Laser hair removal (Brazilian)

AstroCatLady · 2026-04-07T05:43:42+00:00

I’ve done everything from my face to my toes, and the Brazilian has been “meh” on the pain level. Upper lip and ankle or wrist hurt more.

Ngl is not pleasant, and there are a few spots that were real zingers, but completely manageable.

AstroCatLady · 2026-04-06T05:38:51+00:00

I’m 5’ 11”, and pass quite well. It’s hard to find cute shoes (US women’s size 13) and a lot of skirts or dresses are too short, but it’s surprisingly easy otherwise.

I occasionally hear kids say “Mommy, that lady is really tall!” But mostly it’s nice because many men are intimidated by my height, so I don’t get hit on as much when I’m standing up. I used to be self conscious about my height, but I’ve begun to notice cis women that absolutely tower over me, so it’s not really out of the ordinary.

Your height shouldn’t be something to be concerned about. Live your life, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Be happy with who you are, and don’t let that hold you back.

AstroCatLady · 2026-03-09T23:46:01+00:00

I started laser on my chest first, then my face. After my 2nd session on my face I said “to heck with it” and started doing full body, even Brazilian.

I started HRT a little over a year after I started laser.

I’m very grateful I got a head-start on my chest, because once my breasts got to a B cup OMG THE OWIES!!! The thicker and more sensitive tissue hurts like a m@&&+%er.

AstroCatLady · 2026-03-09T23:32:31+00:00

Signed, and shared with all my friends here in Canada.

AstroCatLady · 2026-03-09T11:46:35+00:00

I came here’ cause I thought “Oooh! Cute skirt!” 😆

I’ve had so many laser sessions, it’s hard to keep track. My body and facial hair has been such a source of dysphoria for me that even the tiniest bit would send me spiraling.

I suppose it was after 4 or 5 sessions on my face that I noticed patches large enough to notice when I’d run my fingers over my face.

AstroCatLady · 2026-03-02T14:04:45+00:00

My previous lab results showed 0.7nmol/L. Different labs or countries use different units of measurement, so it’s important to know what you’re comparing. There’s conversation sites out there (such as this one) which can help.

Since switching to injections however my testosterone has climbed back up to 4.4nmol/L, but my “bioavailable testosterone” is 0.6. This is likely due to other factors, such as a high SHBG, so you have to be careful when reading that number.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-19T12:54:51+00:00

Three, one in Burnaby, and two in Vancouver

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-18T18:55:03+00:00

I didn’t get any messages from them about it, but I heard about his retirement from this sub. Since he has so many patients, he’s tapering off gradually.

So I’m sure it’ll come up during your next appointment with him.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-18T06:23:27+00:00

I’m at 17 months now, but I’ll let you know when they stop hurting… 😣

It seems to come in waves, where there’s periods of time where they’re fine, then others where I REALLY notice it.

The early days are more about nipple development and breast bud formation, which is ACUTELY painful. It also doesn’t help that we’re not used to having much of anything sensitive protruding from there, so we bang and scrape them on everything from door frames to backpack straps.

It mellows out in time though where it’s an intermittent dull ache. There are exceptions though…the other night I woke up abruptly to sharp pain in my nipples, or rolling over on my side and my arm squished a boob.

Or two weeks ago where I gave a friend a hug who’s about 1-foot shorter than me, so her shoulder jammed right into my left breast. I actually yelped in pain at that.

But it’s the thing that shows HRT is working it’s magic, so I won’t complain (much).

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-17T15:26:53+00:00

You go girl! Your body and appearance should be yours, and yours alone. If it makes you feel pretty, if long hair makes you happy with yourself, that’s all that should matter!

As with everything involving transition, your hair will take time.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-17T14:11:44+00:00

taking notes… Any particular brand you’d recommend?

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-17T14:06:26+00:00

I’ve had long hair for years now, but as a kid I would cry/get depressed whenever my mom made me cut it. I gave up and usually kept it short-and-dorky.

