My one experience with laser was in removing hair from my nether regions in preparation for bottom surgery. Even when I was younger my hair tended toward the light brown side and it’s gotten whiter as I have aged. The six sessions were short and not overly painful, but were far from what was needed to prepare me for my surgeon. I did months of electrolysis as well, one painful follicle at a time. Topical lidocaine helped and I wrapped the area in saran wrap in preparation for each session to keep it moist and maintain the numbing effect at maximum.
In the midst of all of this I started having my eyebrows shaped. My hairdresser initially started plucking them. After 10 minutes of frustration she announced that she was bringing out the big guns. She then proceeded to put some kind of goo along my brow line covered by a piece of tape which she ripped off. Welcome to the world of waxing.That is by far the worst pain I have experienced. Whatever sadist thought up that idea should be shot. And natal women do this willingly? Really?
Looking to the future, I still have to address my face and neck. I have held off partially because I may need some of the hair off my neck for hair restoration in the middle of my head to give it a bit more fullness. There seems to be some disagreement among the experts in this regard. In any case, since my facial hair is mostly white, it will have to be done by electrolysis. I am looking at hundreds of hours to accomplish it all. The silver linings are that I have never had much body hair and a combination of finasteride therapy for BPH and estradiol has removed virtually all that I once had. In addition, I do not have to worry about 5 o’clock shadow and can actually go a couple of days without shaving without someone noticing my facial hair. The removal ultimately may be more difficult and time consuming because of the unavailability of laser, but at the moment the hair’s presence is virtually invisible. As with everything there are trade-offs.
As I am sure has been the experience of most if not all trans and non-binary people, in the early days I had this incredible sense of urgency to get everything over and done with. This was particularly frustrating when it came to hair removal because there was really no way to dramatically shorten the process. As I have evolved, I find myself relishing the little changes. I do not need it all done at once. Much like a painter working on a masterpiece, I am able to take a step back, admire what I have done, and start adding dabs of color to areas that still need attention. I am enjoying the process and can see the progress. Part of me will be a little sad when it is all over. There has been joy in the journey of creating.
