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[Misha]

I remember my mom telling me that my name was going to be "Scout" after the To Kill A Mockingbird character.

I don't look or feel like a Scout.

I couldn't imagine too many people would. seems more like an old timey nickname for an adventuresome kid (which I think thats what the context was in the book)

Well, on my end there's also something of a philosophical stance Iguess in that I am still me and wouldn't want a different name JUST because I choose to transition or whatever (and admittedly there seem to be rare isolated incidents of my name being used by women), but I can see people who want to make a symbolic restart too, or that just as they couldn't choose their birth sex and want to fix that, so too they will take control of their names. Which probably ends up saying more about me than anything else really, and admittedly makes me sort of wish I had a more androgynous name in the first place even if I like my name. I hate the feminine versions out there for the most part, and the that's OK (Greer) has trans related baggage and is a kind of odd sounding name anyway.

Thats really the interesting point to the whole thing imo. I have investment into my name since its what all my documents are filled out in and what I'm used to responding to, but its not something I have any particular emotional attachment to. I don't feel like it defines me.
I'm sorta curious if I could gain that from a name I choose. Ideally it would be able to describe who I always was. At the very least it would help with what gender people would expect from hearing my name.

 

[mollipen]

how does someone go about picking a new name? do you find one that you feel suits you or what? and do you just sorta have it till you finally get used to it?

I played around with creating names for characters in games or stories I'd write in my head, so I've long thought a lot about names. Mollie was the name I gave to the main character in an idea I had for a survival horror game, and for some reason, it just kind of stuck with me.

When I figured out my life and then decided to start transitioning, that was the name I instantly went with. I identified with it (for whatever reason), it was cute but not overly so, and it seemed like a nice Irish name for a redhead with green eyes who is half Irish. *heh*

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

I'm thinking Sylvia right now, after Sylvia Plath...

Every time I've played an RPG lately (bar playing through Pokemon Red and Blue, since no female PC option) or any customizable game I've gone with that. I usually avoided playing as the female option when I was younger because it felt "odd to me", because I knew deep down I'd like that way too much and worried people would judge me for that.

Anyway, this week after trying lipstick next is mascara and eyeliner---it seems a lot more difficult. Any good makeup videos that give you a nice introduction without assuming you've been doing this all your life since I never had anyone to show me?

 

[mollipen]

I'm thinking Sylvia right now, after Sylvia Plath...

Planning to die at 31?

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Planning to die at 31?

Nah. I just really like the name, and Plath was always a comforting read for me...maybe in a way it'll represent the "old me" becoming the "new me" though.

 

[Platy]

Nah. I just really like the name, and Plath was always a comforting read for me...maybe in a way it'll represent the "old me" becoming the "new me" though.

SO CLOSE

 

[Hop]

I nearly went with the whole "in case it's a girl" name, except that 1) my parents weren't exactly fond of the whole transition idea and 2) I have no clue what it was anyway.

I nearly went with Laura but settled on Sarah for a while. That worked okay, but it felt too simple. And after one too many "Sarah, Plain and Tall" jokes I was willing to change.

Couldn't think of anything, though. Until I was driving home from visiting my parents, and somewhere in north Pennsylvania I was like "...am I a Zoe?" And by the time I hit the NY turnpike, "Yep, I'm a Zoe."

I'm of the opinion that names - especially your own, but for almost anything - are a case of "I'll know it when I see it". It's easy to overthink or be too clever, but when you get the right one, it just feels correct.

 

[Platy]

I'm of the opinion that names - especially your own, but for almost anything - are a case of "I'll know it when I see it". It's easy to overthink or be too clever, but when you get the right one, it just feels correct.

https://xkcd.com/310/

 

[Eusis]

Every time I've played an RPG lately (bar playing through Pokemon Red and Blue, since no female PC option) or any customizable game I've gone with that. I usually avoided playing as the female option when I was younger because it felt "odd to me", because I knew deep down I'd like that way too much and worried people would judge me for that.

