Laser and or Electrolysis – Laser hair removal and Electrolysis both work to lighten and or remove hair on specifics parts of your body. The difference between the two is that Electrolysis will completely remove the follicle of hair using electricity, resulting in no more hair growth. While laser concentrations light energy to heat up and damage the hair follicle, the hair becomes lighter or stops growing back. Laser’s goal is a reduction of hair while electrolysis is to get rid of it completely. Cost differences are also present, with the average cost of laser per session being more expensive. However, electrolysis needs more time in each area. For me personally, I have been doing laser for around a year now and would highly recommend it. For people who have lighter skin and darker hair, such as myself, laser works really well. However, laser doesn’t work the same on everyone, and for some, it doesn’t work at all. It may be a good idea if you want to do many areas, such as your entire body, to start with laser and then touch up with electrolysis for more troubling areas. Generally, electrolysis takes 8 – 12 sessions to get desirable results, laser taking around 5 – 10.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) – Hormone replacement therapy, short for HRT, replaces hormones in your body with hormones that will cause desirable effects such as masculation or feminization. Originally, HRT was only used to treat symptoms of menopause for cis women. The use of HRT for transgender people started to be utilized around the late ’70s and early ’80s with the first edition of the World Professional Association Of Transgender Health (WPATH) standard of care. We have already discussed some of HRT’s physical changes for both trans men and trans women; however, the mental changes can be just as important. Anxiety and depression significantly decrease for trans people during the coming months and years of being on HRT. Not only that, but the feeling of being more “inline” with your emotions or with your identity can be a huge psychological step. HRT is almost always one of the first medical steps in someone’s transition, and maybe one of the most important steps in someone’s transition.
Fertility – For those who want to have biological kids down the line, making sure they have fertility options available can be a priority. Trans women banking sperm may be a great and widely available option to ensure the ability to have children down the line. Pricing on keeping your sperm banked can depend very much on which bank you choose; however, the initial price of the collection, testing, and freezing is around $1,000 USD. The price of storing after can be $100 – 400 dollars annually. The same option exists for trans men in egg banking. Pricing is anywhere from $6,000 – 10,000 USD for the initial sample and $600 USD annually for storage. Unlike sperm banking, the process of egg banking can take weeks to ensure fertility down the line. Of course, the option of adoption is always there, but for those who want biological kids, fertility preservation is available.
Voice coaching – Voice coaching is widely available for both cis and trans people alike. Trans people specifically can utilize voice coaching for those who want to masculinize or feminize their voices. For those interested, pricing can range from $70 – 100 dollars an hour and may be covered by insurance. My experience has been a free consultation, $90 for the initial meeting of an hour, and then $70 per session of 45 minutes. The amount of time for results can vary depending on you and your voice coach, but some may see results in weeks. For those who desire to change their voice, getting a voice coach can be a beneficial resource in seeing noticeable changes in your voice.
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