Alt.transgendered FAQ [1/3]
Bill Stuart
Frequently asked questions:
i) Intro
1) General
1.1) Why is there an alt.transgendered newsgroup?
1.2) What are the intended topics of discussion here?
1.3) What is a gender dysphoric?
1.4) What is a pre/post/no-op transsexual?
1.5) What is a transvestite/cross-dresser?
1.6) What is an intersexual?
1.7) What does transgendered mean?
1.8) What is "Passing" and "reading"?
1.9) What is SRS?
1.10) What is RLT?
1.11) What is transition?
1.12) What does it mean to "Get clocked"?
1.13) What causes the urge to cross dress or to change your sex?
1.14) Can transgender urges be changed or cured?
1.15) Is everyone who wears articles of clothing from the opposite sex a
transgenderist?
1.16) What is DSM-III? Is that that new star trek show?
1.17) What are the "Benjamin standards?"
2) Collected wisdom
2.1) Where can i go to get clothes/shoes/makeup, etc?
2.2) What are good ways to simulate breasts?
2.3) What are good ways to get rid of unwanted facial/body hair?
2.4) I need help with makeup. Any tips?
2.5) I'm Balding! What can be done to stop it? Can it be reversed?
2.6) Besides hormones and surgery, how can i get a more feminine/masculine
shape?
2.7) What are the effects of hormones?
2.8) At what point can hormone therapy be reversed?
2.9) What are the steps in a sex-change proceedure?
2.10) Where should i go to get referrals/surgery done?
2.11) Where can i get hormones?
2.12) What is a good way to "Hide it/them"?
2.13) How long does electrolysis take?
2.14) What does not work?
2.15) I'm about to give a loved one "the talk". What should i expect?
2.16) Are there any transgenderd organizations in my area?
2.17) What computer-oriented services are available for the transgendered
community?
2.18) What transgendered publications are avaliable?
2.19) Are there any other addresses and phone numbers of importance?
3) Transgendered persons and Society
3.1) How long has transgenderism been around?
3.2) Who is Virginia Price? Tula?
3.3) How many transgederists are out there?
3.4) What's up with the womyn's festival?
3.5) Are all transvestites gay? Are all transsexuals gay?
3.6) My SO is transgendered, what should i do about it?
3.7) Are male gender dysphorics effeminite? Are female Gender dysphorics
masculine?
4) Medical/legal aspects of Transgenderism
4.1) Are there any special risks that transsexuals should know about?
4.2) What happens if i stop taking hormones suddenly?
4.3) What is the status of transgenderd people in society?
5) Transgenderism and entertainment
5.1) How many famous people are transgendered? I've heard (fav. celeb) was
born a man/woman!
5.2) What are the the transgendered contributions to the entertainment
world?
5.3) What is Miss Gay North America?
i) Intro
Due to the inavaliability of transgendered materials, much
information in this FAQ is inaccurate, misquoted, misguided, incomplete or
insufficient. Many of the sources used were second or third hand sources.
Because most transgendered material avaliable deals with M-F cross
dressers and transsexuals, much information on F-M transgenderism and
missing or incomplete.
This FAQ was written from a north american viewpoint, and social
attitudes/statistics may be different in other parts of the world.
1.1) Why is there an alt.transgendered newsgroup?
In October 1992 a prankster at North Carolina State University
created alt.sex.trans. As individuals from IRC's #Crossdress and Transgen
were contemplating a newsgroup at that time they sort of took up the
idea quickly. They decided that we now had the initiative, but that
a group in the alt.sex hiearchy would have limited distribution.
In a rush the name "alt.transgendered" was penned, a call for discussions
was placed, and Chris Dukes/Kristine Daniels sent in the message to
create alt.transgendered as a discussion area for transsexuality,
transvestitism, and related topics.
1.2) What are the intended topics of discussion here?
This is a place to discuss issues related to transsexuality,
transvestitism, crossdressing, cultural and social problems, support
groups
and forums, conflicts with sexuality, and just generally coming to terms
with ones self and knowing that one is not alone.
Porn is generally discouraged in this forum as well as transphobic
statements.
This forum is not a personals column.
1.3) What is a Gender Dysphoric?
Gender Dysphoria is unhappiness with your given sex or sexual
identity. There are mild to severe cases of Gender dysphoria. Many people
will experience Gender Dysporia at some point in their lives.
1.4) What is a Pre/post/non-op transsexual?
These are all transsexuals in various stages of the proceedure.
Pre-op means Pre-operative transsexual, someone who has begun the hormonal
and surgical proceedures and is very close to the operation. These people
are usually non-functional as males.
A post operative transsexual is someone who has had the actual
genital surgery done. It is very difficult to tell a m-f post op
transsexual
from a genetic female. Up to very recently, female-male transsexuals had
no
effective surgical technique to create a penis. There are penile implants
and grafts, but these are often easy to spot.
"Non-op" transsexual is a new word that is floating around.
