Beauty, Care Work, and Ageing in the Life Experiences of Transwomen in the Colombian Insular Caribbean

This paper explores the impact of emotional labour on the ageing process of transwomen working in beauty-related professions, such as hairdressing and home care, in the Colombian Insular Caribbean. Specifically, it examines their life experiences and generational perspectives to understand how they feel and cope within their close affective circles. It is based on ethnographic research involving intimate exchanges and interviews in beauty salons and homes. The analysis builds on existing feminist perspectives on care work and beauty, arguing that familial and love bonds serve as complex and ambivalent supports in the personal and professional journeys of transwomen and their claim for dignity. These interpersonal relationships are vital resources for transwomen, encompassing both support and fragility amid hostile environments as they seek safe spaces. As a result, the beauty care work of transwomen becomes an arena where their emotions are inconsistently displayed. This research contributes to the study of social bonds in Latin America and the Caribbean by emphasising the role of emotional attachments in communal forms of care and contesting the literature’s understanding of the internalisation of violence or institutional supports.

Keywords: beauty, care work, transwomen, ageing, emotions, Colombian Insular Caribbean.