Facial Hair

[Michelle789]

This question is open to everyone who is on the MTF spectrum. CDers, TSes, genderqueers, gender fluid, dual gender.

1. Please state your gender identity.

2. How do you feel about the way facial hair looks on you? Do you like it? Are you ambivalent to it? Do you like growing different shapes of beards/mustaches? Do you like to experiment with different styles of facial hair? Do you hate your facial hair completely?

3. Ho do you feel about the way facial hair felt physically on you when it grew out?

4. Have you ever participated or do you like participating in facial hair events such as Movember?

5. How do you feel about your five o'clock shadow? Are you able to effectively cover it with makeup when you dress as a woman?

For all questions, if you removed your facial hair through electrolysis or laser, then please answer how you felt about it when you used to have facial hair.


CDers, genderqueers, gender fluid, or dual gender only

6. Do you alternate between phases of growing out your beard to be a man, and shaving to CD to look like a woman (even if you don't pass)? How do you feel about this?

MTF TSes only

7. Did you ever have a phase where you actually liked your facial hair?


If you removed your facial hair through electrolysis or laser, then please answer how you felt about it when you used to have facial hair.

I will go ahead and answer.

1. Female. I am an MTF TS.

2. I hated the way facial hair looked on me from the day it started growing out. I was never into experimenting with facial hair styles. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. I can't wait to be completely rid of it.

3. I hated the way facial hair felt on me when it grew out. A day or more worth of growth would feel incredibly uncomfortable on me. It felt like someone was sticking needles into my face.

4. I never participated in Movember. I first heard of it about four years ago when my company wanted the men to participate in it. I wanted nothing to do with it. I didn't want to go a whole month, or even a day, growing a mustache.

5. I hate and always have hated my 5:00 shadow. I'm glad it's disappearing, that I am able to cover it effectively with makeup. I can't wait to be completely rid of my 5:00 shadow.

6. N/A. I'm TS.

7. No. I always hated my facial hair.

[Jenniferathome]

This question is open to everyone who is on the MTF spectrum. CDers, TSes, genderqueers, gender fluid, dual gender.

1. Please state your gender identity.
2. How do you feel about the way facial hair looks on you? Do you like it? Are you ambivalent to it? Do you like growing different shapes of beards/mustaches? Do you like to experiment with different styles of facial hair? Do you hate your facial hair completely?
3. Ho do you feel about the way facial hair felt physically on you when it grew out?
4. Have you ever participated or do you like participating in facial hair events such as Movember?
5. How do you feel about your five o'clock shadow? Are you able to effectively cover it with makeup when you dress as a woman?
6. Do you alternate between phases of growing out your beard to be a man, and shaving to CD to look like a woman (even if you don't pass)? How do you feel about this?

1) I'm a man. Never questioned that for even a moment.
2) I have never grown a beard or mustache. I have the ability but never the desire, even as a teen.
5) I can cover it well. My facial hair is going quite gray and I think that helps.

[Marcelle]

Hi Michelle,

I guess my gender identity is up for debate these days but I will stick with gender fluid (40/60 female/male split).

I inherited the mountain man grow a beard on the spot facial hair from my mother's side of the family (surprisingly my father could not grow facial hair of any consequence if he tried). So I have sported everything from a moustache (cheesy as it was in the 80s), a goatee to a complete beard. I never really gave it any thought on how it felt growing . . . it just grew and very quickly. I could shave at 6 AM and need to shave again by noon if I was attending a parade or military function. When I accepted this side of me, no amount of beard cover, make-up or whatnot could hide my five o'clock shadow for more than a few hours. A year ago I started laser removal and never looked back. Now I suppose with a lot of time I could grow a patchy goatee at best but will most likely never do so.

Hugs

Isha

[cheryl reeves]

too me 4 yrs of shaving to grow facial hair,at that time i got tired of being regarded as a woman til i said something..these days its a mustache between dressing...when i shave i have no shadow for 2 days,on the third you can finally feel the stubble..its always been how i balance both sides of my psych...im complicated..lol

[goodnhose]

Guy, and like growing out a beard but for some reason the hair on my head is black but facial hair is red. In girl mode no problem covering shadow with my makeup.

