What Is Facial Feminization Surgery?

Facial feminization surgery is a type of transgender cosmetic surgery. Its purpose is to change the patient’s masculine facial features and make them appear more feminine through a variety of procedures.When many people think of transgender surgery, they most often think of those procedures that are done on the body to change the genitals and chest area. But making changes to your facial features is important too.

First impressions are usually based on a person’s face. When you meet someone new, it’s your face that a person will see before all else. Facial feminization is a vitally important transgender surgery, as it helps patients appear externally as they feel themselves to be internally. How Are Male And Female Faces Different?There are several marked differences between the male and female face. For example, women tend to have chins that are more pointed than men. Women’s noses also appear to be less prominent than the noses of most men.Another difference can be found in the brow area and middle of the forehead. Because the shape of a person’s skull is unique to their gender, the forehead area is often more pronounced in men. Skull shape also affects the appearance of a person’s cheekbones and jaw. Women tend to have higher cheekbones while men have stronger and more prominent jaw lines. Fortunately, these differences can be addressed through transgender cosmetic surgery. ‍

Facial Feminization Procedures

‍Facial feminization surgery isn’t one simple stand-alone transgender surgery. In fact, it’s a combination of surgical techniques. An experienced plastic surgeon will consult with the patient and recommend specific, personalized procedures that help the patient achieve the desired results. The following are some of the techniques your surgeon may recommend:

• Forehead Contouring: In this procedure, the surgeon shortens the forehead, removes excess bone from the brow line, elevates the eyebrows, and rounds out the hairline.
• Rhinoplasty: This is also known as a “nose job.” When used to feminize the face, this procedure usually involves narrowing the bridge of the nose and removing any unsightly humps.
• Cheek Augmentation: Cheek augmentation is used to make the cheekbones appear more prominent and refined. This look can be achieved through fat grafting, bone grafting, and implants.
• Chin Surgery: In this procedure, slivers of bone are removed to reduce the size of the chin. The chin is also contoured to make it appear softer and more feminine.
• Mandible Reduction & Contouring: This is a technique used to soften the masculine and angular appearance of the jaw line by removing excess bone.
• Lip Augmentation: Women generally have lips that are much fuller than men’s lips, which is why lip augmentation is a popular transgender surgery. Fuller, plumper lips are often achieved through injections into the lip area.
• Adam’s Apple Reduction: The technical name for this procedure is “thyroid cartilage reduction”. The surgeon creates a more feminine neckline by shaving down some of the tracheal cartilage.

Facial feminization surgery can encompass several different techniques. Consult with your local plastic surgeon to determine which of these procedures can be used to create the face you’ve always dreamed of having.