I've had a similar issue, but I would have pointedly stuck with male characters as a preteen and younger (whenever that actually came up anyway.) When I was a teen I was feeling more experimental there and played as the female model sometimes in Quake II, but that was when my dad warned me to stop playing that or people would think I was gay, and I think that kind of locked me up and made me more insecure and embarrassed about it (it didn't help my brother would like to find practically any reason to tease me, I.E. being scared in RE2 when playing as Claire because "it's like I'm there" and proceeding to say something like "so you feel like a girl?") and so I'd only do it occasionally, namely in more private games like handheld ones. Naturally my brother would more openly play female characters in games.

Still, I have played male because it'd feel too weird sometimes or the female options weren't to my liking, and with games where I make multiple characters I'd usually aim for a 50/50 split.

 

[Amalthea]

No wonder devs don't use many female characters in games anymore when people are so fucking insecure that somebody playing as a female seems gay to them even though you basically watch girl asses for hours and meanwhile watching male booty is seen as straight. Sometimes I feel like human intelligence levels have fallen to a minus percentage.

Not to mention that Claires campaign is crucial to get the whole RE2 experience.

 

[Eusis]

Not to mention that Claires campaign is crucial to get the whole RE2 experience.

Well, I was messing around with a save I grabbed online but lacked the nerve to get far in fear of Tyrant.

And my brother played as a woman in Jade Empire at least and more freely toyed around in other games so yeah, he just wanted to get under my skin more than any real prejudices on his end (I'd hope/assume anyway.) It's my dad's statement on Quake II that was more alarming and stunting, and both me and my brother... Did not interact well with him last time.

 

[Amalthea]

Fathers are weird creatures I sometimes feel like mine is even a bigger sissy than I am but he tries so hard to appear manly. Sometimes it seems like he feels that my trans-ness is an expansion of his failure to be rally masculine.

And it almost makes me want to play RE2 again. Love the game but I'm too lazy to hook the Wii or the Gamecube up.

Sometimes I feel like Mr. X (the Tyrant) is scarier than Nemesis since he doesn't look so try-hard edgy. Most of my Nightmares are about those two.

 

[Nomadic Sparks]

Hey, I know I do not venture out of the community thread that i'am part of most of the times,

But I'am friends online with about 4 Trans girls and I follow 3 or 4 more on Twitter.

The whole "Sex is not Gender." is a thing that I would need explained to my high school educated self.

All Trans and gender fluid people are an inspiration to me to live my life "off script" if you know what I'am saying.

I'am not trans, but I find myself more attracted to trans people. All y'all are lovely and I wish I could hug all of you.

All y'all are an inspirational to be more enlightened about the gender binary. I wish all of you the best.

I hope I'am not coming off as a creeper. I hope to become some of y'all friends and maybe play some games with you.

 

[Platy]

Sometimes I feel like Mr. X (the Tyrant) is scarier than Nemesis since he doesn't look so try-hard edgy. Most of my Nightmares are about those two.

I read that as Miss X, the boss of SNK's Gal Fighters that is basicaly Iori crossdressing xD

I hope I'am not coming off as a creeper. I hope to become some of y'all friends and maybe play some games with you.

The " I find myself more attracted to trans people" did sounded kinda weird .. but the rest was kinda cute. Welcome !

 

[Misha]

I played around with creating names for characters in games or stories I'd write in my head, so I've long thought a lot about names. Mollie was the name I gave to the main character in an idea I had for a survival horror game, and for some reason, it just kind of stuck with me.

When I figured out my life and then decided to start transitioning, that was the name I instantly went with. I identified with it (for whatever reason), it was cute but not overly so, and it seemed like a nice Irish name for a redhead with green eyes who is half Irish. *heh*

I'm really bad with coming up with names for characters... usually in writing and stuff i'll stick with "the boy" "the doctor" "the man with the goatee" etc. Not something I do well creativewise

Yeah the irishness is one thing that actually has me less excited about it since I'm only 1/8th Irish and am not very culturally Irish at all. I do have the green eyes though.
Though sorta contradicting that, I got the idea cause my middle name is Oliver (after that 1/8th great grandfather) and I had a friend who used to call me Ollie, my first name starts with an m so M. Ollie -> Mollie. Sorta an uncommon way to make it based on your birth name without just using the counterpart to that name

I'm thinking Sylvia right now, after Sylvia Plath...

Every time I've played an RPG lately (bar playing through Pokemon Red and Blue, since no female PC option) or any customizable game I've gone with that. I usually avoided playing as the female option when I was younger because it felt "odd to me", because I knew deep down I'd like that way too much and worried people would judge me for that.

