If laser hair removal is available on NHS for transgender, it should also be available for women?

[Sowhatifisaycunt]

I have a problem with facial hair and have had for years. For a long time I tweezed but this became untenable as the volume of hair increased. I now shave my face every morning and on those rare occasions when I go somewhere in the evenings, I need to shave again.

Obviously, DH is aware of my problem but such is my embarrassment it is a completely taboo topic. My professional and social life is also affected as I’m always cautious when talking to others in case they notice breakthrough hairs, pitting from years of tweezing and shaving, or a general 5 o’clock shadow. I fucking hate it!

I tried electrolysis years ago to no avail. I asked a gp about laser treatment about 10 years ago but was told it wasn’t available (Wales). She did prescribe vaniqua cream but my skin became so dry and sore I stopped using it.

A couple of years ago I bought a groupon voucher for laser hair removal but I couldn’t afford to continue the sessions after those covered by the groupon ran out. I simply can’t afford laser treatment.

However, I understand that M2F transgender folk are able to get NHS laser treatment. Is this actually true? If it is it is mightily unfair that a biological male gets access to a treatment to feminise them that isn’t available for women.

I don’t know what I want from this thread. On one hand it feels like a dirty confession but if anyone has any knowledge or experiences that may help I’d be very grateful.

Sorry it was so long. I am a long time lurker and occasional poster and I namechanged for this.

Sorry Joffrey dont agree especially when there is an MNer on here who has lost 20 stone and cant get her loose skin removed on the NHS despite constant skin infections and the risk of sepsis.

I have hairs on my lip and chin which i have to pay a salon every 4 weeks to remove.

Fine. But there are women with PCOS whose hairs are a lot worse and the option of treatment on the NHS just isnt there.

Shaving is a perfectly functional and very cheap method of hair removal, and I say this as a woman who shaves her face twice a day. None of this should be NHS funded.

This hadn’t even occurred to me that it might be an issue as I don’t have any particular issue with hair.

Fuck sake...I feel for each and every one of you and yet again, I’m riding the waves of #peaktrans.

In fact I might tweet with a link to that NHS document.

But if they want to be women then surely they should want to embrace every part of being a woman including paying for salon treatments. You know ..............because they are women.

@annandale

Well bully for you that it doesn’t affect your self esteem. It does for many many other women and yet they can’t get treatment for something which is a medical issue.

@JoffreyBaratheon

Seriously?! They’re simultaneously transitioning but also have always been a woman? So they should take priority over a non-transitioning woman because it affects their self esteem? Like it doesn’t affect non-transitioning women’s self esteem?

Nice. Nice to know you’ll always put your transitioning sisters-from-brothers ahead of everyone else

Huh good point @HelenaDove.

Helena, I have PCOS. I find some of the side effects upsetting but they don't disturb me so deeply I feel I should be prioritised over others whose need might be greater.

It's not about "wanting to be women" - I'd imagine the feeling is, of being one gender and yet born into the body of the opposite. I don't think that is a whim or just 'wanting' something. It would be unthinkably hard.

What is 'it'? The hair, the cost, the opinion of others that it is weird/unfeminine for a female to have facial hair when it is patently not weird, the stigma around shaving your face? Why should the NHS specifically fund alternative methods of hair removal when shaving works and is accessible to just about everyone?

Diana, it's not a competition, or about putting anyone before anyone else. It's a simple case of - well OK, your need is greater, right now.

I believe we are all women, so they are not somehow lesser women or fake women. Just other women. Why the hierarchy?

annandale shaving doesn’t always do a satisfactory job. I had very corse hair and very pale skin. When I shaved you could always see the stubble. My confidence was so
low there were times I just wanted to hide. It was so noticeable. I remember being in tears on my wedding day wondering how many other brides had to spend hours plucking out a mass of facial hair. I have no objection to trans male to female receiving laser but not to the exclusion of natal women. If you need it you need it regardless of what you identify as.

annandale if you are a woman with facial hair do NOT shave it It will make it worse.

I have mine waxed and because i do ............it needs doing less often.

Shaving doesn't make it worse sorry. It is just a superficial treatment that only lasts a few hours. It's as imperfect as many other treatments for many other conditions. I'm hoping to afford a lumea one day and will happily lend it to others but I dont expect NHS funding for it.

Well if shaving doesnt make it worse then trans women will be happy to continue shaving................oh wait,.

Well if someone is transitioning then they are a woman. So yes - give them priority

Hang on, I'm a woman too, why am I not entitled to priority?

^^
What Helenadove said.

Diana, it's not a competition, or about putting anyone before anyone else. It's a simple case of - well OK, your need is greater, right now.

I believe we are all women, so they are not somehow lesser women or fake women. Just other women. Why the hierarchy?

Well your post is totally contradictory. They are women and there shouldn't be a hierarchy but at the same time their need is greater than biological women so they should get preferential treatment ie: a hierarchy? As usual you are saying that trans women are more important and women should shut up about it

Sorry but it's nonsense. This treatment should be offered to all women who need it for medical reasons or not offerered at all.

The NHS has a policy against 'cosmetic surgery without a medical need' . I am awaiting Bariatric surgery at the moment and attend a specialist clinic for this. There are a number of people there who have suffered super-morbid obesity (BMI 50+) and who have lost 60+ kg. It is not easy and is a huge achievement. Yet they cannot enjoy their success because the 'apronectomy' to remove 80lbs of saggy skin is considered 'cosmetic' despite this appendage causing horrendous sores and these poor folk having to carry their stomachs around in a trolley..
Hair for hirsute women, is not cosmetic it is in the same camp as excess skin removal . It is about the consequences of a medical condition . Hirsutism and obesity. Causing misery and depression.
So if Cosmetic procedures are not allowed how they can get it, how is that not cosmetic ? It certainly isn't 'medical' .

Either for all or for nine. Not just the latest flavour. !
Can't have it both ways.

@annandale @JoffreyBaratheon

You’re both missing the point.

This is not about you, as individuals, not being bothered with hair growth. It is about how thousands of women who are, and who find it seriously mentally debilitating, cannot access treatment on the NHS even though excessive hair is noted as a side effect of the elevated testosterone levels of PCOS. But men who want to be women can. Because it’s recogised that it might cause mental distress.

But men’s mental distress obviously must be treated before women’s, even if the cause of the women’s is a physical ailment that cannot be cured and transgenderism can be by therapy.*

*yes I know not all.

If it’s not hair - I expect the next thing will be women that have have mastectomies will be denied reconstructive surgery over men who want implants.

We’re not there yet but I can well believe we will soon.

Joffrey you are the one who wants a hierarchy.

Diana you are missing the point. The people in question are not men. What century are you in?

Had no idea this was avilable on nhs

YANBU

for OP and the many others on this thread struggling with this.

For me, it comes down to: is it gender disphoria (mental health issue = medical funding for treatments, which may include hair removal ) or is ‘transitioning’ merely a social nicety, and can be Self IDed, in which case no funding, get in line with all the other hairy women.