Élan Laser Clinics Group director of aesthetic services Lisa Mason-Poyner chats to us about the NHS-funded epilation services they provide to those undergoing gender-affirming surgery (GAS).
Hair removal is an important part of the gender reassignment journey. While hormone replacement therapy can impact hair growth, some people still need or want treatment to reduce or permanently remove their body hair. Whether it is facial hair or body hair, for many transgender patients, unwanted hair can reduce their quality of life and removing it plays a vital part in how they see themselves, both before and after any surgery.
In a bid to better support this patient group, the NHS offers funded epilation services to individuals prior to gender reassignment surgery and as referred by a Gender Dysphoria Clinic. Élan Laser Clinics Group recently announced that it will provide these funded treatments before phalloplasty and vaginoplasty surgery, as well as facial hair removal before treatment.
Élan Laser Clinics Group was set up to provide patients with affordable luxury without compromising on customer experience, efficacy and safety. Director of Aesthetic Services Lisa Mason-Poyner says, “The Élan Laser Clinics Group team is extremely proud to have been awarded an NHS contract to provide epilation services to individuals prior to gender reassignment surgery and as referred by a Gender Dysphoria Clinic.
“As a group, we are committed to being a leading light for clinic safety and service standards in the industry as well as providing a safe and inclusive environment for our patients to be unapologetically themselves and for them to feel comfortable, safe and supported on their individual journeys. We encourage our industry colleagues to embrace the transgender community and look at ways in which they can be actively and positively supported in clinic.”
What does the contract involve?
As part of the funding, Élan Laser Clinics is able to offer epilation services across its group portfolio, including Portman Square (London), Leeds, Liverpool, Beaconsfield and Hale Barns, and are based on the Service Specification and arrangements set by the Programme Board for Gender Dysphoria Services. As Lisa explains, “Once they get referred from either their surgical provider or the Gender Dysphoria Clinic, they get sent a link, and they can choose who they want to go to. We just appear on a list of various people they could use. The feedback is that they really like coming to us because we’ve trained the staff on trans awareness, making sure they don’t misgender people, and being sensitive to their journey. They feel very comfortable coming to us.”
As part of the funding, patients who are transitioning from male to female and female to male, many of whom are also going ahead with gender reassignment surgery, are entitled to facial hair removal.
“They either get eight laser hair removal sessions or the equivalent in
electrolysis”, explains Lisa. “You have to offer both as part of the NHS contract. They can have a mixture of laser and electrolysis depending on the colour of their hair. They’re funded for the consultation and test patch as well. If they need additional treatments, they do have to fund that themselves, but we always make sure that we let them know that at the consultation. This is a journey, especially with facial hair. Usually, it is an ongoing journey. But even if you get a reduction in the thickness that doesn’t cause irritation or ingrowing hairs, it can be life-changing.”
In addition, there is also funding for the donor site. “If they’re going ahead with the vaginoplasty or phalloplasty surgery, then the NHS will fund infinite treatments for the donor site until the hair’s gone”, explains Lisa.
“If they are transitioning to a male gender, then they have to create a penis and scrotum from a donor site of skin. For vaginoplasty surgery, they create a tube for the vagina. In both cases, they also use a donor site to create the urethra for the patient to be able to pass urine. That skin is internal after the operation, and if there is any hair on it, as you can imagine, it is prone to UTIs and infections. So the NHS funds it until the hair is to a point where the surgeon agrees that there’s a 70% reduction, so they can proceed with surgery.”
Max power
The clinic group uses the Candela GentleMax Pro in all its clinics. The device includes both a 755nm Alexandrite laser and a 1064nm ND YAG laser for effective hair removal and skin treatments. With a spot size range of 20/22/24mm, this laser is fast and efficient, while Zimmer Cryo 6 cooling compatibility provides maximum comfort and safety.
They also do electrolysis but will try and remove as much hair as possible with laser first. “The therapists only do electrolysis in short blocks because, obviously, it’s very detailed work. It’s not something that you can do for hours and hours. We prefer to try and do it with laser first, try and get as many dark hairs as possible and then move to the electrolysis. We have worked out our protocols so we can get really good results, but some people just aren’t suitable, and then they’ll just have to have electrolysis. But we just have to manage their expectations. If it’s very fine, vellus-type hair, you’re not going to be 100% hair-free. But then nobody is.”
Gender Dysphoria training
The group is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all patients. All practitioners and skincare professionals are highly skilled, with several years of in-clinic experience, and the group’s internal Medical Standards Committee work to a clear Term of Reference to ensure that exceptional standards of care are met at all times.
As well as being due to commence autism awareness training in its clinics, Élan therapists are all MASCED (Melanoma And Skin Cancer Early Detection) trained - to equip them with nondiagnostic skin surveillance skills to help in the fight against skin cancer).
When it comes to gender reassignment, all practitioners within the group have received Gender Dysphoria training, which Lisa developed herself, to ensure that all individuals are treated with the utmost respect and that correct terminology and pronouns are used at all times to ensure patients have the very best experience possible as they navigate their own personal journey.
“Ever since we set up the clinic group, we wanted to be very inclusive”, says Lisa. “We wanted the staff to have training on being inclusive with all different types of genders and to just elevate them in the industry. Not just technically with the treatments they do, but with their knowledge, which is why we do autism awareness training with them, transgender training with them, and skin cancer awareness training, just to elevate them.
“I tell the therapists when we are training that, by the time these patients come to you, this is nearing the end of their journey for many of them, because they’re just about to go ahead with their surgery, but they might have been living like this for years and it psychologically really affects them.”
