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The following terms are used to denote a perceived style of gendered hair. Trans Masculine is transitioning to a more "masculine" appearance and Trans Feminine to a more "feminine" appearance.

• Many parents tend to be really hesitant to allow their kids to cut their hair short or grow it out long.

  • First of all, it is your body, not theirs, so their concerns are quite unfounded. You can deal with the consequences of ruining your appearance. Parents cannot always shelter their child from hardship; a child is bound to experience a horrific haircut in their lifetime. Allow them to learn their lesson for themselves. It is perfectly fine to voice concerns, but it is severely unwise to inhibit them from pursuing their desired hair. That can lead to them behaving on impulse, rebelling, and approaching subversive means to implement their goals.

    • I’ve met kids who were more than ready to have me cut their hair for them without permission from their parents because they were so distressed by the fact that they had their hair the way it was. The sheer elation that I’ve seen these kids have once they’ve had their hair cut is unmatched. I’ve seen kids who only looked down and hid themselves blossom into happy, confident individuals when they were allowed to express themselves.

  • Second of all, it’s just hair. It grows back. Big whoop.

  • Third of all, there is a generational difference in perceptions about physical expression. While older generations find a lot of weight behind altering one’s physical appearance, our generation doesn’t carry nearly the same value towards one’s existence. Such is seen with tattoos! Tattoos used to be thought as this intense, unprofessional commitment, but our generation just sees it as putting cool art on our bodies. Piercings used to be seen as unprofessional and spooky as well, but our generation has a way more lax attitude towards it. Engaging in shocking alterations of our appearance is far more common and not nearly as severe as it may have been a generation ago.

    • Often, trans folk will experiment with their hair, tattoos, piercings, and fashion in pretty variable and extravagant manners. This is one way that people explore their identity, figuring out what they want to look like and what suits them. Also, it’s often symbolic. After all, many trans kids cannot get surgery, start hormones, or pursue legal changes, so they settle for the next best thing that they do have control over that they can alter.

  • That said, let your kid experiment with their hair! Let hair dye and random stylings and such reign free. Hair is temporary, if you allow your kid to make any decision, allow them to make this one.