[AllieSF]

I am me, somewhere along the TG spectrum a little or more, TBD, beyond the fully dressed and going out regularly CD point. I am very happy with myself and what I do with all this "stuff"!

I never minded my facial hair because a good morning Norelco electric shaver shave normally lasted me all day, only needing to shave a second time if going out later that evening. I have had beards and mustaches (the last in 1982) and they were fun and fun to run my fingers through and sometimes make little curls. I never learned how to properly trim it, so when it got too long and shabby looking, I shaved it off.

I didn't mind the stubble later in the day and occasionally let it grow for a few days and then cleaned it all up.

I have no idea what Movember is and could care less.

Before my electrolysis, my beard shadow was quite light with a mixture of red, brown, probably black and a lot of graying hairs. I hardly ever used any type of beard cover, when the foundation did its job correctly.

Now that I am down to a little over an hour a week, hunting and zapping those elusive hairs, I can actually go for almost two weeks before I may need to trim a few longer and more obvious longer hairs. I haven't truly shaved in about 2 years with my weekly electrolysis session serving as my weekly shave.

[Jazzy Jaz]

I am tg/dual gendered.
I look alright with my shadow but it grows fast and i hate regular shaving.
Once a couple days go by it gets itchy n annoying n i hate it.
No.
Havn't played with coverup etc... Hoping me n gf can go shopping n then try it out soon.
When i was in my mid teens i had a small goatee n stash for year or two, thats it.

I saw a woman on youtube the other night talking about using wet coffee grounds and baking soda to make a paste,apparently if you apply this regularly over time it will kill the roots of your hair and earlier on when hair grows back it comes in thinner. I have no idea if it works but i hate shaving so im thinking it might be worth a try on my face.

[Shayna]

1. I'm a man who enjoys occasionally dressing as a woman

2. I had a goatee for about 15 years, so yeah, I liked the way it looked, but as it got grayer I started feeling like Col. Sanders. WHen I was younger, it helped hide my baby face

3. I didn't particularly like the feel of it as it grew out. I always kept my goatee trimmed

4. Movember? Nope

5. Hate the bluebeard, I have covered it up effectively, but it takes a lot of work

6. After I shaved off my goatee a few years ago I never had the desire to regrow it

[Teresa]

Michell,
I'm a male and always hated facial hair !
Never grown any form of facial features ,no beard nothing !
Always close shave everyday even before I started wearing makeup, I was self employed and worked 7 days a week, photographing weddings/portraits so I always presented well groomed !
Luckily my facial hair is fairly light so the shadow isn't a problem, I worked out my own way of covering it up ! A careful close shave is a good starting point !
Have never considered any other form of controlling hair growth .

[grace7777]

1. Now I see myself as being tg and it seems that the female side is growing stronger with each day that passes. I really am starting to think I am TS. These are things I need to sort out with a therapist.

2. I have never been into facial hair.

3. Mostly I never let my facial hair grow out. Every once in a while I would go a few days without shaving, but it always felt great to be clean shaven again.

4. I have never heard of Movember.

5. After 10 treatments of laser hair removal on my face the 5 o clock shadow is not a big problem. Hopefully soon facial hair will mostly be gone from my face.

6. I do not see myself as a cross dresser any more. I now seem to feel more comfortable when dressed en femme than en drab.

7. The desire to have facial hair for me has never been strong. About 30 years ago at 21 I let it grow out for about 3 weeks just to see what it would look like. The results were not good and have not attempted to grow a beard again.

[Sara Jessica]

Interesting set of questions. My POV may be kind of surprising.

1. ID as a (non-transitioning) TS.

3. I am assuming this pertains to when it first started coming in. Frankly, I cannot remember because it took years. I don't even remember when it went from soft-fur-fuzz to tree-trunk-like stubble.

