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The London Gender Clinic 3rd Floor, 25 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8GL Contact: Dr Richard Curtis Tel: 020 7631 3164 NEW NUMBER Email: enquiries@transhealth.co.uk In response to many requests we have created a page called "What to expect when you approach your GP"

Dr Richard Curtis has taken over the London Institute practice, specialising in gender dysphoria, from Dr Russell Reid on 9th February 2006, following Dr Reid’s retirement.

Richard is a dynamic individual who has enjoyed considerable success in his 39 years. Not least his own transition from female GP to male, in 2005, amongst much publicity. When I first met Richard I did not realise that he had started life as a girl and I am pretty savvy normally to the clues that give Trans people away.

Richard brings a wealth of personal experience to his chosen profession, which gives him a unique understanding of the trans person’s situation. He qualified in 1991 from St. Bartholomew's Medical College, London and undertook a variety of hospital posts before becoming a General Practitioner in 1995.

This was followed by three years working in the pharmaceutical industry to 2003, after which he returned to general practice and early in 2005 met with Dr Russell Reid. Richard expressed an interest in Russell’s work and started to sit in on clinics in the autumn and at the end of the year began to take on new patients at Earls Court.

Richard is very keen to develop his own style of professional service with the aim to provide a ‘one stop’ facility, where patients can be assessed and diagnosed, given referrals, prescribed and dispensed with medication, given follow up and health checks, obtain counselling and hair removal treatment. Future services will include speech therapy and image consultancy. Whilst the main practice will be in London, Richard will continue his Manchester clinic once a month.

As an individual, Richard is hugely enthusiastic about life, has a vigorous energy and an engaging personality and smile. He is very sociable with his main interests lying in sport and music. He has competed extensively in sailing nationally and attended the World laser II event in 1981, where he came 9th out of 120. No mean feat. Richard will bring high professional standards to the Practice and takes the Harry Benjamin Guidelines seriously; although, he points out that these are guidelines only. Richard will be a worthy successor to Russell in providing new patients with the professional guidance they seek and existing patients with ongoing treatment.

Transhealth Services

Painless Electrolysis from Transhealth

Everyone knows that typically electrolysis is an eye watering painful procedure. The mouth area in particular is very sensitive.

At the London Gender Clinic, Dr Curtis offers a pain free experience. Local anaesthetic is used to numb the skin where necessary. Historically, local anaesthetic creams have been used but these take a long time to work, are inconvenient and do not give reliable anaesthesia.

Dr Curtis is able to inject local anaesthetic which works immediately, lasts up to three hours depending on the individual and is extremely likely to produce a pain free area. It is the same anaesthetic as that used in dental injections and the technique is similar. A very small needle is used and there is only brief discomfort during the injection process. The whole beard area can be anaesthetised in this way.

Not only does this provide a real advance in the comfort of treatment but has two further benefits.

1. The electrolysist can work quicker thereby reducing the total number of hours to treat an area. The minimum number of hours per treatment to make this feasible is two hours.

2. Extended sessions lasting two to seven hours are possible.

The further benefits of prolonged treatment sessions are:
a) It is more cost effective with fewer trips to the therapist
b) It is more time effective due to the above
c) The treated area will be hair free in a shorter space of time
d) Fewer days are needed to grow the requisite stubble

The London Gender Clinic is unique in being able to offer electrolysis in this way.

Because the area undergoes extensive treatment, there will be some swelling for twenty four to forty eight hours afterwards. This can be reduced with ointment available from the clinic.

All electrolysis has an inherent risk of scarring. It is possible that the extended method of treatment may increase this risk in susceptible individuals. Whilst every effort is made to minimise this by the experienced electrolysist, this type of treatment may not be suitable for those who have ‘sensitive’ or scar prone skin.

In keeping with the philosophy of a one stop trans shop, Transhealth also offers the latest in IPL hair treatment and waxing, thus providing continuity of treatment by the same therapist in a trans specific environment.

Further information about the clinic and its other services can be obtained by either telephoning 0207 631 3164 or visiting www.transhealth.co.uk

* Light based treatments are not suitable for everyone. Electrolysis is the only proven method of permanent hair removal. Furthermore, this is regardless of hair colour.

For more details and information about services provided and booking, please see www.transhealth.co.uk