Anyway, this week after trying lipstick next is mascara and eyeliner---it seems a lot more difficult. Any good makeup videos that give you a nice introduction without assuming you've been doing this all your life since I never had anyone to show me?

Yeah I had that phase and still deal with it occasionally when doing d&d sessions with friends. Mostly though I got over it and enjoy a lot more games now

Idk about specific tutorials, but one suggestion for eyeliner is to use a spoon or tape or something so you don't have to clean up mistakes later. Also keep in mind that usually you have eyeliner thicker on the outside and thinner on the inside, often stopping three quarters of the way in.
For mascara I don't know a ton but clumping is pretty much what you want to prevent. Having gunk on your lashes looks very bad

 

[Kinsei]

So in a couple of weeks it will have been a year since I was referred to the gender clinic and I still haven;t heard anything. I really wish this would move forward faster.

Searching for a new job before you've legally changed your name sucks.

how does someone go about picking a new name? do you find one that you feel suits you or what? and do you just sorta have it till you finally get used to it?

I can't imagine how to much such a decision that you're gonna hear for the rest of your life. Its like marriage to a word

I just picked one and it felt right when people started using it. It's not like you have to just pick one, pick a few and try them all out to see what fits best. If none of them do then think of another batch and repeat the process.

Fathers are weird creatures I sometimes feel like mine is even a bigger sissy than I am but he tries so hard to appear manly. Sometimes it seems like he feels that my trans-ness is an expansion of his failure to be rally masculine.

And it almost makes me want to play RE2 again. Love the game but I'm too lazy to hook the Wii or the Gamecube up.

Sometimes I feel like Mr. X (the Tyrant) is scarier than Nemesis since he doesn't look so try-hard edgy. Most of my Nightmares are about those two.

I always thought Mr. X looked kind of silly. Lickers were the thing that gave me nightmares.

I can't wait till I start hormones..


I finally purchased some lipstick for the first time and tried it on, I've always been afraid to do that because I was worried I'd like it too much---and, wow, it felt really fun putting it on. I feel a little odd because it sort of "turned me on", but I think that was more because I was nervous doing it and wasn't really a sexual component I hope. I think perhaps the smell caused it since I've always associated it with cute girls, but who knows---I mean I guess that might happen to a lot of people the first time they express themselves in a way they've been told isn't right for their sex.

My face is fairly masculine still, but it looked pretty good since my skin is pale and I think my facial features aren't too rough as I'm pretty cleanshaven and thin. But yeah, I totally hope the hormones can soften up my face, they can do that, right? I didn't wear the makeup out in public yet, though I'm tempted to...my lips get chapped a lot and they look red so I could probably just claim it's that if I got any weird looks.

How would you like to be referred to outside of this thread? I'd hate to accidentally use the wrong pronouns in the Pokemon thread if you're not more publicly out on Gaf.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Honestly, I'm pretty much in "boy mode" irl right now, only one person knows the extent of my feelings and even then I'm not at the point I feel right being called female pronouns because I'm still coming to terms with things, so really, I don't mind either way.

Idk about specific tutorials, but one suggestion for eyeliner is to use a spoon or tape or something so you don't have to clean up mistakes later.

Hmm? What do you mean by this---like use the tape to keep my eyelid in place?

 

[Eusis]

Fathers are weird creatures I sometimes feel like mine is even a bigger sissy than I am but he tries so hard to appear manly. Sometimes it seems like he feels that my trans-ness is an expansion of his failure to be rally masculine.

My dad was probably mainly thinking of online presentation and being an FPS game the "seeing a woman's ass for hours" angle can't really work. Though I'm not too fond of EITHER default model in that game anyway, fortunately fans made a crapton of alternatives. At any rate he never had an issue far as I could tell with something like Tomb Raider, though it does seem like comfort with your player avatar is a reason so many publishers get cold feet on female protagonists, or even highlighting them on the cover.

And I never even actually encountered Mr. X for myself in RE2, I'd like to give that game a proper chance someday but I really am a sissy with horror games. It's a miracle I got through Silent Hill 2, and RE4 onwards are more action games arguably than horror anyway, or at least control too damn well while not pushing hard enough on the horror front.

