Who is Alia Ismail? Michigan trans-man, 26, has DETRANSITIONED to her birth gender
Alia Ismail, a female barber, was born in Detroit, Michigan. She came out as transgender at the age of 19 and began the physical process of transitioning to a male, beginning with testosterone. She has now declared that she is 'de-transitioning' back to female six years after starting testosterone and having her breasts surgically removed at the age of 26. Alia is now sharing her story on social media in the hopes of assisting those who are confused about transitioning or suffering from gender identification.
Alia stated she was "always very flexible" as a child, but that she lived as a "tom boy" until she was 12 years old. During her adolescence, however, she became 'hyper-feminine,' adopting all of the conventional activities associated with young women, such as 'dating boys' and 'wearing makeup.' At the age of 19, Alia began to struggle with her gender identification and she chose to come out to her family as transgender before beginning the process of transitioning to a man. She had even changed her name to Issa Ismail.
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Alia began her physical transition with testosterone therapy, commonly known as T-therapy, in which a person takes testosterone to help them take on a more male appearance while simultaneously ending their menstrual cycle. Alia took testosterone for six years, but after three or four years, she began to experience depression.
After taking the hormones, she noticed a significant change in her looks, including a deeper voice, facial hair development, and muscular growth, as well as fat shifting away from her hips and breasts. In 2016, she underwent top surgery to remove her breasts, but later on, she began to struggle with depression and realized she wasn't happy living as a male. So, in February 2021, she made the decision to 'de-transition' back to her female identity and cease taking testosterone.
"After the third or fourth year mark, that was when the feelings of depression were getting really bad for me," during a recent interview with Real Fix, she states, "I kind of had this epiphany - I don't have to be on hormones for the rest of my life." Alia confessed that she had 'never expected' to appear like a woman again but she is pleased with the results. "It was like a shock to me, but the next feeling that I had was a feeling of relief. That's when I knew I had to listen to myself." She clarified, "I definitely did not think that I was going to be this feminine person you see before you."