A trans woman (a male to female transsexual) with the letters "XY" written on her palm
**Transsexual** people are people who change their appearance to more closely resemble that of the opposite sex. Transsexuals may be male or female. They typically take hormones and often undergo surgeries to support this process. They usually adopt a new name and may legally have their name changed. 

People who go from natural male features to artificial female features are often referred to as transsexualwomen. People who go from natural female features to artificial male features are often referred to as transsexualmen.

Ways to go from looking male to looking female
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Transsexualwomen take artificial female hormones. They may also take drugs that stop male hormones called androgens. Taking estrogen pills makes breasts grow. It does not make beards go away. It does not make voices higher. Transgenderwomen may remove their facial hair so it does not grow back. This takes a long time and hurts. Some transsexualwomen with low voices have surgery to raise their voices. Other transsexualwomen try to make their voice sound higher and more female without surgery. Some transsexualwomen also get surgery on their genitals. This is called a vaginoplasty. This is done by making a fake vagina from the skin of their penis, which is turned inside out. Some transsexualwomen also have surgery to make their faces look more feminine. Some also have surgery to make their breasts larger.

Ways to go from looking female to looking male
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Transsexual men take male hormones. This will make their voices lower. It will make a beard grow. It can also stop their menstruation. Some transsexualmen look like any other man after hormones. 

Some transsexualmen have surgery. One surgery is removal of breasts (mastectomy). Some transsexual 
men also get surgery on their genitals. One surgery is removal of the uterus and ovaries (hysterectomy). Some may also get surgery on their outside genitals. One way takes their skin and tissue and makes it into a fake penis (phalloplasty). Another way takes the clitoris (which grows bigger with hormones) and puts it where the fake penis usually is (metoidioplasty). The place where urine comes out (urethra) can be run through the new penis. The phalloplasty looks more like a penis. A metoidioplasty has more sexual function, but it is 5 or 6 centimeters long. Some ways also make a scrotum from the labia. They may also have the vagina taken out or closed.

Detransitioning
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Some people (called *detransitioners*) who have changed their looks decide this was a mistake and return to accepting themselves as members of the sex in which they are.
Some of the effects of surgery and hormones can be reversed but others are permanent.

Other websites
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* Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: Doctors who know about transsexual people.
* World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH): Doctors, lawyers, and therapists who know about transsexual people.
* Tom Waddell Clinic Archived 2007-03-15 at the Wayback Machine A clinic that helps transsexual people.
* Hormones for transsexual people Archived 2007-02-16 at the Wayback Machine: This helps doctors learn how to give hormones to transsexual people.