”When people meet a transsexual woman all they see is a man dressed in women’s clothing. Especially if you have a beard and a moustache, but even without. This is completely dependent on the body you were born into and the fact that people only want to see what they have been taught to see.” Melanie, 47 years old is a transsexual woman, read her story here.
As a transsexual woman there are many obstacles to overcome in order to live a fulfilling life with a good social life. As a result of being born a gender which I could never accept myself as; one of those obstacles is body hair. This is reflected in my gender and my body, and partly in the values that exist in our society which I am often encountered with. When people meet a transsexual woman all they see is a man dressed in women’s clothing. Especially if you have a beard and a mustache, but even without. This is completely dependent on the body you were born into and the fact that people only want to see what they have been taught to see. This is why many TS-women undergo plastic surgery so they can fit into society better. Surgery is done in both the face and the body. These procedures are often very expensive and usually have to be financed by yourself. The collective name for this type of surgery is FFS= Facial feminizing surgery and they are very painful.
My treatment at Leila’s clinic:
Diathermy is a procedure that takes many years to complete and is not a pleasant procedure as it can be quite painful. I usually take Citadon pain killers and put on numbing cream before my treatment. For me, this treatment means well-being in the long run. Facial hair and hair growth on the neck disappears slowly and eventually they are gone forever. Diathermy in combination with hormone treatment and plastic surgery means that I can feel good in the future and not have to be ashamed or feel bad about being trapped in a gender that is not me. The only issue that I have experienced with diathermy is that you need to let your hair grow out for at least 3-4 days in order for the hairs to be long enough to be removed during treatment. I have been lucky enough to go to Leila who has long and great experience of diathermy. She also understands the problem that TS-women face and she has a good humanistic basic view. I feel like home!