Scope of dermatological practice among transgenders seeking cosmetic advice

Transgender women are persons who are assigned male at birth, but who identify themselves as women. They aspire to display female characteristics both in appearance and attitude. Transgender women try to exhibit their female sexuality through the extensive usage of cosmetological interventions such as epilation of facial hair, control of acne, whitening treatments and excessive usage of makeup on face as the face serves as the part of body that helps to project their sexual characteristics. The prolonged and inappropriate usage of such interventions can lead to complications for which these group of individuals seek Dermatologic advice. Due to the rampant usage of steroid containing creams by our population in general and transgender community in particular as a means to overcome body dysmorphia, dermatologists have the responsibility to give proper advice regarding the complications following any cosmetological interventions. We report three transgender females who came to the OPD with skin thinning, acne, hypertrichosis and telangiectasia following the usage of topical steroid containing facial whitening creams.