 

[Misha]

Hmm? What do you mean by this---like use the tape to keep my eyelid in place?

I think I saw that suggestion more winged eyeliner but I would imaging it works normally. Basically like painters tape, cover the areas you don't want colored

Actually spoon was a suggestion for wings too but both can still work to make less messy normal eyeliner

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Might need to try that then...

I really wanna go for a Taylor Swift look with her lash-style---of course I'm just gonna wash it off after doing it and taking a picture, not ready to go in public with makeup, but it'll be fun practicing it.

 

[Misha]

Might need to try that then...

I really wanna go for a Taylor Swift look with her lash-style---of course I'm just gonna wash it off after doing it and taking a picture, not ready to go in public with makeup, but it'll be fun practicing it.

A warm spoon can also work to curl eyelashes too. I doubt you'll have an eyelash curler so that would be useful too

Its been awhile since I last did that so I wanna do pretty much the same thing too. I always feel more like sleeping when I get the opportunity though

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Eye makeup is so hard.

Nothing seemed to work right---though I still thought it made me look kind of pretty. My brow-line is so close to my eyes it makes it hard to apply, but I really need to find someone to show me how it's done one-on-one. Maybe I'll go to a cosmetology class they have at the mall.

 

[AppleSeason]

Pre-FFS The only eyeliner that would work for me was waterproof. My brow bossing was so massive that my eyelids were completely covered, so everything ended in a fold of skin and completely smudged.


Accepting that I will remain asexual for life and I don't want to have sex ever again. Yesterday I found I had a forgotten dating account I slowly stopped using during 2015 until it vanished. Lots of messages, conversations I had in the middle... before finding about my social anxiety worsening, my libido dropping to zero, and then the phobia to physical contact and intimacy. Right now I feel that if I had SRS, I'd probably would not even care about dilating to ensure the neovagina ends closing. I don't need to have genitalia.

 

[Hella Lugosi]

So I'm visiting my folks on Easter, and I sent my stepmom a text giving her kind of a heads up. My family has seen my wedding photos so they know what's going on but this is my first time visiting them since going full-time. I was expecting her to respond with some kind of backlash or other drama but instead she replied with a really sweet and supportive message. My folks are okay.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

After failing I wanted to try makeup again today but---god, it's so intimidating trying to get it right and all the set-up and clean-up involved scares me. Though I know plenty of girls I've been talking to who say it isn't easier even if you've been doing it all your life, but you know for me I really need to get this down since I feel like I'll need to make use of it more to hide all the features that mess with my self image. Yesterday I tried for a complete look, I think I need to dial it back and focus on one thing at a time---I'm still having trouble doing lipstick, it seems to smear and never fills in my lips right.

Honestly, at this point putting on makeup seems to highlight all my masculine facial features, when I wasn't wearing it I thought my face looked softer and more feminine in comparison. But on the other hand wearing makeup the other day made me feel very happy and I don't wanna give up trying it. Just need to take things slow, I mean I'm not planning to go public at least till next year so plenty of time.

 

[AppleSeason]

Honestly, at this point putting on makeup seems to highlight all my masculine facial features, when I wasn't wearing it I thought my face looked softer and more feminine in comparison. But on the other hand wearing makeup the other day made me feel very happy and I don't wanna give up trying it. Just need to take things slow, I mean I'm not planning to go public at least till next year so plenty of time.

It all depends on how you apply it. Some things may work the opposite and instead of downplaying the masculine features, making them more obvious. Agreed, getting a course, even a small one can make wonders. I don't have the money or time for a full one, but I am tempted to book a session at the M.A.C. Store.

 

[InfiniteNine]

I went to Sephora and they helped me by helping pick out what worked best for my skin and showed me to apply it.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Fuuuuuu I want to have this girl's makeup skills...

 

[Eusis]

Man, I look up anecdotes more and read more of Whipping Girl (so the erections ARE normal!) and it feels like the truth is that I've known longer than a lot have, but was too timid to act out on it and rationalizing why it'd be a bad idea when really it was fear of familial reactions that was most legitimate.