Originally from a computer language, it means a person who has had all the
hormonal/surgical treatments, except the genital surgery, and has no
desire
to proceed with the surgery. GIDAANT is another term for this (Gender
Identity Disorder, adolescent or Adult onset, Non transsexual).
1.5) What is a Transvestite/Cross-dresser?
This word has a few different meanings. In it's purest form,
transvestitism means "Cross-dressing". However, many people make a
distinction between dressing for sexual stimulation (transvestitism) and
dressing for stress relief (cross dressing). Many people use the words
interchangeably. The book DSV-III has definite meanings for these words,
but not too many people have access to this book.
There are many different categories of transvestitism. There are
fe/male impersonators, who dress as members of the opposite sex for a
show;
there are Fetishistic transvestites, who are stimulated by certain
objects;
there are drag queens/kings, who dress with the intent to amuse or offend;
there are shaman who cross-dress during religious/spiritual ceremonies;
there are transvestites who dress only for an hour a week; there are
transvestites who live almost full time as women or men.
There are people who present extreme clashing male/female
charecteristics (Such as a bearded man in a miniskirt and heels) That are
called "Genderfuck". Extreme gender clashes are used by females quite often
and it is not frowned upon.
1.6) What is an intersexual?
An intersexual is a person who is born between (inter) sexes,
having
partially or fully developed pairs of female and male sex organs.
Intersexual is prefered over the word "Hermaphrodite".
1.7) What does transgendered mean?
Transgendered was a term put into general usage by Virginia Price.
It originally meant a pre-operative transsexual who has no desire to have
the SRS. It later became a catchword for Transvestites, transsexuals, female
and male impersonators, drag queens, Intersexuals, gender dysphorics, and
those that do not fit any gender label.
1.8) What is "Passing" and "Reading"?
Passing is going out in public and being accepted as a woman.
Reading is noticing that a person is transgendered.
It is easiest to pass around middle aged and older people. Children
and teenagers often read transgenderists. Women are more likely to read a
TG than a male is.
The most important part of passing is called "Deportment" which is
how a member of the opposite sex behaves in society. To improve deportment,
go to a shopping mall or public place and watch the people as they shop.
There is a distinct difference between male and female behavior.
There are several dozen books on passing and Deportment avaliable
from ifge and several other sources.
1.9) What is SRS?
SRS stands for Sex Reassingment Surgery, the final stage in the
sex-reassignement proceedure. SRS will cost anywhere from 6000 to 50 000
dollars. It may be partially or fully covered by some employers, goverment
programs, or insurance companies.
In north america, women are more likely to consider SRS than men
are, but men are more likely to go through with SRS.
1.10) What is RLT?
RLT stands for Real Life Training. It means you live as a member of
the desired sex for a period of time while still having the genitalia of the
former sex. This is to help the prospective transsexual determine if
becoming a total member of that sex is right for him or her.
1.11) What is transition?
Transition is the period of time between when the individual first
starts the sex-reassignement proceedure and when the individual is living
totally as a member of the opposite sex
1.12) What does it mean to "Get clocked"?
Getting clocked is what happens when the SRS surgery does not go as
well as planned. In roughly 10 percent of all m-f SRS surgery, the individual
cannot achieve orgasm through stimulation of the vagina.
1.13) What causes the urge to crossdress or to change your sex?
There is a great deal of debate in the medical community as to
what causes transsexualism and transvestitism. Transsexualism is thought by
some to be caused by a area in the brain called the "Sexually Dimorphic
Nucleus". Others claim that it is caused by a hormonal imbalance during
pregnancy.
Some types of transsexualism (xxxy syndrome) are genetic.
The two main types of Transsexuality are called "Primary" and
"Secondary" transsexualism. Primary transsexalism occurs in young adults who
are gender dysphoric from a young age.
Secondary transsexualism occurs in older people in their 40's, who
have not had very strong transgender urges in their lives. This is thought
to be linked to the hormonal changes in the body at that time.
There are also cases where people are forced into alternateive sex
roles due to religious, social, or family pressures. Some men dressed as
women to avoid draft or get out of the army. Very religious male
homosexuals
may feel the need to change their sex in order to correspond with their
religious beleifs. Parents may dress their children in clothing of the
opposite sex because they wanted a child of that sex.
Transvestitism has no definite cause. F-M cross dressers sometimes
cross dress because it feels more comfortable than male clothing. Female
cross dressers are much more accepted than male cross-dressers.
M-F transvestites cross-dress for stres relief, sexual pleasure, and
for entertainment. Male crossdressers are not very well accepted in
society. One possible reason for this is that a crossdressing male is
going down the social power scale, while a crossdressing female is going
up the social power scale.
1.14) Can Transgender urges be changed or cured?
Usually, no. Some transvestites and transsexuals (usually male) go
through phrases where they throw out all their clothes, makeup, shoes, etc
and refuse to dress as women anymore. This is called "Purging". These
people frequently go out and purchase entire new wardrobes soon
afterwards. Some people do stop crossdressing alltogether.
