Hair removal and psychological well-being in transfeminine adults: associations with gender dysphoria and gender euphoria.

Results of this study suggest that hair removal is associated with both decreased distress but also increased subjective well-being (e.g. higher positive affect). Though the construct of 'gender euphoria' has been introduced in previous publications, it has thus far not been rigorously defined or operationalized within health research. These results suggest that gender euphoria can be understood in terms of increased subjective well-being associated with gender affirmation, including gender-affirmative medical interventions. This study demonstrates a significant association between hair removal services and depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, situational body image dysphoria, positive affect, and negative affect in transfeminine adults. These findings cast significant doubt on the assertion that hair removal services for transfeminine people are 'cosmetic.'