Livre d'Or

Hair dye: my girlfriend & my metamour both speak very, very highly of Directions, and I can probably get them to summarise bleaching+dying for me to pass on to you if you like. (Or I could just point them at this post!)

Menstrual cups: YES YES YES I started using one in... 2006? 2007? and have NEVER LOOKED BACK. I have a Mooncup - the same one I've had all along, which I consider an excellent use of twenty quid - and I adore it; it reduces my dysphoria, makes my periods much less messy and unpleasant, I genuinely don't notice it when it's in, it's so much more convenient for travelling with[1], and I no longer get my thighs sawed to pieces by pads. (I never even tried to get the hang of tampons.) It did take me a couple of cycles to get used to getting it into place, but basically I adore it forever and will go on about it at great length and am very happy to answer more detailed/personal questions, and with That Professional Hat On, you're absolutely fine to use a menstrual cup with a coil provided (1) it's not within the first three months of fitting [if you're being super-careful - I resumed using my cup within a month of fitting and had no problems], (2) you make sure to release the vacuum when removing (which you'll want to do anyway because the alternative is painful; it's very simply a matter of sticking a finger up the side of the cup and squishing gently).

[1] To expand on this, I find it vastly more convenient to just have a small lump of silicone that can fold up in my general toiletries bag than to worry about how many pads of which types I need to carry with me, and I also find it enormously less hassle to clean/empty/replace than changing pads. Basically, I have travelled across 3 continents with this thing and am never. giving. it up. (Short of developing vaginismus or vulvodynia, which do not seem hugely likely for me.)

ETA several things!

(1) I am super-aware that cups do not work for many people for a wide variety of reasons, and I absolutely do not intend to give the impression that that's not the case (and realise I kind of did: sorry). To give this response some more context, I have severe endometriosis including extensive nodules in my rectovaginal septum and significant abdominal pain; I'm also trans. I am not this enthusiastic about cups unless it is solicited, because See Above re knowing they're not for everybody, but apologies about not making that clearer in the first instance.

(2) menstrual_cups and sizecharts are both excellent resources - the former for general discussion and the latter as comparison charts of (I'm pretty sure) all readily-available cups on the market. M_C is not always brilliant at gender/inclusivity/intersectionality, but I know and trust the mod there, and they are trying super-hard and *will* address things for you (or you could just get me to wade in bolshily on your behalf, if it comes to that, this offer goes for people in general not just liv).

(3) ... I think that's it for this edit.