Talking to a young trans girl beginning her transition.

She's the kind of depressed girl who sees no chance of ever looking like a woman, and spends her time reading doomerist memes and whatnot.

I'm sure some of y'all know the type.

So I got to talking to her, and once I managed to wrench her out of the self-pitying rhetoric and actually get her to think about why she feels she "can't" transition, we went to like, practical stuff.

You know, not magical "oooooh I want to be a cis woman or have full passing" but rather "what can I change for things to work for me".

And we of course got to the subject of shaving. She was surprised (she's seen selfies of me) that I have very thick facial hair, it grows fast and much of it is very dark.

Apparently she thought facial hair is an insurmountable problem without laser or electro.

(and for the record, she describes me as a "regular looking older woman". She doesn't find me particularly clockable based on selfies)

She doesn't know disposable razors are shit, and that shaving with safety razors gets MUCH better results.

Which fair enough, a lot of trans girls do not know that.

But when I asked "OK, so what skincare routine do you have?", she had none.

We're talking a girl who instantly jumps mentally to the point where she's basically done with her transition, and starts despairing that that is impossible.

Younger trans girls, I'm begging you. Think about what is actually achievable and to be done RIGHT NOW.

I can guarantee you if you start taking care of your bodies the way cis women your age already do, you will be a fuckload more feminine.

I guarantee you that any good-looking woman who takes care of herself has some kind of facial skincare routine.

Cis women do not magically look feminine. Start from the basics before you start comparing yourself to cis supermodels.

*sigh*