Learning more of non binary gender identities helps though, and may have been the compromise I needed to make any movement on that front. And I'm sure I'd be a very boyish girl if I went all the way anyway, it may even be that gender mix is most appealing rather than all boy or all girl, or girly boy.

EDIT: Though I have to admit I guess I'm a little attention seeking online right now. Probably more as some sort of placeholder for getting to see a therapist about this right now. I'll have to poke around my campus when I have the nerve to do it and keep checking in with my clinic for when a more general therapist is open for me.

 

[Platy]

Learning more of non binary gender identities helps though, and may have been the compromise I needed to make any movement on that front. And I'm sure I'd be a very boyish girl if I went all the way anyway, it may even be that gender mix is most appealing rather than all boy or all girl, or girly boy.

 

[Eusis]

I wanted to see Sailor Moon around when I started thinking it'd be nice to be a girl... Which was also when I got big into anime.

Man, sexuality really throws a spanner in the works, doesn't it?

 

[Platy]

 

[Eusis]

I... am aware of the Sailor Starlights. Yeah, that stuff caught my attention easily if I saw it brought up somewhere.

 

[Nomadic Sparks]

So I'm visiting my folks on Easter, and I sent my stepmom a text giving her kind of a heads up. My family has seen my wedding photos so they know what's going on but this is my first time visiting them since going full-time. I was expecting her to respond with some kind of backlash or other drama but instead she replied with a really sweet and supportive message. My folks are okay.

Humans can be okay at times

Congrats tho.

Any of you on Twitter or know Christine Love? I've known her GF for quite awhile.

 

[Hella Lugosi]

Learning more of non binary gender identities helps though, and may have been the compromise I needed to make any movement on that front. And I'm sure I'd be a very boyish girl if I went all the way anyway, it may even be that gender mix is most appealing rather than all boy or all girl, or girly boy.

I IDed as non-binary for a long time. I still identify with certain aspects of it, I just sort of came to the conclusion that hearing "they" felt pretty good but hearing "she" felt really awesome. Right now I'm enjoying presenting super femme and exploring that more but I kinda see myself ending up as some kinda soft butch once I'm at a point where I feel confident enough to pull it off.

 

[Misha]

My grandma didn't recoil in horror when I mentioned the trans character in Sense8 to her. yay.

I probably don't need to take things as slow as I am with her but given how the rest of my family is, I'd rather be cautious about it

Any of you on Twitter or know Christine Love? I've known her GF for quite awhile.

Apparently she made Digital: A Love Story which I played awhile ago. I didn't really like the ending but I liked the concept and the overall GUI

 

[mollipen]

It all depends on how you apply it. Some things may work the opposite and instead of downplaying the masculine features, making them more obvious.

This is definitely something to be aware of. I think sometimes people go overboard with makeup, thinking it's the end-all be-all solution. For me, using too much tends to give me the "tranny" look.

I did a full tutorial thing at Sephora, and I walked away not being happy with how extreme they went. However, it really was a great crash course in all of the basics that I didn't learn the normal way. So, I'd really recommend doing something that like for that benefit. And a year into make-up, I can do things faster than I could at the beginning, but I'm not sure I'd call it "easier"—especially mascara, which is the god-damned worst. *heh*

 

[Eusis]

I IDed as non-binary for a long time. I still identify with certain aspects of it, I just sort of came to the conclusion that hearing "they" felt pretty good but hearing "she" felt really awesome. Right now I'm enjoying presenting super femme and exploring that more but I kinda see myself ending up as some kinda soft butch once I'm at a point where I feel confident enough to pull it off.

This is why I do feel I may've just initiated a sequence that's bound to end in transitioning once I feel comfortable and safe enough to do so, in that when I was accidentally referred to by the "wrong" pronouns it actually felt nice. Though I'd probably prefer just he/she over they though that's way better than some of these new ones that I'd feel too weird using.

And I think I could probably roll with the status quo if this has been a slow burn over the last few decades and be content getting my feelings out (easy to underestimate how good that can be), but working at a transfriendly place that paid well (or just winning the lottery or something) would give a lot of freedom to at least experiment before going in deeper.

