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Facial Masculinization Surgery (FMS)

Facial Masculinization Surgery (FMS) is a group of surgeries that masculinize facial features, particularly for trans men who feel they didn't get enough masculinization from Testosterone.

Facial Masculinization Surgery (FMS) - FTM Facial Surgery

Though less common than Facial Feminization, FSM is regularly performed, either as part of a Female-to-Male transition, as well as for cis gender men wanting a more masculine-looking face.

While many trans men are satisfied with the facial changes acquired through hormone therapy, others don't achieve the level of masculinization desired, which can negatively affect self-esteem and happiness. Facial Masculinization Surgery provides a permanent solution for masculinizing facial features.

Facial Masculinization Surgery can include:

  • Forehead Lengthening & Augmentation
  • Cheek Augmentation
  • Rhinoplasty
  • Chin Recontouring
  • Jaw Contouring
  • Adam's Apple Augmentation

Facial Masculinization Surgery can help give you a feeling of completeness, and align your male identity with the face you show to the world.

Surgeons who perform Facial Masculinization Surgery:

Facial Masculinization Research:

Facial Confirmation Surgery with Description of a New Procedure for Masculinization of the Thyroid Cartilage (Adam's Apple).
Deschamps-Braly JC, Sacher CL, Fick J, Ousterhout DK. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017 Apr;139(4).
This report documents female-to-male facial masculinization surgery, including a new technique for creating an "Adam's apple" to enhance the facial masculine appearance of a natal female. The authors "reversed" the methods typically used to feminize male facial features, and modified the forehead, nose, and chin to masculinize the patient's natal female facial features. The authors devised a novel technique to augment the thyroid cartilage using autologous rib cartilage to create a visible Adam's apple. Initially, masculinization of the chin was accomplished with a multisegment chin osteotomy with grafts to vertically expand and widen the chin along with correcting pronounced microgenia. Subsequently, a second facial masculinization procedure was performed to masculinize the forehead, nose, and thyroid cartilage. Rib cartilage was harvested and carved into an appropriately shaped thyroid cartilage onlay graft and then attached and integrated with the native thyroid cartilage, creating a fully mobile cartilage that translocates up and down with swallowing and a visible Adam's apple. Collectively, these described procedures can now provide most female-to-male transsexual patients with a satisfying transformation of their facial features.

Dr. Paul Tessier and facial skeletal masculinization.
Ousterhout DK. Ann Plast Surg. 2011 Dec;67(6):S10-5. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0b013e31821835cb.
The male facial skeleton is larger and more angular than that of the female. The male skull has bossing in the area of the frontal sinuses (there is bossing even without presence of the sinuses--5% of people do not have a frontal sinus) and a small flat spot in the mid forehead between the areas of bossing and usually slightly above them. Also there is bossing in the superior lateral orbital angle. The chin on an average basis is 17% vertically higher in the male and there is more fullness laterally. The angle of the mandible is larger inferioro-posteriorly and generally flares out more laterally. The oblique line is fuller in the male. To date 6 males who have wanted to have a more masculine face have been operated on forehead, chin, and mandible. All 6 have done well and without complications. Their acceptance of this surgery has been great.

Gender-confirming facial surgery: considerations on the masculinity and femininity of faces.
Hage JJ, Becking AG, de Graaf FH, Tuinzing DB. Plast Reconstr Surg. 1997 Jun;99(7):1799-807.
While aesthetic facial surgery performed for reasons of undesired facial masculinity or femininity has had some attention in the literature, there is a lack of information on gender-confirming facial surgery as part of an overall surgical sex reassignment program. In this paper we try to capture some of the sex differences, respectively, of skeleton, musculature and other subcutaneous soft tissues, integument and frame of the face. From this, we come to a description of some general differences of facial appearance between the sexes. In restructuring the skeletal architecture and facial proportions to match the desired gender, these factors should be taken into account.

Annals of masculinity studies: the face

 

Last updated: 11/23/22




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