5. Shadow? It never was a major issue although the goatee area could be a bit problematic. This is where it gets complicated. About six years ago, I tweezed it all, kind of on a lark. The result was beyond my wildest dreams so I won't leave home presenting as a female without the major tweeze session. It may affect my ability to be spur of the moment because of that period of several days when the furs begin to emerge but are impervious to both tweezer and razor but to this date, that hasn't been too big of a deal.

2. This is where I get really complicated. One would think I'd harbor utter contempt for facial hair but even though I am rather ambivalent as to how it looks on me, I have more contempt for scraping a razor over my face to remove it. It's kind of like, tweeze or nothing. I hate the feeling of shaving, both during and afterwards.

4. Mowvember, perish the thought!

6. This one kind of applies to me because I'll present with goatee action between tweezes. But this doesn't even define me like some who sport mustaches and/or beards.

7. Like shaving it less.

Post-script: I have had a fair amount of electrolysis. Thing is, getting rid of the fur between my chin and ears took a very short amount of time. That is how little I had there to begin with. I never had any fur on my neck and can see progress in the goatee area but I still have a ways to go given that I'm only having a session once a month or so.

I have been so busy since my late-April Vegas trip that I haven't gone out & about since. Consequently, I have not shaved since. If I were to tweeze the stragglers between my chin & ears, I'd be done in about 2 minutes tops. That is how little grows in there. But I think there is another factor that has figured into my habits of late. I used to cherish the opportunities I'd have to wear makeup at home when everyone was out of the house. Now if I do that once a year, I'd be doing good. The reason is because ever since my hair has grown out, it has changed my personal perception of what it means to me to present as female. The makeup, while desirable when going out & about (though less essential given the tweezing routine and hair) became non-essential at home.

I guess I'm a complicated mess!!!

[Beverley Sims]

1. I have not been issued with a cretificate yet.
2. Don't like it and it grows too slowly for me.
3. It never had a chance so I don't know.
4. No, I would be a dismal failure, it would take a couple of months to grow stubble for a start.
5. My five o'clock shadow would not occur till about 3 am, then it is fair and light.

[Adriana Moretti]

1. I am a dude....I just like womens clothing, pretty things, and shoes

2. I kinda like when my 5 o'clock shadow grows in...I think it looks kinda cool....I dont experiment with styles...if I'm experimenting it is going to be with eyeshadows...& I dont hate it completely I like it once in a while...sometimes it is good to be a guy....

3. When its growing...I actually cant stand it...its itchy from day 1...thats why it dosent last long...

4. What the heck is Moevember ?? Is that like No Shave November ?? cause thats what we call it ?? but no....there are already too many bearded hipsters in brooklyn

5. I love my shadow..( in guy mode) When I dress I DONT HAVE A 5 O'clock shadow...I shave very well sometimes twice a day ....but if you mean do i use beard cover....yes...Ben Nye Rocks!!!!!

6. I dont alternate...but some days I get lazy..longest recently I have had ANY type of facial hair has been 2 days. xoxo

[Bobbi46]

Here goes
I am a man and if one goes outside I do not think it quite fits in with being a cd and then going out unshaved.
As i am fair skinned and fair haired I can get away without shaving for a day and it does not show but i know it is there and with that in mind i make it a point to shave every day.
After all are'nt we after a nice look rather than a second hand one

[Bria]

1. CD
2. I had a full beard from 1976 until about a year and a half ago, I must have liked it!
3. feels OK
4. What is Movember?
5. My beard is white, I can go two days without shaving and you have to look close to see it. I can shave in the
morning and the apply makeup at 6:00 PM without shaving again.
6. No, since I started CDing I have been clean shaven, makes me look younger I'm told!
\
Hugs, Bria

[Dianne S]

1. Female (MTF TS)

2. I didn't like my facial hair, but I was too lazy to shave and my wife liked it.

3. It was uncomfortable for about 3 days until it grew to reasonable beard length.

4. I never participated in Movember.

5. Hate beard shadow.

7. I hated dealing with my facial hair (I don't like shaving) so I just left it. But I'm far happier now that most of it has been lasered off. Ironically, now I have to shave every day to deal with light hairs that the laser missed. I plan on a couple more laser sessions to get the last of the dark hair and then it's electrolysis. My goal is not to have to shave more than once a week.