Sometimes there is a physical manifestation of certain conditions
that cause transgendered behavior. Young males with XXY chromosomal
structures may sometimes (infrequently) begin developing as females rather
than as males. Many of these males are perfectly happy to be male and get
on hormone shots to achieve a more masculine appearance.
Sexual identity is usually set for life at a very young age.
Hormone injections or other treatments cannot alter sexual identity in
Adults.
1.15) Is everyone who wears opposite sex clothing a transgenderist?
No. Many people wear clothes of the opposite sex daily and are not
considered transgendered. Men who work in very cold conditions routinely
wear pantyhose, as it helps keep in the heat. This is an accepted practice
in such professions. Many women wear men's clothing on a daily basis,
saying that they are more comfortable and cheaper.
Some men wear silk panties because they are allergic to cotton
underwear.
There are many reports of Men wearing the full-body wraps worn by
muslim women in the middle east. This enables them to conceal guns and
explosive devices and to smuggle them into restricted areas (muslim women
are not searched as often as men are). Gives new meaning to the phrase
"Dressed to kill".
1.16) What is DSM III? Is that that new star trek series?
DSM is "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders". It is the guidline that the American Psychiatric Association
publishes, and it details what is and is not a psychiatric illness.
Transsexualism and transvestitism are included in the list of Psychiatric
disorders.
1.17) What are the Benjamin Standards?
When sex reassignment surgery became avaliable for the first time,
many men rushed to get the surgery performed. A great deal of these men
later committed suicide or became suicidally depressed after losing their
penis.
This situation was played over in many different countries. The
medical community decided to enforce it's own standards of conduct
regarding sex reassignement surgeries. The Benjamin standards were Created
at a conference by Dr. Harry Benjamin and were adopted as the world
standard for sex reassignment surgeries.
2) Collected Wisdom
2.1) Where can i go to get clothes, shoes, makeup, etc?
There are many sources of clothes and apparel for transgenderd
people. Most department stores offer catalogue shopping, which will give you
the chance to purchase what you want without fear of embarassment.
Mail order firms are best left avoided. Some Transvestite mail
order boutiques are grossly overpriced and prey on the transgenderd community.
Sometimes, a young lady will offer her services to purchase
clothing, makeup etc for you for a price. Make sure she is reliable and
not going to run off as soon as she gets your money.
Shopping for that special someone (you) always works. If you are
worried that the cashier will catch on, go during a busy time. Christmas
is a great time.
Makeup companies such as avon, mary kay, etc will be more than happy
to sell to a transgendered person. Again, this depends on the area, but most
salespeople will put sales ahead of their own feelings towards transgenderism
There are many stores that cater to transgendered people. Smaller
cities will most likely not have them.
Here are some companies and some comments about them. Please keep
in mind that none of these places have been checked out for authenticity or
reliability.
Fem Fashions (Boutique)
9 west 31st street, #7r, New york, NY 10001
(212) 586-6823
Clothing, makeup, etc. Call for appointment.
Florence's Fashions, Inc (boutique)
68 albian St. Wakefield, Ma, 01880
(617) 245-1385
Seems to be geared slightly towards the fetishist. You can dress on
premisis.
Lydia's TV fashions (mail order, boutique)
13837 Ventura Boulevard, suite 2
Sherman oaks, California 91423
(818) 995-7195
Wide variety of merchandise, including fetish items.
Also offers make-up lessons.
Headliners full service saloon (Boutique)
806 W. Higgins
Park Ridge, Il 60068
(708) 825-2404
Conversions, makeovers, full body waxing, dressing
Alter Image (boutique?)
????
(212) 475-1050
Personal makeovers
Vernon's specialties, Inc (Boutique, mailorder)
386 moody street,
Waltham, MA 02154
voice: (617) 894-1744
Fax: (617) 647-4082
Clothing for all occasions, fetishistc inc. Private appointments
Laine Alexander (Boutique)
1657 the fairway,
suite 190, Jenkintown,
PA, 19046
(215) 635-TV58
Shopping services, transformation, make-up lessons
Transformations (mail order)
Transformation
box 459
Orange CA 92662
A mail order house for tv/ts, geared towards fetishist material and SMBD
Lee's mardi gras boutique
400 w. 14th street, New york,
NY 10014
(212) 645-1888
Lots of tv stuff.
Crowning Glory Wigs (mailorder)
PO box 40366
San diego, calif 92164
A mailorder house specializing in wigs. Also has other merchandise.
Fantasies (mailorder, boutique)
Central plaza
105 nauset street
New Bedford, MA 02746
(508) 999-9852
Lingere in large sizes.
Alicia's (boutique, mail order)
5405 Arrow Hwy # 440
Montclair, CA 94763
(714) 934-4545
Clothing, shoes, wigs, etc
Creative design services (mailorder house)
Box 61263, king of prussia, PA 19406
(215) 640-9449
Markets a line of merchandise designed for TV/TS people
Blossom C. Paster (boutique)
28417 trident court, wesley chapel, FL 33543
(813) 973-0987
All purpose TG place. Makeup lessons, electrolysis, peer counselling,
dressing, etc.
