Facial Feminization Surgery... What Can I Expect?

I've not had FFS, but I know a little about plastic surgery.

The main aspects of FFS are usually as follows:
1. Shave down the prominent brow bone to reduce the forehead slope
2. Make the tip of the nose slant upward in the profile view. Also, shave a slight curve into the sides of the nose to give the nose a subtle hourglass shape. Your sense of smell will not be affected.
3. Shave down the chin bone. Men frequently have a square chin, while women have a more narrow chin.
4. Cheek implants. Men frequently have higher cheekbones that stick out farthest just below the eye. Women's cheekbones stick out a little further down the face. Small cheek implants might give the look of lower cheekbones.
5. Jaw reduction. This is the trickiest and most dangerous part. Korea is the leader in this type of surgery, as many women there have characteristically square-shaped faces and they want to get more of a V shape. Very few surgeons are doing this in the United States, and the procedure is expensive. Many U.S. patients find it cheaper to travel to Korea for this type of surgery.
6. A procedure called a canthopexy can give the eyes a subtle upward slope, causing them to appear more exotic and feminine.

You can find a ton more information on the web. Try googling the phrase "transition surgery".

Keep in mind: you might NOT NEED all these procedures listed above. It is important to find a trustworthy board-licensed plastic surgeon with a good reputation. If you do multiple procedures, most doctors will want to do them all at once, so you only have to go through the stress and healing process just once. Items 1 through 4 and 6 could all be completed probably in 4 hours by a good surgeon. You'd have bad, distorted swelling for the first 4 days, and you'd have black eyes for about two weeks. Item 5 is a bear, though. Also, many doctors will not touch your upper jaw if you've already had nose surgery.

On the other hand, you might not want to do all the procedures at once with one doctor. You might pick one doctor for procedure 1, and another doctor for procedure 2, etc. You'll have to wait 6 months between surgeries. This will allow you (and people around you) to get used to one change before you address another.

The cost will vary on the doctor's location and reputation. NY and LA will be the most expensive places to have surgery. But there are good doctors in other cities. Don't go with the cheapest doctor or the doctor who's closest to you. Do your research. Lots of doctors have before-and-after photos on their websites (or you can see them in the office during your visit). Also search the web for plastic surgery journal articles that discuss FFS; many times they'll have photos, too.

It's hard to predict what the cost will be. You might be able to get items 1-4 and 6 together for less than $20,000, including the separately billed costs of anesthesia and facility fees. Item 5, though, often alone costs between $40,000 - $60,000.

 

I liked this site a lot and found it informative. Take a look: Virtual FFS: Home

It goes over the various procedures and what they are designed to accomplish and clears up some important misconceptions.

 

Only thing I know about it is that right after the surgery your face will probably look awful due to bruising. This will fade as you heal. You can't really know how the procedure has turned out until a couple weeks afterward.