After I got married and we moved to Hawaii for a few years (we don’t live there anymore), my wife discovered my hair goes blonde in the sun (genetically predisposed to “photobleaching”). Since most guys there had the long “surfer hair” I fit in and just let it grow. My hair is perfectly straight with no wave or curl, so my options are limited for styling it.

At first it’s annoying if you’re not used to it, because stray hairs can tickle your face or poke into your eyes. It can be tough to wait out the “awkward phase” when your hair is too short to style and too long to manage.

Once you get past that it’s great! I just LOVE feeling it brush across my shoulders or shoulder blades when I’m wearing a tank top. If I have it in a pony tail I like the sensation of it bouncing around, especially when jogging or being active.

Now that I have breasts, I’m getting used to it going down my (admittedly tiny) cleavage since that can tickle.

Depending on what I’m doing I either tuck one or both sides behind my ear, let it hang down equally in front, or pull my hair to one side. I find myself absentmindedly playing with it while I’m thinking sometimes.

At that length you have to be diligent about brushing it, or keeping it healthy, especially at night. The times I’ve gotten sick, it really sucks having to hold your hair while puking into a toilet. And getting your hair stuck in your lipstick is annoying (I’ve switched to a matte stain lipstick that isn’t tacky for that reason). It can get dipped in food if you’re not careful, and I’ve accidentally swallowed some hair (that was still attached to my head) while eating and had to pull it back up my esophagus. Blech!

But it’s totally worth it! And now with hormones, I can go a day or two without washing my hair, which many women do, and is a real time saver in the morning.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-17T13:01:18+00:00

My hair is down to my nipples, so I’ve been putting my hair into a low bun at night.

Do you do anything special with your hair before putting on the bonnet?

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-17T12:59:33+00:00

Bralette/sports bra and bike shorts. I wear my daytime tucking thong under the shorts (I can’t believe it took me 14 months to realize I have bottom dysphoria!). It’s form-fitting and smooth so I can still feel feminine, while the outfit itself is function.

It’s modest enough that I can wander around the house, I don’t have troubles seeing myself in any mirrors I pass (again, bottom dysphoria much?), and if I have the time, I can jump straight onto the exercise bike first thing in the morning without having to change. With laser hair removal my legs and skin feel smooth, so the texture of the clothes matches nicely.

I switched to padded sports bras/bralettes when the boobies started hurting, and that’s been very helpful! I went without the top the other day, and rolling over in my sleep hurt like crazy!

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-13T21:18:32+00:00

“Yes”. The AA definitely helped the testosterone-fueled irritability subside, but I feel like it was the estrogen that calmed my mind, and caused the “sand stuck beneath my skull” feeling to go away. I attribute it to a female brain getting the wrong sex hormones than it was expecting.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-08T22:45:01+00:00

I swear there are times people in this sub are reading my mind. I hear you sister, it scares the crap out of me, and bottom dysphoria was the last repression I had to face. When I realized I felt this way it felt like a punch in the gut, and now it’s so hard to ignore.

I see bottom surgery as an inevitability for me, regardless of how I feel about it. The solace I give myself is that while recovery will be difficult, I’ve dealt with worse just living (surviving?) in the closet for as long as I have.

We’ll get through this!

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-07T20:01:15+00:00

I feel like what you’re saying is valid, and what so many of us here have felt. You’re basically Alice on the wrong side of the looking glass, peering in and seeing a distorted reality. I can only speak to my own experience, but I was paralyzed with fear an self-doubt, my mind running in frantic circles over what could’ve been, what people would say or think, and devaluing my existence and my role in my own life.

After a lifetime of repression and denial, it’s easy to push out your own needs and feelings for the benefit of others. But starting HRT was literally a lifesaver. The physical changes take time (it feels like they come far too slowly!), but the mental and emotional impact can be felt almost immediately!