CANADA
Ashley's (mail order)
19 st.john's road
Toronto, ont
M6P 1T7
(416) 767-3518
Catering to Infantalists and Tv's. Adult baby items, varied TV
merchandise.
The underworld (Boutique)
????
Beauty salon for tv/ts peoples
(416) 925-4141
Fantasyland (Boutique, mail order)
274 8th street E.
P.O. Box 682
Owen Sound, Ontario
N4K 5R4 (CANADA)
(519) 371-1215
A wide variety of merchandise, geared mostly towards fetish material. Mail
50$ for all 10 catalogues.
On site changing facilites, photo sessions, transformations.
Wildside (boutique, hotel, mailorder)
429c Dundas street east
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5A 2A9
(416) 864-0420
One of the only TV resorts in the world. On site changing, makeovers,
everything for sale. Highly reccomended.
2.2) What are some good ways to simulate breasts?
There are several methods avaliable to give the illusion of a bosom.
Padded bras and stuffed bras will give the illusion of a full breast, but
the weight and texture may be difficult to work with.
Old hose stuffed with birdseed is another method. This will make a
breast form that will mold itself to your body, and will have approximately
the same weight and shape as a real breast. The texture may be similar to a
real breast, depending on what type of seed you use.
Breast forms are used by many transgendered people. There are good
forms which will go for over 200 dollars, and cheap forms that cost under
50$. Some are pure silicon and others are molded plastic and rubber.
SIZING CHART FOR SILICON FORMS
___________________________________________________
Cup/Bra Size |28|30|32|34|36|38|40|42|44|46|48
-------------|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|------
AA |1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |--|--|--|--| --
A |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10|11|12
B |--|4 |5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10|11|12|13
C |--|5 |6 |7 |8 |9 |10|11|12|13|14
D |--|--|7 |8 |9 |10|11|12|13|14|--
DD |--|--|8 |9 |10|11|12|13|14|--|--
2.3) What are good ways to get rid of unwanted Facial/body hair?
The easiest way is to shave. Take a hot wet cloth and hold it over
the affected area before shaving (non-electric razor only). This will
minimize the chance of getting razor burn.
Electric razors also work well, especially for legs. Shaving your
arms and/or chest will make you very itchy in a few days.
Neet, nair, and other chemical depilitories do work well, but they
smell very bad and may burn sensitive skin. These chemicals must not be used
on or near the nipples, anus, or face. Facial deplitories are avaliable that
are much different than that used on the legs.
Bleaching small hairs will also work well, but be carful not to get
any into your eyes or nose. There are dyes made specifically for bleaching
hair, do not use commercial bleach.
Devices such as the epilady do work, but they produce a great deal
of pain the first time you use them. The pain will lessen with continued
use. Be warned that such devices may not work or may jam on very tough or
thick hair.
Waxing is also another option. It is messy and painful with the
first few uses. There are wax strips avaliable for the face that are not
messy. The body shop has a similar strip avaliable for the legs, or at
least
it is manufacturing such a strip.
Electrolysis is the only permanent hair removal technique. A session
of electrolysis will cost anywhere from 17 to 50 dollars. Before you pick a
clinic, make sure that the people there are certified. Electrolysis has a
few risks, such as scarring, acne, and infection.
2.4) I need help with makeup. Any tips?
(Courtesy of Bill Jones)
MALE TO FEMALE makeup
There is a wide variety of makeup materials available. If your
skin is beautiful and you don't have to hide a beard, women's cosmetic makeup
may be all you need. You will have better luck matching your skin colour
in a department store, because foundation makeup in a drug store tends to
be so heavily packaged you can't tell what colour you're buying. Regular
cosmetics tend to be light and sheer. If you want an opaque makeup to
even out your skin tone,and don't perspire heavily, I suggest Kryolan
Aquacolor makeup. It is a water based pancake type makeup which comes in a
great many beautiful colours. Aquacolor has a matte finish when it dries,
but after afew minutes the warmth of the body creates a beautiful soft, natural glow.
All of the Kryolan makeup is heavily pigmented, so it will cover beards and
dark shadows under the eyes without the use of other cover up products.
I've discovered that many beard cover sticks give you an unnatural
orangy look. If you have to cover a beard, minimize roughly textured skin
or if you perspire heavily; I strongly recommend Kryolan Cream Stick plus
Dermacolour powder. The cream stick is an oil base makeup and comes in a
great many colours, so you should be able to accurately match your skin
tone. It is opaque enough to cover heavy beard shadow without using a
beard cover stick. The Dermacolour powder is pigmented so you need to buy
an appropriate shade. It sets the Cream stick so that it lasts through
heavy perspiration. Several layers of Cream stick and Dermacolour powder
will effectively smooth out acne scarred skin. If you don't need the water
proof
qualities of Dermacolour powder, regular translucent powder will work very
well to set the cream stick.
