Facial Feminizing Surgeries
Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) takes any features of a patient’s face that appear displeasing, old or masculine to the eye, and changes them so that they appear more youthful, attractive and characteristically feminine. These surgeries are not only incredibly advantageous for patients transitioning from male to female, but also effective for women who want to look younger and address any masculine looking features, as well as for men who want to look less rigid and/or severe. Dr. Adibfar specializes in FFS and is currently changing the landscape of transgender surgeries in Canada as a pioneer in the field of facial cosmetic plastic and reconstructive surgery.
As with any cosmetic plastic surgery, patients should always choose their cosmetic plastic surgeon cautiously and feel confident, safe and reassured by their decision. It’s not only appropriate to consider a surgeon with successful experience performing plastic surgeries, but also a board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon with a history of performing various surgeries on numerous transgender patients. Dr. Adibfar is a highly-skilled, meticulous and detail-oriented cosmetic plastic surgeon who easily identifies subtle features that when altered provide powerful impact. Dr. Adibfar is regarded as one of the first, and best board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeons and oral & maxillofacial surgeons to perform transgender procedures and continues to build on an extensive reputation that demonstrates professionalism, accuracy, compassion, conscientiousness and outstanding results.
The extend or combination of facial surgeries will greatly depend on the patient’s current facial profile, and there are various evolutionary traits which convey the message of masculinity or femininity. Dr. Adibfar will assess these markers to determine to what degree they need adjusting to appear more apparently feminine. These traits greatly involve a patient’s facial bone and skull structure—more specifically the shape of the forehead bone structure and eyebrows, hairline, jawline and chin, cheekbones, nose and distance between the nose and the upper lip.
A combination of procedures may involve raising, arching and shaping the eyebrows; performing a scalp advancement (bringing the hairline forward); contouring the forehead by recessing the brow ridge (which men have over the eyes and that casts a shadow); rhinoplasty for a more refined, narrow and delicate nose; a lip lift to reveal more of the patient’s smile while shortening the distance between the upper lip and nose; as well as tapering the jawline so that it’s less square, rigid and masculine looking.
Once these bones are adjusted and recessed, patients notice less shadow and more feminine contouring. When the facial bone structure exudes a more feminine profile, Dr. Adibfar can then carefully assess the patient’s soft facial tissues including the cheeks, nose and lips, for softer, fuller and more feminine features. By restoring volume to certain areas of the face like the cheeks, under eyes and lips, it allows more light to reach those areas which make these features look brighter and more feminine, similar to how professional makeup artists use highlights and contouring to manipulate the way light reflects off of their clients’ faces.
Transgender patients may also want to raise the pitch of their voice and/or have a tracheal shave to reduce the size of their adam’s apple. Vocal feminization involves a simple procedure done through the mouth with a laser to the vocal cords. That means there’s no scarring or stitching needed and recovery is painless, however patients will need to refrain from speaking for approximately two weeks. A tracheal shave involves diminishing cartilage in the throat (that gives the shape of an adam’s apple) to allow for a more feminine looking neck and throat.
As with any surgery, there are many risks involved that Dr. Adibfar will go into thorough detail during the initial and pre-operative consultations. He will also make sure the patient has a good grasp of reasonable expectations from the surgery based on previously discussed goals.
Once fully recovered, Dr. Adibfar’s FFS patients feel confident, relieved, optimistic and comfortable with their new more uniformly feminine look. Dr. Adibfar’s extensive experience, passion and keen artistic eye lend his patients the expertise and experience that other cosmetic plastic surgeons simply may not measure up to. His incredible attention to detail and professionalism allow for results that leave his transitioning patients ecstatic as they find their goals being met and ultimately feel more confident in the way they look.
Click here to learn more or to book a consultation with Elements’ award-winning, board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr. Adibfar.