[sometimes_miss]

1. Male crossdresser, straight.
2. Thought a beard looked good; tried a fu manchu, people said it made me look evil. Back to the full beard.
3. Didn't even know it was there.
4. What is movember? Never heard of it.
5. When younger, I had light hair, and didn't get five oclock shadow until 5 AM. So it wasn't a problem.

I wore a beard for oh, about 35 years, until the ladies told me that the salt n pepper look just made me look like a homeless guy, an OLD homeless guy. One girl at the strip club called me grandpa. That did it. So I asked some of the women at work who confirmed this. Shaved it off the next morning. I had originally grew the beard simply because I was working 100+ hour weeks and just wanted another 5 minutes sleep every day. It was also a way to keep me from doing anything stupid like going out dressed and trying to pass, which was simply never going to happen by that age. Way too late, I did ask a few of the women about facial hair; all but one didn't like it. The common complaint was that it tickled or irritated them when they kissed the man. When I smiled and asked about 'how about when he's kissing other areas', and implicated oral sex, I got a smile every time but they all said it didn't really make a difference. So, knowing what I do now, I would probably recommend to younger guys that they shave, and use a very good razor. Today's Schick hydro five makes baby face smooth shaves a cinch, haven't nicked myself once since I started using them, an never any irritation. Terrific razors. I wish they had them back when I was young; would have eliminated a whole lot of razor bumps.

Edit. When it turns all white, and I can be Santa Claus, then I'll grow it back.

[Dana44]

1. Please state your gender identity. Male

2. How do you feel about the way facial hair looks on you? Do you like it? Are you ambivalent to it? Do you like growing different shapes of beards/mustaches? Do you like to experiment with different styles of facial hair? Do you hate your facial hair completely?[/I]
I grew a fu man chu for a while. It looked pretty good on me. I like my beard to be short. They say that about a five to ten day beard on any man is good. Very attractive for women. I let it grow until I get ready to go into fem mode weekly. 4-5 days.



3. Ho do you feel about the way facial hair felt physically on you when it grew out? Uh, how do I feel. Itchy when it is about five days old. Other that that. fine.

4. Have you ever participated or do you like participating in facial hair events such as Movember? No

5. How do you feel about your five o'clock shadow? Are you able to effectively cover it with makeup when you dress as a woman?
I do try to shave close and cover my beard shadow. I do get covered good sometimes and when I do I pass pretty well and feel pretty.

I had a short beard all of the time. People have always commented on that. Guess it looks good on me. Now my hair is long. Wearing it in a pony tail and a beard helps me look more male when I'm in male mode. If I let it down, wow it is long enough that I look feminine anyways. So if I do I wear a ball cap. that seems to help. yet long hair out the back. Its really fun to shave the face with long hair. Shortened many a hair by accident.

[Nadine Spirit]

1. Please state your gender identity.
2. How do you feel about the way facial hair looks on you? Do you like it? Are you ambivalent to it? Do you like growing different shapes of beards/mustaches? Do you like to experiment with different styles of facial hair? Do you hate your facial hair completely?
3. Ho do you feel about the way facial hair felt physically on you when it grew out?
4. Have you ever participated or do you like participating in facial hair events such as Movember?
5. How do you feel about your five o'clock shadow? Are you able to effectively cover it with makeup when you dress as a woman?
CDers, genderqueers, gender fluid, or dual gender only
6. Do you alternate between phases of growing out your beard to be a man, and shaving to CD to look like a woman (even if you don't pass)? How do you feel about this?
MTF TSes only
7. Did you ever have a phase where you actually liked your facial hair?