To minimize large pores, particularly on the nose, a second coat of
foundation and a dusting of powder works very well.
Foundation
No matter what type of foundation you choose, it should match your
skin tone as closely as possible. Test the colour on your cheek and your
neck. You want the makeup to blend down onto your neck without a visible
line. Hopefully you will only need a hint of foundation on your chest when
you're wearing a low cut dress.
If you are using a water base pancake makeup, it will probably go
on easier with a small natural sponge rather than a synthetic one. A
natural sponge is only slightly more money and will give a smoother
result.
Be sure to apply the colour with as little water as possible, just
use a damp sponge.
If you get streaks, let the foundation dry before you try to
smooth it out. You will probably find the streaks will disappear as the
makeup dries.
Pancake makeup doesn't need to be powdered.
If you are using a cream stick makeup, apply it with a piece of
synthetic sponge. I use a piece of fake foam rubber (flexible urethane
foam), the kind you find in the upholstery section of your fabric store.
It's easier to thrown them away than to try to wash them. After applying
the foundation lightly and evenly all over your face, you may want to add
a bit more to cover your five o'clock shadow. If you are covering a heavily
textured skin surface (like acne) you may want to blend cheek contour
colour into the cream base before powdering. (Powder contour may emphasize
the texture.) Now you're ready to powder to set the cream stick. Apply a
little extra powder to the moustache area and forehead, because the
perspiration is heavier here. Allow the powder to sit on the foundation
for a few minutes before brushing off the excess. This is especially true
with Dermacolour powder. The instructions suggest waiting ten minutes,
before removing excess to achieve the maximum waterproof quality. I find
about three minutes is sufficient. A big, soft blush brush is ideal for
dusting off excess powder.
Corrective makeup
I don't recommend a lot of heavy corrective makeup to change the
shape of your face. If you're being photographed for a formal portrait,
then go ahead and sculpt your face; but for everyday, too much corrective
work can look artificial. There are a lot of books available to help you
decide if you are oval, square or heart shaped. I think it's more
important to create a feminine version of whatever shape you happen to be.
Some men have a definitely square jawbone. Trying to minimize it with
makeup is risky.
You may inadvertently emphasize your five o'clock shadow. A soft
hairstyle is probably a safer way to underplay the jawbone.
A strong or prominent nose is another trouble spot. In general,
don't use corrective makeup on your nose. You may over emphasize it
without meaning to. Instead, focus attention on your eyes or mouth.
Some subtle work can be done to give yourself beautiful cheek
bones,
if it's a little bit noticeable it's O K, because it's often obvious on
women too. To sculpt cheekbones, I use Mehron Starblend pancake makeup,
dry, as a powder. A dry, clean blush brush will pick up the colour and
allow you to contour the cheek as easily as brushing on dry rouge. Be
careful to never get the cake of Mehron wet or it won't pick up as powder.
For Caucasian skin, number 2B brushed on the top of the cheekbone
as a highlight, and number 11B brushed on as a lowlight, works
beautifully. If your skin is a darker tone adjust the colours
accordingly. I like 7C for slightly darker or tanned skin. The highlight
colour goes on the top of the cheek bone, and should blend up toward the
hairline. (If you have a wide face, don't go quite to the hairline). The
lowlight or shadow colour goes from the ear toward the center of the face,
and should blend out into the foundation subtly.
The Mehron powder also works well to emphasize your cleavage.
Dust a bit of highlight on the top of the breast and brush a soft curved
RYS shape in the cleavage. Keep it subtle.
Rouge
Select a rouge that is a soft pinkish shade similar to your
foundation colour. You can safely dust it on your forehead, chin and
cheeks for a healthy glow.
If you use a strong raspberry or red shade you may have trouble
being subtle. You can soften the effect of rouge by first dipping your
brush in translucent powder and then into the rouge. Rouge belongs on the
apple of the cheek,(where you turn pink after you've been jogging). Be
careful to keep rouge away from any part of your face you are trying to
minimize. For example, if you have a wide face; don't brush the rouge all
the way out to your hairline. Keep it more central, so you won't call
attention to the width.
Eyebrows
The shape of your eyebrow is probably the single most important
element of your face. A woman's eyebrows are usually thinner and more
arched than a man's. However a masculine eyebrow can be very beautiful on
a feminine face. Look at Brooke Shields. Electrolysis or plucking will
allow you to make a major change in the shape of your brow, but clever use
of paint can do a lot. Most people need to lift the brow slightly to give
it a prettier arch. For the stage you can block out the brow with a
variety of materials. For street wear you must be more subtle. Lift the
peak of the brow with a few strokes of eyebrow pencil, and blur them
slightly. You can bleach out a few hairs by painting them with
foundation. You can pencil your brows lightly or use a small stiff brush
and brown powder to get a soft brow. If you use a pencil, it helps to
brush the eyebrow with a tooth brush to blur and soften the pencil. You
don't want your eyebrow to look as if it was drawn on with a marking
crayon, so be gentle.