 

[Watch Da Birdie]

Tried doing my eyes again with makeup and, yeah, I really need to go to a tutorial---problem is I'm really not comfortable with doing something like that yet. Every time I start doing makeup my facial hair sticks out and bugs me the whole time, so I really need to look into electrolysis---I think that'd go a long way in softening my face. Right now though I think my face is kind of girlish looking, or it is to me, especially now that my hair has started to grow out and I've been moisturizing. But maybe it's all in my head...

Anyway, anime + trans feelings---for me it was Digimon. Sora was the first girl in a show I ever really felt a connection with and looked up to her as the most level-headed and caring person in the show. Me and my friends used to play Digimon and I actually wore a bike helmet with the straps undone to mimic her hat, since I used to think it was actually a helmet she was wearing for some reason. I remember her character in 02 kind of upset me because they made her more stereotypically "girly", like being in the middle of the love-triangle, and that was the same time I was beginning to see the differences between boys and girls more clearly which upset me greatly.

Ace Ventura also gave me conflicting feelings as a child. I know the trans character in that is pretty negative all things considered, really don't know what the consensus on that is beyond a pretty shallow joke, but I wanted to so be like that character. I mean not a jealous ex-football star seeking revenge, I mean I wanted to undergo whatever method they did to be seen by society as a whole as a woman in pretty much every sense of the word.

 

[mollipen]

so I really need to look into electrolysis---I think that'd go a long way in softening my face. ee nge, I mean I wanted to undergo whatever method

Just go into it with realistic time expectations depending on what type of hair you have—I'm soon to entry year four of my weekly treatments (though I should be done before year five).

 

[Anura]

God I keep procrastinating electrolysis... It's super painful but I really want it. The few sessions I've done were awful. I need pain advice

 

[Misha]

This is why I do feel I may've just initiated a sequence that's bound to end in transitioning once I feel comfortable and safe enough to do so, in that when I was accidentally referred to by the "wrong" pronouns it actually felt nice. Though I'd probably prefer just he/she over they though that's way better than some of these new ones that I'd feel too weird using.

And I think I could probably roll with the status quo if this has been a slow burn over the last few decades and be content getting my feelings out (easy to underestimate how good that can be), but working at a transfriendly place that paid well (or just winning the lottery or something) would give a lot of freedom to at least experiment before going in deeper.

I was convinced I wanted to be more androgynous for a long time but eventually I realized that was just a copout for me because transitioning seemed really intimidating(still is) or even impossible. I often find myself jealous of women but never of men, it just took me awhile to realize that

No reason to stick to anything in particular unless it resonates with you of course. The main thing is to be comfortable in your own skin and the only pressure is internal to

Anyway, anime + trans feelings---for me it was Digimon. Sora was the first girl in a show I ever really felt a connection with and looked up to her as the most level-headed and caring person in the show. Me and my friends used to play Digimon and I actually wore a bike helmet with the straps undone to mimic her hat, since I used to think it was actually a helmet she was wearing for some reason. I remember her character in 02 kind of upset me because they made her more stereotypically "girly", like being in the middle of the love-triangle, and that was the same time I was beginning to see the differences between boys and girls more clearly which upset me greatly.

Ace Ventura also gave me conflicting feelings as a child. I know the trans character in that is pretty negative all things considered, really don't know what the consensus on that is beyond a pretty shallow joke, but I wanted to so be like that character. I mean not a jealous ex-football star seeking revenge, I mean I wanted to undergo whatever method they did to be seen by society as a whole as a woman in pretty much every sense of the word.

for me I used to wear a bucket cap to emulate TK (season 2) though secretly I liked Kari more

theres a lot of shows that had different gender change/crossdressing segments or on rare occasions had a transgender character and I'd get this weird feeling where I'd wish that was me but wasn't willing to admit that to myself. Every once in awhile I get reminded of characters in those shows and stuff and theres a surprising amount. Like one I remembered was from a Boba Fett book where one of the characters was from a race that got to pick their sex organs when they came of age

Just go into it with realistic time expectations depending on what type of hair you have—I'm soon to entry year four of my weekly treatments (though I should be done before year five).

weekly for five years?
uhh does laser take less of a commitment? (yeah i know worse results)




aaand we get to hear people not understand why transness still isn't in a good place to be a subject of being made fun of yet

 

[Team Alucard]

weekly for five years?
uhh does laser take less of a commitment? (yeah i know worse results)




aaand we get to hear people not understand why transness still isn't in a good place to be a subject of being made fun of yet

8 to 10 sessions of laser (with 6 weeks in between each session) would be enough to get rid of all your dark facial hair. So you'd be looking at about a year. Its likely that you would still have a few lighter strays left over (typically around the upper lip and chin) that you would need electro for afterwards.

