[ad_1]
A transgender beautician who was once turned away from women’s salons has set up a travelling business to help other trans women as they embark on their transition journeys.
Jessica Hillis, from Upton, runs Obsidian Beauty, a mobile beauty salon covering Liverpool, Wirral and Chester, providing waxing, brow shaping, facials and spray tanning for transgender women in the privacy of their homes.
She said: “I have been in transition for six years now, and especially at the beginning I’d go to beauty salons and feel really uncomfortable, even approaching them, solely because I was trans. I’ve been to a few places that won’t even treat trans people, or they’ll string you out for ages and never book you in.
READ MORE: Castle Street Townhouse stripped of pavement licence after ‘final warning’
“I wanted to make sure there was a space where everyone can go and feel comfortable, especially people who are pre-surgery, who may feel dysphoria about their bodies.
She continued: “Being trans myself, I know the obstacles you deal with. My main focus is hair removal. As trans women we go through male puberty, and might be in a position with a lot of hair in places we don’t want. So that’s something I really want to help with.
“I’ve seen on Facebook many posts from trans women asking for beautician recommendations, and their main concern is to be safe and comfortable. It’s quite an intimate treatment and if they end up somewhere they feel uncomfortable, it can make dysphoria ten times worse.”
Jessica also hopes that she can provide advice and visibility to other trans women on their journey, something she wishes she’d had more of when she began her transition.
She said: “Looking back, if I saw someone who had been through transition themselves, I would have felt much better. When you start our your transition you’re scared of everything. You’re scared of going out in the street. You fear being judged. You think people are going to say things, laugh at you and point.
“We’re quite lucky in this area, because it’s a very accepting place. But, for example. I went to Pride in London and all we heard was people shouting abuse as we went down the street. I think elsewhere it can be more terrifying.”
As well as her mobile salon service, Jessica, 42, is setting up a free monthly beauty class for women who want to learn how to apply make-up properly.
She said: “I hope to give them confidence in being themselves and helping them to achieve their own goals. I may not be able to help with any other part of their transition, but finding your new look is a major part of it.”
Don’t miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the Echo Daily newsletter here
[ad_2]
Source link