To determine the length of your eyebrow, draw an imaginary line
from the tip of your nose up to the outer corner of your eye and up to the
brow.
That's where your brow should end. Remember, Eyebrows begin above
the inner corner of the eye, and taper off to nothing. They should not be
heavy at the outer end.
Eyes
The eyes are the most fun to paint, but also possibly the most
difficult to do well.
First, avoid brightly coloured and frosted eyeshadows. I know
they're fun, but they can age your eye. Learn to contour your eye with
neutrals like taupe, charcoal, brown and off white.
The upper eyelash line should be defined with a brush and brown
liner or an eyebrow pencil, and lightly smudged with a Q-tip. Even if you
are older and don't plan to wear much makeup, you should softly define the
eye. To NOT makeup the eye is aging. The lower eyelash line can be dotted
with brown and smudged, or defined more strongly with a blurred line.
To contour the eye, keep in mind the natural lights and shadows of
the eye.
There is a highlight under the brow bone under the arch of the
brow. The crease above the eyelid is shadowed, and the lid picks up some
light and seems lighter. This means the lid can be foundation colour, the
crease can be darkened slightly, and a bit of highlight added on the brow
bone. If you MUST use colour, use colour the same value as your
foundation, on your eyelid. This is the one spot you might get away with a
frosted colour. Use a deeper colour in the crease,(definitely not
frosted,) but use off white on the brow bone. This combination will seem
more natural. For major glamour you can use smokier colour on your
eyelid.
If your eye is aging, and the upper eye is sagging, you have to be
careful where you put colour; but you can very easily make the eye look
gorgeous!
Be careful that your browbone highlight doesnUt blend down so far
that it highlights the sagging fold of skin. Avoid shadowing toward the
nose in the deepest part of the eye. That will sink and age the eye even
more.
The important thing to remember, is to shadow the sagging fold of
flesh and keep any frosted colours away from the eye. Frosted colour will
spotlight the problem. Your safest bet is a dark taupe or charcoal to
minimize the fold of flesh.
This will give you a normal, pretty eye. If you wish you can vary
the look in keeping with current makeup trends; for example, 50's style
eyeliner.
If youUre going to wear false eyelashes, be careful to keep them
medium in length. If your false lashes droop at the outer ends, you must
glue them ABOVE your natural lash line.
Lips
Keep your lipstick a soft red. Bright fire engine reds can point
up problems.
If you have a problem with lipstick blurring, try outlining the
lip with a lip liner pencil, then filling in with colour. Powdering the
first coat of lipstick then applying a second coat, will help it to last
longer. Most men have thin lips and need to make them appear fuller.
Don't hesitate to paint your lips slightly outside your upper and
lower lip line. Women have the same problem. But be careful to not overdo
it. If your new mouth seems a bit extreme, try increasing the size
slowly, a bit at a time over a period of a few weeks, so you can get used
to it. Using a softer red will help to keep your lips from looking too
showgirl.
The type of red you use can be coordinated with your skin tone and
your clothing, (more peach or more raspberry); have fun playing with
lipstick.
Its fun to mix your own colour by using several different
lipsticks on top of each other. Try putting a neutral light pink shade on
top of a deeper red.
Taping
You may want to tape to get rid of your naso- labial fold,
overhanging eyelid or double chin. However it is not ideal for all day
wear. Taping is wonderful on some people.It depends on how elastic your
skin is and whether you can place the tape so it will get rid of the fold
and not show under the wig. ItUs important that the tape be hidden by the
wig, because it's very difficult to cover tape with makeup so it doesn't
show. However, sometimes just a wisp of hair from the wig will cover the
tape so you don't have to pull the wig to far onto your face.
The easiest way to tape, is to securely pin a stocking cap to
cover your hair. I like to be sure there are several pin curls at the
front of your hairline. This gives you something to anchor the wig to so
it doesn't slip back and allows you to tape onto your head without pulling
hair. Johnson & Johnson surgical tape works wonderfully. The more
complicated way is to use strips of silk gauze and spirit gum them to your
skin, and anchor the other end to the wig cap. Experiment to see which you
prefer. They are both susceptible to perspiration, so are better suited
to occasional use not all day wear.
Copyright ) 1993
by WILLIAM STEWART JONES
All rights reserved.
FEMALE TO MALE MAKEUP
For a female wishing to look Male, there are several ways to help
the face look more masculine through the use of cosmetics.
To simulate beard growth for a short time, cover the parts of the
face you want bearded with vasoline or some other sticky substance. Then
apply loose tea leaves to the area. This will look like a beard from a
distance, possibly close up.
To make existing facial hair look denser, there is mustache wax
avaliable from many stores. It is similar to mascara, but is applied to the
face.
