top of page
Rainbow Makeup

Facial Feminizing Surgery

Facial feminization procedures

·  Facial feminization surgery involves various procedures to make the face appear more feminine.

·  Common changes include reshaping/repositioning the cheekbones, brow, lips, jaw, and chin.

·  The surgery may also include hair transplants or moving the hairline to reduce forehead size.

·  Skin-tightening procedures, such as face-lifts, might be part of the process.

·  This surgery can help alleviate gender dysphoria by aligning facial features with a person's gender identity.

Why Its Done

Why it’s done:

  • Facial features like the jaw, brow, and chin often reflect sex differences and are easily visible.

  • For individuals whose gender identity differs from their assigned sex at birth, altering facial features can be a key step in affirming their gender.

​​

During facial feminization surgery, the following procedures may be performed:

 

​​​​​​​​​

Frontal bossing classification
Diagram of bony facial feminization changes
  • Forehead contouring: Reshaping the bony ridge above the eyes and adjusting the forehead to appear smoother and more rounded for a feminine look.

  • Eye and eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty): Removing excess eyelid tissue to create a more feminine appearance. Change the shape of your eye and brow for a more feminine appearance.

  • Cheek augmentation: Enhancing the cheeks with implants or fat transfer to achieve a rounder, more feminine look.

  • Cheek reduction: Repositioning the zygoma (cheekbone) to adjust the prominence of the cheekbone.

  • Nose reshaping (rhinoplasty): Altering the size and shape of the nose to make it smaller and more feminine.

  • Lip changes: Lifting and enhancing the lips to reduce the space between the nose and upper lip, and adding volume through fillers, or fat transfer.

  • Jaw angle reduction: Making the jaw smaller and narrower by removing layers of bone.

  • Orthognathic (jaw) surgery: Repositioning your jawbone to make your face more feminine.

  • Chin reduction: Shortening and narrowing the chin by removing a wedge of bone and repositioning it for a more feminine appearance.

Procedures
Jaw orthognathic surgery diagram
before and after after orthognathic surgery to rotate the jaw structure
jaw angle reduction diagram
before and after jaw angle reduction

Other possible surgeries include:

  • Tracheal shave: Reducing the size of the Adam's apple by removing and reshaping thyroid cartilage.

  • Hair transplantation: Moving hair follicles to balding areas on the head and temples.

  • Hairline lowering: Cutting and moving the scalp to reduce forehead size and lower the hairline.

  • Skin-tightening procedures: Considerations such as face-lifts to further enhance a feminine look.

​

What to expect after:

 

  • After facial feminization surgery, you will likely experience pain, redness, and swelling, especially around the eyes, nose, jaw, and chin. Recovery typically takes about a month, during which you should follow your care team's instructions about resuming activities. Chewing and swallowing may be difficult initially due to stitches and swelling. Keep your mental healthcare provider informed, as there can be significant emotional and social adjustments during recovery.

 

Results:

  • The final results of facial feminization surgery may take up to a year to fully appear.

What to Expect After
CT scan showing the postoperative change from the jaw surgery

Risks:

 

General risks of facial feminization surgery include:

  • Bleeding

  • Infection

  • Injury to nearby body parts

  • Adverse reaction to anesthesia

  • Wound separation (wound dehiscence)

  • Fluid buildup under the skin (seroma)

  • Blood clots forming within tissues (hematoma)

 

Specific risks associated with facial feminization surgery include:

  • Facial scarring

  • Nerve injury in the face, which might lead to asymmetry on smiling or talking, or sensation changes in the face.

  • Nonhealing of your bone if we reposition your bone.

  • Need to remove plates or other hardware used to hold your bone in place

 

Insurance coverage for facial feminization surgery varies significantly. Be sure to check with your insurance provider to understand what is covered before proceeding with the surgery.

 

​​​​​​​​​

Risks
Insurance
bottom of page