Hello, my name is Valerie; at least, that's what I'm fighting for it to be.

I am currently in the middle of transitioning to a woman. I have always been uncomfortable living life as a man, and it has always been my dream to mold this wretched body of mine into one I can be comfortable in. I have been on HRT for over 5 months now, and I have been attempting to present as more feminine ever since. However, there is one large obstacle standing in my way. One that has been the biggest cause of dysphoria in my life. The one thing keeping me from presenting as female in my everyday life:

My facial hair.

I have very thick, dark hair. So much so that I have permanent 5 o' clock shadow on my face, even after a clean shave. I have a condition that produces three, sometimes even four hair follicles in a single pore, which is not only unsightly, but is also very uncomfortable and is actually painful when it grows. Sometimes the hairs can't even leave the pore due to crowding, so it ends up getting impacted, causing painful ingrown hairs that need to be plucked/squeezed out. I'm sorry to put that picture in your head, but this is my daily life.

I recently spoke to a professional about laser hair removal on my face. This would not only greatly improve my image of myself, but also my facial health. Currently, the estimated cost for all of the sessions combined is about $3,500. Fortunately, I have been saving up slowly to try and afford this, but even after months of saving, I can only barely afford to pay for my first visit, which is $450. That leaves a grand total of $3,150 left.

I am unable to pay for the full procedure, and I have no idea how I will be able to afford it. I am already working a steady job, but between house payments, insurance payments, and medical + electrical bills, I am barely able to break even each month. I am thankful that I've been able to make my payments on time, but there's no way that I'm going to be able to raise this kind of money without outside help.

I really, really don't like asking for money, but if you feel like helping me get closer to my goal, I would really appreciate it. I am embarrassed to show my face in its current state, and have been fighting dysphoria-induced depression over it for a very long time. However, with everything at stake to finally be over with this nightmare, and to show you what I have to deal with, I have included some pictures of my face (reminder: every photo taken was after a clean shave). With your help, I can be not only fine with showing my face, but excited to even.

This is all I've ever wanted. Please. I can't do this by myself.

Thank you.