I have the next term of my grad school off (well half term anways), so I'll be out of school from about August to October.  Rather then wallow in the depression I know will come because I'm losing a significant outlet for the avoidance of the heart of my gender issues, I want to move forward and use the free time productively.  I expect to start some degree of HRT, so that's not a concern.

My questions then are:

1.  My therapist suggested working on my voice, but I was under the impression it of little benefit if you couldn't "use" it regularly.

2.  I plan to start electrolysis.  I'd love to hear debate on why its more expensive for a "male" to have the same procedures as a female (the facial electrolysis of course), because it feels like a TG markup to me.  Also, any reccomendations for an electrolysis in the Atlanta area would be appreciated.

3.  I think its a good time to work on makeup.  Any suggestions for where to start?  I'm thinking about buying a kit and then replacing individual items as I go.  Also, I have pretty good skin, but I want to include a skin care regimen as well, any suggestions there?

I have about 4 hours a day that I can/want to devote to this "project".  I need to exercise as part of it, but if you had the same four hours a day, how would you spend it?

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure I'll have more questions later.

Thanks...

My two cents on all this:

There are various exercises/singing that you can do to strengthen your voice,
but the biggest thing (I think) is having a consistent voice and that only comes with 100% usage.

For makeup, there is one philosophy that says to buy dollar cosmetics and just try everything.
The other philosophy is to go to a department store makeup counter and slap down your credit card.
At least that way you will see what your "personal best" is and you can try to duplicate it.

Quote from: regan on July 31, 2011, 10:13:33 AM
My questions then are:

1.  My therapist suggested working on my voice, but I was under the impression it of little benefit if you couldn't "use" it regularly.

You would be surprised how many times you can 'use' it even if it is not in the office or classroom...drive-thru or telephone calls are a lot more common than some tend to think about. 

Quote2.  I plan to start electrolysis.  I'd love to hear debate on why its more expensive for a "male" to have the same procedures as a female (the facial electrolysis of course), because it feels like a TG markup to me.  Also, any reccomendations for an electrolysis in the Atlanta area would be appreciated.

that must be a new thing...many years ago, the woman I used had no such difference and it mattered not one whit to her that I was transsexual.  She also gave me a discount for buying blocks of time and paying in advance...

Quote3.  I think its a good time to work on makeup.  Any suggestions for where to start?  I'm thinking about buying a kit and then replacing individual items as I go.  Also, I have pretty good skin, but I want to include a skin care regimen as well, any suggestions there?

will defer to others since make-up was never (and continues not to be) my thing and I have next to no skin care regimen (which really shocked an ADA I know who STILL wants to know how I keep my skin looking so good- she does not know my medical background). 

Quote from: Ann Onymous on July 31, 2011, 11:28:38 AM
will defer to others since make-up was never (and continues not to be) my thing and I have next to no skin care regimen (which really shocked an ADA I know who STILL wants to know how I keep my skin looking so good- she does not know my medical background).

I'm the same. I haven't bothered with makeup so far yet after half a year of going full time. I do plan to have a look at it soon just to look prettier (rather than about passing), but I'm sort of procrastinating about it! If you have good skin in the first place, then a skin regimen probably isn't a priority if you have limited time.

I'm not planning on going full time in October, just trying to think about the things I can work on.  People that started taking steps ahead of hair loss did better then their peers that waited until the first signs of it, I'm thinking the same thing as far as skin care.  If I take care of it ahead of time, I'll be better off by the time I should be showing my age rather then waiting for it to show and trying to steal the years back.

When it comes to your skin, the first thing should be a good moisturizer. Take care of your skin even when you are not actually wearing makeup and it will retain much of its youthfulness for a lot longer through life.  Clean, moisturized skin is happy skin. Also, wear a sunblock outdoors as a matter of habit.  UV rays are hard on skin.  Those are things you can do no matter how you are presenting.

Cheap makeup can be okay if you want to experiment with a lot of colors to find out what looks best on you, but the makeup you plan to wear regularly should be at least mid-range or better; cheap makeup can sometimes be hard on the skin, and frequently looks...well...cheap.  All the well-known brands are pretty safe bets...that's why they are "well-known". In terms of style and technique, I personally find that "less is better".  That is, the makeup should just highlight the natural beauty of the face without being too heavy...but that's just my opinion. In the end, you've got to go with whatever look feels right for you.

I have found that magazines aimed at older teenage girls can be quite instructive for learning the basics (that's what being a teenager is all about - learning the basics of everything), while women's magazines sometimes have makeup and fashion tips that are more appropriate for post-teenage women. And, of course, watch for women who dress and act similar to how you want to dress and act and notice how they do their makeup.

If you have come out to some women in your life already and feel comfortable discussing the matter with them, ask them if they would be willing to help. You just might get a full makeover party out of the deal. I did.   Plus, they can tell you what has worked for them and what products or techniques were big time failures. A trusted gal-pal with a good sense of fashion/makeup can be priceless.

I can't help on the hair removal bit as I have not taken that step yet, although I plan to get it done the moment I have the money.

Have fun and Good luck!   

Quote from: regan on July 31, 2011, 10:13:33 AM


1.  My therapist suggested working on my voice, but I was under the impression it of little benefit if you couldn't "use" it regularly.

I worked on my voice when I was only part time and I think it really helped. I used a tape recorder and a book to read and practiced about 30 mins every day using youtube tutorials as guides. You can also take advantage of time in your car to just talk to yourself and get your voice used to speaking in a different range. Don't strain it though. If your voice feels tired, then let it rest.

I talked to my therapist about working on my voice (the same concerns I'd posted here).  He said plenty of his patients practice using their voice during sessions with him (Duh!) 

Also, I have my first electro and HRT consult scheduled for next wednesday! 

I mentioned stopping the "lies of ommission" in a different post and yes it felt quite liberating yesterday to be open about being transgender with the two different providers.  I'd told my therapist I need to focus on "advocating for myself" and it feels really liberating to be doing just that.