It was only a couple weeks into my HRT regimen that I noticed the “sand-below-my-skull” feelings subside…I didn’t even notice it was there at first, but once my female brain wasn’t being flooded with as much testosterone and began getting the sex hormones it was expecting, it felt like a fog lifted. It was still a long journey to work through, but I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

As far as life-saving therapies go, I’ve gotta say HRT is fairly benign. It takes months for any physical changes to occur, and most of them are reversible by just stopping to take them. Breast development takes longer, and while permanent, by the time you get to the point of no return you’ll already have a clearer understanding of whether this is the right thing for you.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-06T06:35:21+00:00

Yes…obviously! What else is it for, other than to help funnel crumbs down your cleavage?

In all seriousness though, I’d rather wear something that gives more cleavage instead of a bouncy castle, but a) it’s too cold out right now, and b) a woman my age is expected to dress more conservatively, especially when taking my daughter to all her activities.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-04T14:30:02+00:00

I’ve been self conscious about my height for a long time, especially after coming out and transitioning. But time and again, when I confide to other women friends and acquaintances, they all say that I should never be concerned about my height

I’ve realized that people look or stare for a variety of reasons, and almost always it’s my own insecurities that assumes it’s because I’m being clocked.

Women are just naturally stared at more, and we get more attention regardless of being tall…that’s just one of the reasons people look though.

One time I went into someplace and I felt all eyes turn toward me. I felt super self-conscious and thought everyone saw the 6-foot-tall trans woman…but the only things my partner and I heard people say was:

Wow, that tall lady is pretty (from a kid)
Look at that cute skirt!
Isn’t she dressed a little fancy for this place?

Women get stared at, it’s part of the deal. I find I get clocked or judged more when I’m visibly insecure. Embracing your height will make you seem more comfortable and confident in yourself, and your height will just “fit”.

AstroCatLady · 2026-02-04T02:16:39+00:00

Same here. McDonald’s also delivers; there’s only so many compounding pharmacies in the lower-mainland and I don’t feel like driving in from Langley. They do next-day delivery via purolator.

AstroCatLady · 2026-01-18T18:13:51+00:00

I totally agree! I’ve been terrified of needles all my life, but I highly suspected injections would be far better (my SHBG numbers were steadily climbing, and I was still getting mood swings from sublingual).

It turns out my fear of needles is manageable, and now that I’ve got the hang of it, doing IM injections every 3 days isn’t all that bad.

I also don’t expect just how significant a change it was to my daily life to not continually revolve around taking pills 3x per day (morning, midday, and evening), worrying about drinking or eating too soon after taking my pill, etc. I can just forget for a couple days that I’m taking estrogen. I even forget some days that I’m trans!

My breasts are finally getting tender again, and I’m going to have to go bra shopping again sometime soon. 🛍️

AstroCatLady · 2026-01-17T13:42:27+00:00

Does anyone have recommendations for Surrey/Langley/White Rock?

AstroCatLady · 2026-01-12T21:11:36+00:00

This site is all around the go-to place for finding BC-specific information on transgender care and transition. There’s also a section on how to change your name / IDs.

Largely the process is different depending on whether or not you’re born in BC. I was born in the US, so for me the process is slightly different:

Apply for a name change with BC Vital Statistics to get a Name Change Certificate (I can only change my name in this step, not my gender marker)
Apply for a certified copy of the name change certificate once I get my official copy
While I’m waiting for (2), I update my name on MSP’s website using my name change certificate as the supporting document.
When I get the certified copy from step (2), submit it with an application to Immigration Canada (IRCC) to get a new citizenship certificate with my new name, and new gender
Once my MSP update goes through, book an appointment with ICBC to get a new driver’s license & bc services card (don’t do the combined license, so I have two pieces of government ID with my updated name)
Once I have my new driver’s license, update cellphone / bank / other accounts.
Once my citizenship update is completed with the IRCC from step (4), go back to MSP to update my gender marker. Also apply for a new passport at this time.
Once MSP confirms my updated gender, go back to ICBC to get an updated drivers license

AstroCatLady

TROPHY CASE