A transgender man has taken the decision to 'de-transition' back to living as a female after realising she was 'happier before'.<br /><br />Alia Ismail, 27, grew up as female but decided to transition to become a man in May 2015.<br /><br />She started taking testosterone and even underwent breast removal surgery in 2016.<br /><br />Alia quickly grew a beard and went by the name of Issa.<br /><br />But after six years of identifying as male, Alia realised she would be 'far happier' living as a woman again and in January 2021 she decided to de-transition.<br /><br />She has since started dressing in feminine clothing again and has stopped taking testosterone. <br /><br />The 27-year-old has also undergone laser hair removal on her face and body to remove traces of her 'masculine' appearance. <br /><br />Despite some criticism from the transgender community, Alia says she just wants to raise awareness and use her voice to help others who might be struggling with their identity.<br /><br />Alia, a student barber, from Detroit, Michigan, US, said: ''I did not think I was going to be this feminine person again.<br /><br />''I was always a very fluid child. I was a tomboy and then a hyper-feminine girl until aged 18.<br /><br />''After that, I was really masculine from 19 to 27, when I was living as a trans male.<br /><br />''I'd actually gotten depressed after the fourth year and was really confused on why since I was very happy at the beginning of my transition.<br /><br />''It wasn't until my six-year mark, of living as a man, that I knew I could de-transition.<br /><br />''The thought suddenly came to me out of the blue, and I was met with relief.<br /><br />''I knew I needed to listen to myself.''<br /><br />Alia - who described herself as a 'tomboy' growing up - socialised with and dressed like other boys her age until the age of 12. <br /><br />She came out as transgender socially to friends and family at age 18 - and began her medical transition at the age of 21.<br /><br />She took testosterone for six years, until she was 27, and had breast removal, known as 'top surgery.<br /><br />The hormones drastically changed her appearance, helping to create more masculine features, such as a deeper voice, muscle, and hair growth, while also redistributing fat away from her hips and breasts.<br /><br />She explained: ''I looked male, there was no question.<br /><br />''Testosterone is such a powerful hormone.''<br /><br />After living happily as a man for three years, she became unhappy and suffered from long bouts of depression.<br /><br />She had an 'epiphany' at the end of 2020 after realising she didn't have to take hormones for the rest of her life.<br /><br />In February of 2021, after her revelation, Alia decided to de-transition back to living as a female.<br /><br />She explained: ''It's interesting thinking about my life and the fluidity of gender in these different stages.<br /><br />''I feel I'm in the right place for myself now, at this moment in time.<br /><br />''The biggest advice that I can give is truly listening to yourself, following your intuition, and what’s right for you.<br /><br />''That should give you all the signs that you need.<br /><br />''I want to help trans people to feel comfortable in their identity and be ok with questioning their identity.<br /><br />''But just because hormones weren't the lifelong path for me doesn't mean they won't be for someone else.<br /><br />''I want to help people on all sides of the conversation because I've been there.''
