Charlie’s Pre-HRT MTF Transition Tips | Body Hair Removal

Easily my biggest cause for dysphoria is body hair. Not just now that I want to transition, but for most my life. There are a multitude of YouTube videos and quick tips for hair removal on the internet, but be careful, a good percentage of the “Quick and Painless” solutions are utter rubbish. I am going to list some options below that work well; in order of most effective and costly to least effective and cheap.

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬: The absolute most permanent solution is Electrolysis, which is also the most costly, and most time consuming as each hair folicle must be treated, one at a time. If you are just starting out with hair removal and have a limited budget, this is probably not your first option, but I would suggest budgeting for this eventually.

𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐫 (𝐈𝐏𝐋): Faster than electrolysis to reduce hair volume. Works best for dark hairs and light skin, i.e. Winter is a good time of year for laser! One side effect of laser is that all the dark hairs fall out about 10 days after treatment, then 85% of them grow back, but you have a delightful 4–6 weeks hair free, which is better than waxing!

𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: A good alternative to waxing for sensitive areas like the face. Can still do skin damage, though some consider it gentler than waxing on the cheeks.

𝐖𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠: Cost effective for broad areas, but the hair grows back just as thickly. Waxing is ineffective until hair has grown back long enough for the wax to grip each hair. Waxing is best done as preparation 2–7 days before an event or a holiday.

𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Similar to waxing, with the primary benefit that it’s easy to do at home and cost effective.

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐱 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐬: Don’t even bother with these … useless.

𝐀𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: Time consuming, and can damage skin if you’re wanting thorough results. Don’t bother.

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: This is like waxing, but it hurts somewhat more, costs much less, and you can do it more frequently to eliminate recent hair growth. The first epilation is the most painful. To minimise initial pain, you might want to use waxing/sugaring on those areas first, then use the epilator to maintain.

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦: Lasts longer than shaving, goes deeper than shaving, smooth result for longer, and lighter stubble, BUT the chemicals can irritate the skin, and it’s darned messy and annoying to use.

These last few options are what most of us will be using, being the cheapest, but something we are use to doing anyway.

𝐖𝐞𝐭 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞: The traditional approach. Give it a go! Kind on the skin.

𝐃𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞: Good for touch up, but tends to be rougher on the skin. Try it and see. Big benefit is that you can see exactly what you’re doing, so it’s often good for areas that have few hairs.

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫: Convenience vs cost. I find this very effective and convenient. Personally I do this AFTER using my Electric Trimmer to ensure a really close shave.

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫: Fast and easy alternative to shaving to cover large areas, with less of the spiky stubble feeling. Kindest for the skin, but a trimmer never does a close job.

𝐍𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫: Tends to trim leaving a 2mm stub. Very effective 2–5 days before electrolysis sessions, whereas other hair removals may leave the hair too short to sizzle.

Disclaimer: These TIPS will not fit everyone’s journey and are by no means a must on your path. Take it for what it is, a suggestion. If a tip does not fit your idea of what feminine is, then don’t do it. Simple as that. These are just the things that the broader community have done to make their journey easier.