However, Laser only works if you have a light skin tone and dark hair. The treatment isn't effective on blonde, red, and white/gray hair.

Laser is also significantly cheaper than electro. If you live in or near a major city, you can get about 6 sessions for $200 with groupon deals.

Living in Iowa I'm not so fortunate. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago are all about 4 Hours away. I'm still considering commuting for my sessions when I finally do laser (I'm on accutane at the moment, so I can't start yet) because it will be significantly cheaper assuming that my decrepit old buick holds up.

 

[Misha]

8 to 10 sessions of laser (with 6 weeks in between each session) would be enough to get rid of most dark facial hair. So you'd be looking at about a year. Its likely that you would still have a few strays left over (typically around the upper lip and chin) that you would need electro for afterwards.

However, Laser only works if you have a light skin tone and dark hair. If you have blonde, red, or white/gray facial hair the treatment wouldn't be effective.

Laser is also significantly cheaper than electro. If you live in or near a major city, you can get about 6 sessions for $200 with groupon deals.

Living in Iowa I'm not so fortunate. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Chicago are all about 4 Hours away. I'm still considering commuting for my sessions when I finally do laser (I'm on accutane at the moment, so I can't start yet) because it will be significantly cheaper assuming that my decrepit old buick holds up

That sounds much more doable
I do have brown hair and light skin so definitely nbd there
what do strays mean anyway? like they'll grow out if you let them? that would be weird to see


Theres constantly deals being advertised of "pay for two areas to get lasered and get one free" here (pittsburgh) so theres at leas something to drive down the cost. I'd assume Pittsburgh is major enough for what you're talking about anyway though

 

[Team Alucard]

That sounds much more doable
I do have brown hair and light skin so definitely nbd there
what do strays mean anyway? like they'll grow out if you let them? that would be weird to see


Theres constantly deals being advertised of "pay for two areas to get lasered and get one free" here (pittsburgh) so theres at leas something to drive down the cost

Stray hairs would be the lighter colored hairs that the laser treatment didn't work on. Most beards aren't 100% consistent in hair color. Like me for example, I have really dark facial hair on my neck and the sides of my face that laser would kill easily, but my upper lip is mostly a mix of blonde and light brown hair, which laser probably wouldn't work as well on.

Like I said, keep yours eyes peeled for Groupon deals. Looks like you have plenty of options in Pittsburgh.

 

[Misha]

Stray hairs would be the lighter colored hairs that the laser treatment didn't work on. Most beards aren't 100% consistent in hair color. Like me for example, I have really dark facial hair on my neck and the sides of my face that laser would kill easily, but my upper lip is mostly a mix of blonde and light brown hair, which laser probably wouldn't work as well on.

Like I said, keep yours eyes peeled for Groupon deals. Looks like you have plenty of options in Pittsburgh.

I think the worst mine gets is like red-brown so still fairly dark

Does it get rid of the peachfuzz style hair that women have too? (or maybe its not there in the first place)
I assume yeah which sorta stinks in a way but a lot of women try to laser that off anyway so I guess in the end that might be a good thing.

 

[Eusis]

Anyway, anime + trans feelings---for me it was Digimon. Sora was the first girl in a show I ever really felt a connection with and looked up to her as the most level-headed and caring person in the show. Me and my friends used to play Digimon and I actually wore a bike helmet with the straps undone to mimic her hat, since I used to think it was actually a helmet she was wearing for some reason. I remember her character in 02 kind of upset me because they made her more stereotypically "girly", like being in the middle of the love-triangle, and that was the same time I was beginning to see the differences between boys and girls more clearly which upset me greatly.

Ace Ventura also gave me conflicting feelings as a child. I know the trans character in that is pretty negative all things considered, really don't know what the consensus on that is beyond a pretty shallow joke, but I wanted to so be like that character. I mean not a jealous ex-football star seeking revenge, I mean I wanted to undergo whatever method they did to be seen by society as a whole as a woman in pretty much every sense of the word.