Making the lips look thinner and the eyebrows thicker can be done
using techniques similar to those described above.
2.5) I'm Balding! What can be done to stop it? Can it be reversed?
There are few ways to stop male pattern balding. For a male
becoming female, the hormonal treatments will slow down and sometimes
reverse hair loss. For a female becoming male, the hormonal treatments may
produce hair loss. It all depends on what your parents were like.
Minoxidil (Rogain, apogain) does work on some people. It does not
work as well on the front as it does on the crown, and for some it does
not work at all. Minoxidil (Rogain,apogain) must be used on a ongoing
basis, at around 60-80 dollars Canadian a month.
Regular scalp massages will encourage hair growth.
If all else fails, there are several types of wigs and hair
replacement options avaliable. A good wig will cost you a fair bit,
between 300 and 1000 dollars depending on the type. The mail order wigs
avaliable from tabloid magazines are generally of poor quality.
Hair weaving is a technique where the existing hair is interwoven
with other hair. It looks quite natural and is popular among both females
and males.
Hair transplant surgery is effective, but it sometimes looks
unnatural and has a risk of infection involved.
Hair replacement involves attaching artificial or real hair to a
person's head. This can be permanent or temporary, depending on the
client's wishes. If done well, it looks very realistic and is hard to spot.
2.6) Besides hormones and surgery, how can i get a more feminine/masculine
shape?
There are several methods. For the F-M, the best bet is
weightlifting. Weightlifting will make the body assume a more masculine
shape. However, female transvestites should take care not to work the
chest area unless they are small chested, as chest excercises will make
the chest stick out. There are also several plant sterols avaliable which
will help you look more masculine. Gamma orzanoyl and FRAC (both available
from health food stores) are reputed to have androgenic properties. Both
substances can cause surges of agressivness.
Avoid Yohimbe at all costs, as it is toxic.
For the M-F, weightlifting is also good. There is a certain
excercise called the decline bench press which will give the breasts a
female contour without hormones. To do this, you have to lie flat on a
weightlifting bench so that your legs are above your head. Then you press
whatever you feel comfortable with, 10 times for 3 sets. This must be done
with someone spotting you. After a time, the chest muscles will take on a
feminine form.
There is a substance called "Black cohosh" that is reputed to have
estrogenic like effects. Effects range from breast and hair growth to no
effect at all. It does have some nasty side effects. The first time you
take a large dose (3* 240 mg, as the instructions reccomend) you will most
likely be violently ill.
There is also a type of massage excercise that will increase the
breast size. It is done for 5 minutes a day and is intended to simulate
the suckling action of an infant. People doing this have reported small
gains. The hormone supposedly released by this excercise enlarges
lactating women's breasts, but only temporarily.
There are many girdles and busts that will push up breast tissue
and give the appearence of breasts. These should not be worn for extended
periods of time as they may damage the body.
2.7) What are the effects of hormones?
Hormones have a variety of effects on the human body, depending on
what type of hormone, the dosage, and the length of time taken.
Female hormones (Estrogens): During the first few weeks on
estrogen, a male may experience tingling in the breasts and slight growth.
Nails and hair may begin to grow faster. Hair may become softer and
thicker. The male may experience a slight "manic-depressive" episode as he
first begins hormones and his brain adjusts to the hormones.
After about six months, the male will most likely lose some or all
penile functioning. The body will begin to reshape itself. Muscles may
lose density and become slimmer. The hips may expand. Breasts may expand
further. The sex drive is almost totally gone. Facial features may have
partially or wholly feminized. The skin may soften noticeably. The
testicles will have atrophied a bit. The lips will become thicker.
After a period of 1-2 years, the individual may appear totally
female, except for a few minor differences. The testicles are very
atrophied, and erection is difficult or impossible.
Female hormones will NOT affect The voice, the size of the adams
apple or bone structure (except in very young transsexuals).
Male Hormones (androgen): During the first few weeks on high doses
of Androgen, a female may experience mood changes and acne. The skin will
become less soft. The female will begin to develop muscle growth.
Paradoxically, the female's breast size will look larger because of the
increased chest muscle. Facial and body hair may begin to come out at this
point. Sex drive will increase drastically and the clitoris will enlarge
slightly.
After a year, the female may have the physical appearence of
a male. The clitoris will be enlarged, perhaps to 2-3 inches in length.
The
voice will deepen. Beard growth will most likely be present. Menstration
will most likely have stopped at this point. Females may also gain a lot
of weight around the middle, as well as male pattern hair loss.
Non-transsexual females who take hormones are easily spotted, as
they develop secondary male charecteristics. This can be avoided by taking
very specific hormones, as opposed to a wide spectrum of androgens.
Both male and female hormones will affect the kidney negatively.
It is important to make sure that the dosage you are taking is correct for
your body. Injected hormones do not damage the kidney as much as oral
hormones.
Male hormones must be injected. Female hormones work by being
injected or taken orally.
2.8) At what point can hormone therapy be reversed?
