A woman who spent six and a half years as a man has 'detransitioned' back to a woman — after having five breast reconstruction surgeries and spending $4,000 on laser hair removal.

Alia Ismail, 30, grew up as a woman but spent six and a half years taking testosterone once she decided to transition to a man. 

The barber, from Detroit, Michigan, initially transitioned to a man in May 2015 and underwent breast removal surgery.

She adopted the name Issa and quickly developed masculine features, including a beard, deeper voice, and muscle growth.  

However, in February 2021, after living as a man for three years, Alia realized she would be happier living as a woman once again.

Alia said: 'I started my breast reconstruction in January 2024, and I finished it December 30, 2024.

'I've finished laser hair removal, and I basically am done with my detransition, which I started in 2021.

'I feel like I can now just focus on my day-to-day and my life.'

She says her decision to detransition came from a mix of factors — including how she felt being perceived as male.

'I realized that I didn't like being perceived as male as I thought I would have,' she explained.

'I didn't want to take testosterone anymore, and I just couldn't foresee the rest of my life being a man, growing older as a man.'

Reflecting on her experience, Alia says much of her gender dysphoria stemmed from body dysmorphia rather than her actual gender identity.

'At the beginning of my transition, I felt really good,' she said.

'But as it progressed — when I gained more weight, grew more facial hair, became more masculine — it was a little overwhelming to me.'

Ultimately, Alia says she made the choice that felt right for her.

'I think I just realized I wanted to be a woman again. I wanted to present more feminine,' she said.

Alia has faced some criticism from the transgender community but says she wants to use her experience to help others struggling with their identity.

She said: 'I was always a very fluid child. I was a tomboy and then a hyper-feminine girl until 18. 

'After that, I was really masculine from 19 to 27, when I was living as a trans male.

'I'd actually gotten depressed after the fourth year and was really confused [about] why since I was very happy [at] the beginning of my transition.

'It wasn't until my six-year mark, of living as a man, that I knew I could detransition.

'The thought suddenly came to me out of the blue, and I was met with relief.

'I knew I needed to listen to myself.'

Alia said she had an 'epiphany' at the end of 2020 after realizing she didn't have to take hormones for the rest of her life.

'It's interesting thinking about my life and the fluidity of gender in these different stages,' she said.

'I feel I'm in the right place for myself now, at this moment in time.

'The biggest advice that I can give is truly listening to yourself, following your intuition and what's right for you.

'That should give you all the signs that you need.

'I want to help trans people to feel comfortable in their identity and be okay with questioning their identity.

'But just because hormones weren't the lifelong path for me doesn't mean they won't be for someone else.

'I want to help people on all sides of the conversation because I've been there.'

Alia detailed her breast reconstruction journey through liposuction and fat grafting on Reddit.

She revealed it took her months before she was able to look in the mirror and see 'Alia' again instead of 'Issa.'

Talking about her detransition story, Alia explained: 'I like to think that when people are transitioning medically it is all done in a sense to feel better in your body and feel attractive.

'At the end of the day we should all just really love our body and what we are in.

'It wasn't until about six months into my de-transition that I decided to use my birth name again. For a while I would look in the mirror and I would see Issa – that previous trans male identity.

'To be honest it took me a really long time to look at myself in the mirror and not see Issa anymore.'