I got into anime with... well, the line gets blurry with 80s animation due to stuff like Grimm's Fairy Tail Classics, but Ronin Warriors is the first one that sticks out as blatantly anime and I loved that. But if we're talking girl characters ones like Asuka in Evangelion stuck out earlier on to me along with Maya's design. And while it stands at odds with Japan's overall culture it really does seem like you'd on average find more badass women in anime or Japanese video games, and I usually liked the designs more than in American comics or cartoons. Also later on after I took the handle Eusis Dirty Pair REALLY got my attention partially for the nostalgic 80s sci fi vibe that Phantasy Star II had, but also the fact Yuri looks like a female counterpart to Rolf/Eusis. Rolf here and Yuri here.

Sailor Moon I actually blew off as too girly but loosened up when I became a teenager then got sorta closed up on it again. I wonder if that's the kind of thing that can disprove being trans... or reinforce it, in that one is unusually scared of going for "feminine" stuff because conciously they want to prove they're men while their subconcious... isn't, not fully or enough of one anyway. It did feel like a guilty pleasure to go for a female character rather than just "this is really weird feeling" or "I'm completely ambivalent (unless she's hot [maybe.])"

As for Ace Ventura, I didn't really feel that way myself... though I thought she had pooped her pants or something and that was a result of being trans and some fault with it I guess and that was why everyone was grossed out. Strange, utterly bizarre childhood naivity.

I was convinced I wanted to be more androgynous for a long time but eventually I realized that was just a copout for me because transitioning seemed really intimidating(still is) or even impossible. I often find myself jealous of women but never of men, it just took me awhile to realize that

No reason to stick to anything in particular unless it resonates with you of course. The main thing is to be comfortable in your own skin and the only pressure is internal to

Admittedly a certain type of androgyny is good for me, perhaps more "youthful looking" than "I am David Bowie." Which is probably part of why JRPG protagonists generally appealed to my sensibilities more and were the male characters I could more reliably relate with, because they ARE usually androgynous, and even when I make characters I rarely go for some bearded guy (did for KotOR2 though because I thought his design was good... naturally the canon MC is female last I checked) but rather someone more androgynous or at the very least clean shaven and with a full head of hair. Probably part of why I feel I may be more gender queer/genderfluid, even with the girls I imagine that I'd like to be I prefer them to be boyish looking and hot blooded, with maybe the most feminine feature being girlish facial features and longer hair.

EDIT: Oh, yeah, beards!(!?) My facial hair doesn't seem to come in particularly fast or densely, but what I have was... red/brown as I recall, when it's allowed to grow long enough that color can be seen anyway. I blame the fact I have Scottish AND Irish blood on my dad's side.

 

[InfiniteNine]

This is definitely something to be aware of. I think sometimes people go overboard with makeup, thinking it's the end-all be-all solution. For me, using too much tends to give me the "tranny" look.

I did a full tutorial thing at Sephora, and I walked away not being happy with how extreme they went. However, it really was a great crash course in all of the basics that I didn't learn the normal way. So, I'd really recommend doing something that like for that benefit. And a year into make-up, I can do things faster than I could at the beginning, but I'm not sure I'd call it "easier"—especially mascara, which is the god-damned worst. *heh*

Yeah what they did with me was too much for my tastes but applied what they showed me in a toned down manner that looked more natural. It's a good experience if just for the knowledge of how to go about things.

 

[Misha]

Anyone else ever feel a physical discomfort to their voice? Like I understand it sounding bad but me speaking at neutral or low levels hurts my throat and chest respectively.

Also if someone has that, how did you make it comfortable if its possible?

 

[Team Alucard]

Sailor Moon I actually blew off as too girly but loosened up when I became a teenager then got sorta closed up on it again. I wonder if that's the kind of thing that can disprove being trans... or reinforce it, in that one is unusually scared of going for "feminine" stuff because conciously they want to prove they're men while their subconcious... isn't, not fully or enough of one anyway. It did feel like a guilty pleasure to go for a female character rather than just "this is really weird feeling" or "I'm completely ambivalent (unless she's hot [maybe.])".

Man, woman, trans, or cis, there are two types of people in this world: Those who like Sailor Moon, and those who have never watched it.