I got my hair cut today. I wear a wig or a hat any time I am out in public. But my own hair needs to be cut in order to fit under the wig, so I had to take the wig off in the salon. A little bit dysphoric.
I go to the beauty school to get it done, so the hairdressers are all students. I must say, the one who did my hair today took my obviously masculine features, particularly the MPB, in stride. I'm probably the first transgender client she has had. So I figure I'm doing a bit of activism/outreach/education by going there. Also, it's cheap.
In spite of the dysphoria of having to take my wig off in public, I couldn't help smiling as I admired my reflection in the mirror for half an hour. Without the wig, I don't look like a guy. I look like a woman with really unfortunate alopecia. It's the lips a bit, but mostly it's the eyes. Whatever E has done to them, (I still can't identify exactly what has changed), they look totally feminine. And I have the cutest smile lines radiating from them.
She did a nice job of cutting my hair. It is good and short, for tucking under the wig, but she left enough curls at the back that I can wear a ball cap for dog walking and such, and still look good.