I’m a 37-year-old trans woman, and I want to share something deeply personal about my transition journey—specifically about how I found someone who made one of the most challenging aspects of transition feel not just bearable, but actually healing.
The Search for the Right Place
When I first started looking for hair removal services, I had no idea how difficult it would be to find the right fit. I tried a few places before finding Laura at Ribble Valley Electrolysis and Laser, and honestly, those early experiences nearly put me off entirely. There was one salon in Manchester where the receptionist looked me up and down with barely concealed confusion. Another place quoted me prices that would have cost more than a car by the time I’d finished. And don’t get me started on the beautician who spent our entire consultation repeatedly asking invasive questions about my “situation” whilst making it clear she’d never worked with “someone like me” before.
These experiences left me feeling exposed and unwelcome. The typical salon environment—all mirrors and bright lights and immaculate aestheticians who seemed to glide rather than walk—made me hyperaware of every feature I was trying to change. I’d leave feeling worse about myself than when I arrived, which rather defeated the purpose. It’s not easy turning up for electrolysis with a face full of facial hair.
Finding Laura
I found Laura’s practice almost by accident. A friend from a support group mentioned her in passing, and I was initially hesitant. Clitheroe felt like a trek from where I lived, but something about the way my friend described the experience made me think it might be worth the journey.
The first thing I noticed was how different her little space felt. Located away from the busy high street, Laura’s premises in Clitheroe offered something I hadn’t realised I desperately needed—discretion without shame. She works from home in a custom beauty room, and is was simply private and peaceful. No floor-to-ceiling windows facing the street, no parade of people in the waiting area watching you come and go, and it felt like my money was actually just going towards paying for the treatment rather than paying for a greedy landlord.
The First Appointment
I was terrified before my first appointment. I’d been living as myself for a few months but still sometimes wore my old “boy clothes” when I felt unsafe or just couldn’t face the world. I’d agonised over what to wear to the appointment, eventually settling on jeans and a hoodie—firmly in androgynous territory.
Laura greeted me at the door with such natural warmth that I immediately felt my shoulders drop from where they’d been hunched up around my ears. She didn’t stare at my face trying to work out “what I was.” She didn’t launch into overly enthusiastic pronouncements about how “brave” I was. She simply asked me how I was finding the weather (terrible, it was February) and whether I’d found the place alright.
When we sat down to discuss treatment, she was remarkably matter-of-fact. She explained that she used the AW3 system—top-of-the-range equipment that she’d specifically chosen for its versatility and comfort features. The advanced cooling technology would make the sessions more bearable, she said, and its sophisticated settings meant she could calibrate it precisely for my skin and hair type. She talked about the technical aspects with obvious expertise but without condescension, checking I understood without making me feel ignorant.
The Reality of Treatment
I won’t lie and say hair removal is pleasant—it’s not. But Laura made it bearable in ways I hadn’t expected. She was sensitive to the fact that having someone so close to my face for extended periods triggered anxiety. She learned when I needed breaks without me having to ask. She never made me feel rushed or like I was being difficult when I needed a moment.
Over the hundreds of hours we’ve spent together—both electrolysis and laser—we’ve talked about everything and nothing. Sometimes about trans stuff, when I needed to process something with someone who understood. Sometimes about her garden, or my work, or absolutely terrible reality TV shows we both secretly loved. She had this gift for knowing when I needed distraction and when I needed to work through something.
The Transformation
The physical transformation has been extraordinary. I genuinely believe that hair removal has been the single most important thing I’ve done for my transition. More than hormones, more than changing my wardrobe, more than voice training—though all those things matter too. But there’s something about looking in the mirror and not seeing shadow, about running my hand over smooth skin, about not having to cake on concealer every morning, that has fundamentally changed how I move through the world.
I remember the first time I went out without checking my face in every reflective surface I passed. The first time someone complimented my skin. The first time I woke up next to my partner and didn’t immediately rush to the bathroom to check how visible my stubble was. These might seem like small things, but they’re not. They’re freedom.
