Gender-affirming Facial Surgery
Gender-affirming facial surgery encompasses a series of procedures that can reshape the face and its features to achieve a more feminine or nonbinary appearance. The goal is to align physical features with that of an individual’s gender identity, and it encompasses an array of services:
Scalp/Hairline Advancement
Brow Contouring/Forehead Feminization
Brow Lifting
Feminizing Rhinoplasty
Cheek Implants
Jaw Reduction and Chin Contouring
Adam’s Apple Shaving
Lip Lift
How It Works
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Dr. Hu will begin your consultation by listening to your concerns about your face and neck and discussing the results you would like to achieve.
She always takes care to thoroughly explain the different thirds of the face and how to implement the desired changes using specific surgical techniques.
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A full physical examination and detailed 2-D and 3-D evaluation are performed during your consultation. An individualized surgical plan will then be jointly created with your direct input and desires. This treatment plan will involve some, if not all, of the aforementioned procedures. They can be done either simultaneously or in stages. You may benefit from additional procedures including liposuction, buccal fat pad removal, blepharoplasty, and face and neck lifting to help further refine femininity.
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Finally, Dr. Hu and her clinical team will discuss the details of the surgery, pricing, how to plan for it, and what to expect after.
Gender-affirming facial surgery performed on-site in a state-of-the-art private operating suite at AIREM. Sedation is administered by a board-certified anesthesiologist, and the procedure will take anywhere from 2 hours (for a single procedure such as cheek implants or brow lifting) to 10 hours (for the whole set), depending on what you choose to undergo. Drains will be placed in the scalp (if you have brow contouring or forehead feminization) and/or neck (if you have a facelift/neck lift). Following this, you will recover in a private room for a few hours. Once you are awake enough, a family member or friend can escort you from the facility back home. For the first 24 hours following surgery, someone must be available to take care of you.
Recovery Process
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You will need to plan for time to recover, which varies by individual and type of surgery, but is usually around two to three weeks. You will have significant swelling and bruising of the operated areas during the first week. This is the most challenging part of recovery. You may notice swelling increasing around day 3 or 4. During this phase, you will have medication to help keep you comfortable.
After surgery, we often use drains to remove any blood that may collect and prevent it from accumulating under the skin. You will also have a wrap around the head and neck to keep everything secure. These drains and wrap are removed the morning after surgery.
At home, you or your caretaker will have to clean the incisions with hydrogen peroxide and apply an antibiotic ointment to help with the healing process. It is important to relax as much as possible, while still making sure to walk around when you can, and sleep with the head of your bed slightly elevated. Outside of light walking, you should not exercise.
If you have jawline contouring performed, you will have to start with a liquid diet and work up to a regular diet over the ensuing two weeks.
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At your one week appointment, all sutures will be removed.
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By the end of the second week, most bruising has gone away. You can use makeup to camouflage any remaining color.
You can restart any light aerobic exercise as long as you do not lift anything greater than 10 pounds, which will have to wait until week 3.
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During this time, you may experience minor fluctuations in the small amount of swelling that remains. This is all part of the normal healing process of the skin. However, you are completely socially presentable and already enjoying your transformation. You will notice continued improvements in your appearance until 6 months after the surgery, at which point you will be thrilled with the final results.