A Laser Update

Just writing to update on the results of my last laser appointment mentioned several blogs ago.  About 15 days in, the shedding was almost complete.  My skin continued to soften and heal for a while beyond that.  And now, there has still been very little regrowth.

There are some places that were totally missed by the laser.  The machine my dermatologist uses has a pretty big head. And its apparently a bad idea for any area to be hit with multiple pulses at a single setting.  So, in the end, when there are spots left over that are to small to be zapped without overlapping on to areas already hit, you have to just leave it til next time.  

So, attached is a late evening photo of me. In guy mode sadly! Ahhhh! I hate doing this, but I do want to show what laser does.   In the late evening the contrast between the hit area and the missed areas is very marked.  This angle shows a lot of the missed spots.  But used to I had hair that dark and thick almost all the way down my neck, and thick up until very high on the cheeks.  Now, all there is are these weird looking little patches on each side. 

This is much like my experience the first time, so I expect that with this second laser appointment,  eventually quite a bit of hair will return in some of the areas that are currently bare. But for the moment, my makeup is so easy.

Still, apologize for this picture. So self conscious about having hair on my face. 

I feel like this has been very successful. Much of my face feels nice and smooth. And I'm sure that even after some hair regrows, I'll be so far ahead of where I was.  Of all the effects of a life of testosterone, I find the facial hair the most annoying.  Your face is the first thing people see.  And those transgender girls cursed with thick, dark, fast growing beards like mine really struggle to look acceptable.  I've never felt comfortable in casual clothes, because I have to wear so much makeup to hide the beard, and a meticuluos makeup job looks so out of place with a casual look.  And when I have been out a few hours, I always have to wonder whether the hair is growing enough to start interfering with the texture of my makeup.

And now, at least for the moment, I only have to worry about these little patches around the jawline and chin, and just a tiny moustache. 

Already in the morning, when I check the mirror, its so much easier than waking up to see a night's worth of beard.  So much easier to see the feminine potential of my face (as limited as that is). Anyway, I just look and feel more me, and I can hardly wait for another treatment! =)

PS:  I know this is  a very masculine looking, unattractive photo.  But I am not here to dazzle my audience. I am here to document the emotions and processes involved in my transition. So, yeh, Shandy Alexis stripped of her precious makeup is an odd looking creature. Now ya know.