Living as you truly are is a life-changing gift

July 29, 2026

Swedish Health Team

[6 min read]

In this article:

Providence Swedish's Transgender and Gender-Diverse Hair Treatment Program addresses a growing need for a service that is a vital support for the transgender and gender-diverse community.
The program's licensed professionals provide insurance-covered hair removal therapies through a pioneering program that is one of only a handful in Washington.
Providence Swedish’s LGBTQIA+ Program is able to offer this service with support from the our generous Swedish Foundation donors.
Read more to learn about the life-changing and life-saving work of this program.

“Having the chance to present and live as you truly are, it’s a life-changing gift,” says Casey DeCaire, a patient receiving gender-affirming care at the Providence Swedish First Hill Family Medicine Clinic.

Casey has gender dysphoria, and while she has always felt supported by her medical team, she once believed she would never be able to afford expensive hair removal treatments. For years, Casey struggled to accept that her reflection in the mirror might never reflect her feminine identity.

“I thought I would have to deal with facial hair for the rest of my life,” Casey says. “I had this mentality that I would never be able to lean into the femininity I was yearning for.”

Casey was not alone in this painful dilemma. Hair removal therapies like laser hair removal and electrolysis can be cost prohibitive and are usually not covered by insurance. This is especially difficult for members of the transgender and gender-diverse community who often face social barriers that affect their income.

To address this growing need, Providence Swedish launched its Transgender and Gender-Diverse Hair Treatment Program in 2024, which bills insurance directly for patients with Medicaid. Providence Swedish is the only provider in Seattle to accept Medicaid for laser hair removal and electrolysis and one of only a handful of providers in the state.

The Transgender and Gender-Diverse Hair Treatment Program has benefitted in the past from generous donors who helped the team purchase laser hair removal and electrolysis equipment. Additional philanthropy is needed to continue supporting the caregivers who provide these critical services.

A safe space with gender-affirming care

When Casey found out she qualified for hair removal services through Providence Swedish’s LGBTQIA+ Program, and that those services would be covered by insurance, she was euphoric.

“Being told that there was a solution to my gender dysphoria was like, hallelujah!” Casey says.

Casey has since had eight laser hair removal treatments, which removed about 70 percent of her facial hair, and she is now treating the rest with weekly electrolysis.

“I finally feel like I can relax and be myself,” she says.

Casey’s relief isn’t just a result of the change in her appearance; it’s also a reflection of the care she’s received at Providence Swedish. Casey says the gender-affirming care at First Hill Family Medicine has been life-changing. She even has a transgender patient navigator who calls her periodically just to check in and see if she needs anything.

Casey says even if she’d been able to afford hair removal at a medical spa, she would have been extremely nervous to have treatments in a non-medical setting where she might not feel accepted.

“It’s not always safe for me to express my feminine side when I’m out in the world,” Casey says. “But when I’m at the clinic, I’m treated like the woman I am. I can be myself and know that no one there is going to judge me.”

Providing life-changing care

The clinic’s mission to provide compassionate, equitable care is especially evident in its caregivers: licensed master esthetician and laser technician Janina Loos and electrologist Tracie Loo. (In photo above, Dr. Kevin Wang is in center. Loo and Loos are at right and left. )

Janina came to Providence Swedish in 2024 after working in a med spa as a licensed master esthetician.

“When I learned about the Providence Swedish LGBTQIA+ Program and its hair removal services, it felt like the perfect role for me,” Janina says. “As a queer person, my philosophy with beauty in general is about making people feel confident and comfortable in themselves.”

Janina says the most meaningful part of her job is seeing her patients’ reactions when their external appearance better matches their internal identity.

“It makes me so happy each time I see patients and their skin is looking clearer,” Janina says. “Their entire being changes. They become more open and bubbly. They carry themselves differently.”

Janina recalls one patient who was a full-time student living in a women’s shelter. The patient avoided looking in the mirror because, even though she shaved daily, her facial hair left a dark shadow on her fair skin that “made her want to vomit.” Since having laser hair removal, the patient’s confidence has soared.

“She told me, ‘I feel like I can get through the day now,’” Janina says. “She can look at her reflection without feeling depressed and has the courage to be out in the world pursuing her goals.”

Tracie also joined Providence Swedish when the program first began. She had supported her wife through gender transition and experienced the many challenges of receiving gender-affirming care.

“I was aware of the hoops people have to jump through to get even partial coverage of electrolysis, so being a part of a pioneering program that was accepting insurance was really exciting to me,” Tracie says.

In Washington state, electrolysis providers do not have to be licensed, and Tracie has seen many people receive excessive, harmful treatment. She prioritizes patient safety and education.

“I want patients to feel like we’re working together and that they have control and autonomy throughout the process,” Tracie says.

Tracie has seen patients like Casey transform from being nervous or scared to becoming more comfortable and open. She described one patient who had always dressed in black but arrived at the clinic one day dressed head to toe in rainbow clothing.

She told Tracie, “I finally feel like I can wear the pretty clothes I’ve been saving forever because I no longer need to hide my face. Now my face matches the person I want to be seen as.”

The need for hair removal programs

“Gender-affirming care is lifesaving care,” says Kevin Wang, M.D., medical director for Providence Swedish’s LGBTQIA+ Program.

Providence Swedish recognizes that gender-affirming interventions lead to significant improvements in mental health. Aligning physical appearance with gender identity reduces rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide — all of which affect gender-diverse individuals significantly more than the cisgender population.

That is why Providence Swedish’s LGBTQIA+ Program is increasing access to services like hair removal for transgender and gender diverse patients.

“Hair reduction services are important for our transgender and gender diverse communities to support them in their transition, especially for those who require it for gender-affirming surgeries,” Dr. Wang says. “Alternatives, such as shaving, bleaching, waxing, or use of depilatory creams are less convenient, complex, and not gender-affirming.”

The tremendous need for these services is evident in Janina and Tracie’s patient waitlists. However, as a relatively new program, the Transgender and Gender-Diverse Hair Treatment Program relies on philanthropic support to continue its crucial work and develop into a self-sustaining program.

“We hope to grow this program so we can accept private insurance and provide financial assistance in the future,” Dr. Wang says. “But in the meantime, we’re relying on the community to support this powerful work.”

Learn more and find a physician or advanced practice clinician (APC)

LGBTQIA+ Care at Swedish believes everyone deserves to live their healthiest lives possible. We use a holistic approach to improve access to comprehensive health care that connects patients directly with experienced care teams and resources. Whether you require an in-person visit or want to consult a doctor virtually, you have options. Contact Swedish Primary Care to schedule an appointment with a primary care physician. You can also connect virtually with your doctor to review your symptoms, provide instruction and follow up as needed. And with Swedish ExpressCare Virtual, you can receive treatment in minutes for common conditions such as colds, flu, urinary tract infections and more. You can use our provider directory to find a specialist or primary care physician near you.

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