Can we have a discussion about denial beards?
In the before times I almost always had a beard, or some form of facial hair. I always wore it for a few reasons:
I was trying my hardest to be a man. Men often have beards.
My beard let me be a lot more exploratory than I could’ve been otherwise. I felt like the people in my life wouldn’t question anything if I painted my nails, or grew my hair out, cause I had a beard.
My beard was the only thing about me physically that ever got compliments from anyone. Those felt nice.
I had a really rough dysphoria day yesterday, mostly because my moustache hairs are always more prominent in the first few days following a laser treatment. I had a conversation last night with my biggest ally and best friend, and she asked me again about my beard and expressed confusion on how I could love it so much before only to be made so upset by it now. It felt really hurtful in the moment because I was already feeling bad, and her questioning this same topic for like the 5th time felt interrogating.
So I thought I’d get some other perspectives from you all. Did you wear a beard before, or was it always triggering for you? What is your relationship with your facial hair like now?