With reports estimating as many as 1.4 million Americans identifying as transgender, plastic surgery procedures designed to make features either more feminine or masculine are on the rise. Says Jon Mendelsohn, Medical Director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center, “We have recently noticed an uptick in the number of what I like to refer to as “feminization” surgical procedures which make a man’s features more feminine in appearance. And there definitely is a fine art to this, as with any plastic surgery, you don’t want it to look overdone.”
He continues, “The first procedure that we are doing with regards to the feminization of male facial features is a chin reduction or Mentoplasty, which reduces an over pronounced or jutting chin. We reshape the chin by reducing the size of the bone within the chin, often removing some of the surrounding muscle and tissue as well. Maximum results are seen in about six weeks.
The next type of procedure often requested by transgender male patients wishing to look more feminine is a brow reduction. Masculine foreheads typically have a heavy bony ridge in the area just above the eyes and beneath the eyebrows. This is often referred to as “brow bossing”. Forehead contouring & reduction surgery involves shaping the forehead bones and orbital bones (bones around the eye) to remove the ridge, open up the appearance of the eyes, and create a more naturally feminine, softer appearance.
Rhinoplasty, more commonly referred to a “nose job” can also enhance facial harmony and the proportions of a person’s nose. Most of our male patients are either asking for the size of the nose to be reduced, or for the nostrils to be made smaller, or for the entire nose to be reshaped.
Lip Lifts are also very popular with those men who identify as transgender. A lip lift modifies the cosmetic appearance of the lips by reshaping them to increase the prominence of the vermilion border; and to enhance the facial area above the lips into a more aesthetically pleasing shape.
Finally, breast implants are often a final step that we see in patients who are seriously considering taking the next step with full gender reassignment surgery. We do not perform that surgery in our office. I might add that breast implants are becoming increasingly more natural in appearance. The newer “gummy bear implants, in particular, are highly cohesive and maintain their shape extremely well.
Dr. Jon E. Mendelsohn is double board certified by both the American Board of Facial & Reconstructive Surgery and also the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. He serves as the medical director of Advanced Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center’s state-of-the-art facilities located in the Rookwood Tower in Hyde Park. For more information, call 513-351-FACE or visit www.351face.com.