It can be reversed at any time. However, there will be some
permanent effects. If a male takes estrogen for a short while before
stopping, it may be possible for him to impregnate a female. After six
months, most men are permanently infertile.
Breast growth and facial hair growth cannot be reversed. The voice
lowering in a F-M is also permanent. The skin and body changes will
disappear over time.
2.9) What are the steps in SRS?
For M-F: The first step is to remove the testicles. The penis is
then inverted, creating a vagina-like opening. The scrotum is then used to
line the new vagina and create labia. Some of the penile tissue is used to
create a clitoris. The nerve endings in the penis are still intact, so
hopefully orgasm will be possible. There are other, optional surgeries
such as Removal of the adam's apple, jaw scraping, breast implants, cheek
implants, collagen injections, liposuction, and others.
For F-M: The first step is a masectomy and repositioning of the
nipples. This is fairly minor surgery and will not take you off your feet
for a long time. It is best to avoid straining the chest area for a few
months afterwards. The next step is a hysterectomy with bilateral
salpingo-oophorectomy (Removal of uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes). There
is at the moment no effective way to create a penis. Penile implants are
often used, unfortunately they rarely function adequately. Radical forearm
grafts and intestinal grafts are also widely used, but these leave scars
on some parts of the body. There is a new proceedure that will give a
highly effective penis, but this is not widely avaliable.
2.10) Where can i go to get referrals, counseliing or surgery done?
There are many locations worldwide where you can get the referrals
and the surgeries.
There is only one place in Canada that specializes exclusively in
Gender research, and that is the clark institute in Toronto. Many university
and medical schools have gender programs.
The states have many different locations that will perform the
surgery or give referrals. The most famous is the clinic in Trinidad,
Colorado.
Here are some addresses of surgeons, surgical and clinical
services. Please be advised that none of these adresses were checked out,
and that some actively anti-transgender persons (exodus ministries) have
set up "clinics".
UNITED STATES
Dr. Eugene Schrang,
MD240 First Street
Neenah, WI 54956
Cosmetician who will perform SRS surgery
Jeanne M. West
450 San antonio Road #50, Palo alto CA 94306
(415) 494-2952
Behavioral therapist
American Transsexual education center
ATEC, 1626 N. Wilcox Avenue, suite 584, Hollywood CA 90028
(213) 469-4709
Organization for TV/TS community, counselling, referrals, medical and
psychological help, newsletter
Gender crisis help line
3332 N. Romero Rd, #13, Tuscon, AT 85705
(602) 293-3456 Karen Davis
Referral service for Tv/TS people
People systems Potential
Niela Miller, MS ED
LCSW, P.O. box 132,
Nagog Woods, MA 01718
(508) 264-4565
Couselling for gender confused people, cross dressers, SO's
Thesus counselling services
233 harvard street,
suite 301, brookline, MA 02146
(207) 623-2327
Counciling for cd'ers, Tv's, marital stress where dressing is an
issue in the relationship, f-m counselling.
Dennis Pearne, Ed.D
9 alexander ave,
Belmont ctr, MA 02172
(617) 484-0013
Clinical psychologist.
Outreach Professional education and referral network
OPREN, P.O. Box 368,
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 277-3454
Provides referral services and education for Health care
professionals involved in gender conflict and Gender dysphoria.
Nancy Strapko, PhD.
RFD 1, box 2081,
plymouth NH 03264
Gender specialist, private couple and group therapy. Office is in
Concord, MA
Cheshire counselling associates
104 cross street, Keene,
NH 03431
(603) 357-5544 Ken DeVoid, EdD
Tv, ts, and gender counselling avaliable
Human Outreach and achievemnt institute
HOAC, 405 Western Avenue, Suite 345,
South Portland ME 04106
(207) 755-0858
Educational group for all people involved in gender issues
Gender identity clinic of new england
GICNE, 68 adelade rd, Manchester,
CT 06040
(203) 646-8651 Rev Canon Clinton R. Jones, Director
Provides screening for hormones and surgery for Ts peoples.
Metamorphosis
P.O. Box 6245, Broadway Station,
long island city
NY 11106
(718) 728-4615
Professional psychotherapy geared towards transsexuals.
Androgeny unlimited
Box 4887, poughkeepsie
NY 12602
(914) 452-8405 Roger E. Peo, Ph.D
A private service providing counselling, research, and education
Persad Center, Inc:
5100 Penn Ave, Pittsburg
PA 15224-1616
(412) 441-0857 Randal G Forrester
Therapy, support and treatment for transsexuals
Sexology associates inc
H. Martin Malin, Ph.D
4835 Del Ray avenue, Bethesda,
MD 20814
Counselling for TG persons
Center for gender Reassignment
Deborah M. Gilbert,
R.N coordinator,
142 w.York street #915,
Norfolk, VA 23510-2015
(804)-622-9900
A clinic which performs SRS. 18 months of cross-living and 6 months of
hormone therapy required before they will consider you for surgery.
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