Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) involves multiple plastic surgery procedures that are done with the goal of softening masculinized facial features and making them appear more feminine. This treatment is targeted towards patients who want a more feminine appearance and focuses on both surgical and non-surgical changes that can help in softening masculine facial features. Today’s blog will take a deep dive into each procedure that is a part of the Facial Feminization Surgery and how these procedures can make a drastic difference in one’s appearance.
📍 But before we break down all the different procedures of the Facial Feminization Surgery, please check out our detailed blog that focuses on the pros, cons, and recovery of the Facial Feminization Surgery.
Brow and Lid Lift
A lifted brow and eyelid are considered more feminine, which is why the brow and eyelid lift procedures are also part of the Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS). These procedures help with facial balancing. At times, the forehead of some patients sits higher, which can make the upper face look heavy and masculine. In this case, a coronal brow lift can help elevate the brows, and the incision for it is made behind the hairline to keep it discreet.
To bring some lift and softness to the eyes, the eyelid lift can help open up the eyes and make the lids look tight and smooth. To add to that, the surgeon will make an incision in the eyelid crease to ensure that the scar isn’t as visible.
Rhinoplasty
The rhinoplasty procedure also makes a big difference as part of the Facial Feminization Surgery. The goal of the nose reshaping surgery is to restructure the nose and make it smaller, narrower, and more feminine. Men’s nose bridges are typically higher than women’s, their tips lack definition, and their nostrils are wider. As part of FFS, the rhinoplasty surgery helps reduce the height of the nose bridge, making the nostrils smaller, and reshaping the nasal tip to add definition to it.
Lip Lift
Compared to women, men often have a much bigger gap between their nose and upper lip. In fact, advancing age can also increase this gap. In this case, a lip lift can help feminize this area. It reduces some of this distance and also makes the lip look curled. It can also involve the use of fillers to add some plumpness to the lips.
This surgery essentially involves removing some of the skin between the upper lip and the nose and also enhancing the cupid’s bow. The goal is to make the lips look more contoured, lifted, full, and youthful.
Buccal Fat Removal
When we think of minimal VS comprehensive FFS, the buccal fat removal procedure can be considered a part of a more comprehensive treatment.
A more contoured face and elongated cheekbones are considered to look more feminine. The presence of fat pads in the cheeks can make the lower face look fuller and more square. The Buccal Fat Removal is also done as part of FFS, as it allows the removal of these fat pads to make the face appear more delicate and the cheeks more defined.
Jaw Contouring for Facial Feminization
Men usually have bigger, more square, and stronger-looking jawlines compared to women. The jaw contouring surgery helps add some roundness to the jawline and reduce its bulk. In this procedure, the surgeon uses bone shaving to reduce the sides of the jaws and make the Masseter Muscles smaller to reduce the size of the jaw, which will also make the overall face look smaller.
Chin Feminization Surgery
The chin feminization surgery produces the most striking difference in the before-and-after as part of the FFS or Facial Feminization Surgery. Men’s chins often appear more square with some protrusion on the sides, while women’s chins have a softer contour and are smaller and pointier.
This surgery is called Genioplasty, and the incision for this procedure is made in the mouth to prevent visible scarring. The surgeon then reshapes the bone and contours it, and may even move the bone to make the chin appear short and even V-shaped.
Tracheal Shave
A tracheal shave surgery is a cosmetic procedure where the Adam’s apple is shaved away to make the neck appear more feminine. The Adam’s apple is essentially cartilage that is located close to the larynx, and during this procedure, the Adam’s apple is reduced to make it less prominent. Also referred to as chondrolaryngoplasty, this procedure only takes about 2 hours to complete and requires the patient to be put under general anesthesia. Moreover, the incision for it is made under the chin, in a way that the neck’s shadow will conceal the resulting scar.
Forehead Reduction Surgery
The Forehead Reduction Surgery in FFS is meant to make the forehead appear softer and more feminine. Men typically have larger and more boxy foreheads compared to women. Therefore, the forehead reduction surgery can help reduce the size of the forehead and make it complement the rest of the features as well.
The Forehead Feminization Surgery aims to make the forehead look smaller and smoother, like that of women. Moreover, the incision for this surgery is made very close to or right behind the hairline. During the procedure, the surgeon will carry out bone contouring by shaving the bone under the brows to make them less prominent, as well as parts of the forehead to make the forehead look more naturally feminine.
Along with brow bone reduction, in case the patient also requires feminization of the hairline, a hairline-lowering procedure is performed that involves advancing the scalp to bring the hairline lower.
