to my dad(he didnt know it cost 200bucks everytime we went) And now shes not speaking to me. I told her it was causing psychological damage and she was like Oh give me a break!