Why electrolysis?
The initial seed of Electrolysis by Siobhan grew out of conversations I was having with trans friends and organisers, around barriers to trans healthcare. Hair removal quickly became a focus because we were seeing lots of personal fundraisers, requests for solidarity grants etc, for hair removal, and hearing too many stories of trans people having unpleasant experiences with electrologists who didn’t have a focus on trans clients. Of all the projects we discussed, we felt that a hair removal service offered by a transfeminine provider, with tiered pricing to improve financial access for trans people, would have the most impact.
I decided to offer hair removal by electrolysis because it’s the most accessible treatment (electrolysis is suitable for all hair types and colours) and the most permanent. So after lots of effort from friends and local communities, and a variety of fundraising projects and donations of equipment, the clinic space was set up and I completed my electrolysis training at the Edinburgh School of Beauty at the end of 2017.
Barriers to electrolysis
As I mentioned above, we identified two main barriers to electrolysis for trans people.
The first was expense. So tiered pricing allows the clients who can afford to pay full price, to contribute towards subsidising treatments for trans clients who need it.
The second was about the experiences of trans people accessing hair removal. Too many trans people report disappointing, disempowering and traumatic experiences when trying to access hair removal. From providers misgendering clients, to refusing to treat trans clients altogether.
I hope that as a transfem person who has personal experience of accessing different forms of hair removal from a variety of providers, I can offer a space that feels safer, more respectful and more comfortable to discuss and access hair removal!