Why Laura Is Different
What makes Laura special isn’t just that she’s transgender-affirming—though she absolutely is. It’s that she understands the weight of what this means for us. She knows that we’re not just removing hair; we’re removing a barrier to being ourselves. She treats that with the respect it deserves without making it weird or overly serious.
She never batted an eye when I showed up in boy mode during a particularly difficult week. She celebrated with me when I excitedly told her about the first time I’d been gendered correctly by a stranger. She held space for my frustration when progress felt slow, reminding me that these things take time whilst acknowledging that waiting is hard when you’re desperate to see yourself in the mirror.
The prices have been refreshingly reasonable too. I’d gotten quotes from other places that made me feel sick—amounts that would have meant choosing between transition and financial stability. Laura’s pricing meant I could actually complete my treatment properly rather than having to space sessions so far apart that progress would be minimal, or giving up entirely when money got tight.
The Technical Stuff That Matters
I mentioned the AW3 system earlier, and I think it’s worth elaborating on why this matters. Before Laura, I’d had a few sessions with someone using older equipment, and the difference is night and day. The AW3’s cooling system means the discomfort is manageable—it’s still not fun, but it’s the difference between gritting your teeth and genuinely needing to stop. The precision means fewer sessions overall, and its ability to work effectively on different hair and skin types has been crucial as my skin has changed with hormones.
Laura really knows her equipment too. She’s not just pressing buttons and hoping for the best; she understands the science behind what she’s doing and adjusts her approach based on how my skin and hair have responded over time.
More Than Just Hair Removal
I’ve been seeing Laura for over two years now. In that time, she’s become more than just my technician—she’s been a constant in my transition, a witness to my transformation, and honestly, someone I consider a friend. That might sound odd to people who haven’t been through this, but when someone sees you at your most vulnerable, when they’re literally helping you reshape yourself into who you need to be, the relationship transcends the typical client-practitioner dynamic.
She’s seen me through the excitement of early transition, the frustration of slow progress, the joy of breakthrough moments, and the occasional despair when dysphoria hit particularly hard. Through it all, she’s been steady, professional, kind, and remarkably good at her job.
If You’re Considering It
If you’re reading this and thinking about hair removal—whether you’re trans, questioning, or just someone who wants hair removal in a genuinely welcoming environment—I can’t recommend Laura highly enough. The journey from where I started to where I am now feels almost miraculous. My skin is clear and smooth. I don’t panic about shadow showing through makeup. I don’t avoid certain lighting or angles. I just… exist, as myself, without that particular weight on my shoulders.
The location in Clitheroe might not be the most central, but honestly, that’s part of what makes it perfect. It’s easy to get to, parking is simple, and you’re not going to bump into your colleague from work in the waiting room. The space feels safe in a way that’s hard to articulate but immediately recognisable when you experience it.
Laura treats all her clients with dignity and respect, but for those of us in the trans community, she offers something invaluable: recognition without performance. You don’t have to prove your transness, explain your journey, or educate anyone about what it means to be trans. You can just be yourself, at whatever stage of transition you’re in, wearing whatever makes you comfortable that day, and receive excellent treatment from someone who genuinely gets it.
Final Thoughts
I started this wanting to share my experience because I remember how desperately I searched for recommendations when I was starting out. I wanted to find someone who wouldn’t make me feel like a curiosity or a burden. Someone who had proper equipment and knew how to use it. Someone whose prices wouldn’t force me to choose between transition and paying rent. Someone who would treat me like a human being deserving of care and respect.
Laura at Ribble Valley Electrolysis and Laser is all of those things and more. The hundreds of hours I’ve spent in her treatment room have been transformative in ways that go far beyond the physical. Yes, being hair-free has changed my life—I stand by that completely. But having someone like Laura to go through that process with has made all the difference in how I’ve experienced this part of my transition.
If you’re looking for someone who combines technical excellence with genuine human compassion, who has invested in the best equipment and knows how to use it, who charges fair prices for excellent service, and who will meet you wherever you are in your journey with nothing but respect and professionalism, then honestly, just book a consultation with Laura. That first appointment might just be the beginning of something transformative.