1 - I suppose I identify as existing somewhere between male and female
2 - I like it. I have grown out different styles. Possibly my favorite was when I had a really long goatee. But I wasn't fully dressing during that time of my life.
3 - It felt fine. Though it was a pain in the ____ when it got stuck in things like my jacket zipper.
4 - No idea what Movember is.
5 - I don't really have much of a shadow. I can easily cover it. It is also becoming easier the whiter my whiskers are becoming.
6 - I grow out my goatee generally during the week and generally shave it on the weekends. But I don't do it to "be a man." How do I feel about it? That is an odd question. I feel fine.
7 - ----------

[Sarah-RT]

1. MTF Crossdresser
2. I cant grow a beard, I just get scruffy. Sometimes Id like a beard and other times I hate having facial hair because of CDing, depends on my mood.

3. the feel of it doesnt bother me, it can get a bit itchy when it starts growing back which can be annoying.

4. Ive never participated in movember but its a worthy cause. my job doesnt allow facial hair either though because of working with food.

5. I thankfully havent got much of a 5 o clock shadow but I would dread having it, I get razor burn pretty bad because of sensitive skin and that interferes with makeup

CDers, genderqueers, gender fluid, or dual gender only
6. When or if the time comes that I can grow a proper beard I would probably alternate between having one and being clean shaven, however as stated my job does not allow for facial hair so that keeps me shaven for the foreseeable future


Sarah x

[aprilgirl]

1) Male, occasional cross dresser
2) I rarely am clean shaven. Between dressing, I switch between a well trimmed Van Dyke beard or a full face two day growth, which my wife prefers.
3) I've never noticed a physical issue growing hair back on my face, but have with other areas.
4) I had to look up Movember and think it's a great cause. I am more prone to dress in the fall, so I may not physically participate, but I plan on making a donation. I'm glad you brought up the question.
5) Five o'clock shadow hasn't been an issue for me to hide. Between a close shave with a multi blade razor and a little concealer, I do alright.
6) I suppose I do alternate growing facial hair, but only because I like the way I look with it in male mode.

[Michelle789]

Thank you for your responses. I see a lot of us have never heard of Movember. Movember is a men's health fundraising organization which challenges men every November to grow a mustache for a whole month. The company I worked for in 2011-2012 asked the men to participate and grow mustaches during the month of November. I was only at the company for one month of November - I was laid off the following July. I didn't participate and wanted nothing to do with it. I think it's a great cause, but there is no way I am growing out a mustache for a whole month.

http://us.movember.com/about

[Amari]

I'm a CD male, wear panties everyday and often more
I work as a professional in construction. I prefer a beard while working; between projects I'm clean shaven (takes foundation so much better !!!)
When beardless I only need to shave every second day unless an event requires an additional shave, or dressing...
I've never felt compelled to participate in Movember. Prefer to be able to make up my face whenever the opportunity arises
I do have a little trouble covering the blue beard area - still experimenting

[Danitgirl1]

1. Gender identity: trans* I like my male side, I like my female side. I express them both alternately.

2. I hate facial hair. I have never grown a beard or mustache of any sort. Did try sideburns twice, hated them both times.

3. Hated the way it felt

4. I have never participated in Movember?

5. I don't like the five o'clock shadow I think I do effectively cover it with makeup when I dress as a woman, but I know it is there and it bugs me!

CDers, genderqueers, gender fluid, or dual gender only

6. I am always clean shaven.The longest I may go without shaving is 24 to 48 hours and this is either because I am forced due to circumstances (traveling or whatever) or after a day of dressing and VERY close shaves, I like to give my face a break.

MTF TSes only

7. Did you ever have a phase where you actually liked your facial hair?
N/A

If you removed your facial hair through electrolysis or laser, then please answer how you felt about it when you used to have facial hair.
N/A

[AmandaM]

1. I am male, mostly.

2. I wish my facial hair was gone.

3. Growing it out, didn't like it. Felt weird.

4. No

5. It's very thick, and dark, so it's hard to cover.

6. I always shave.