Have you ever thought: “How can I make my face look more feminine?”
It is quite common for women to feel that specific facial features may make their face appear too masculine. But when you consider the options for making your face look more feminine, it is important to consider all of your facial features and how they relate to each other.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to facial feminization. Your surgeon should consider you as a person – not just one feature of your face. The proportions of your whole face, your height, and even your ethnic background can all affect the options available to give you the most natural result. Your surgeon’s skill lies in understanding this and working to give you a natural feminine beauty so your real, feminine self can shine.
1. The masculine hairline, forehead, and brow
The forehead makes up 35% to 40% of the surface area of your face so it can dominate how masculine your face looks. Given the forehead is framed by your hairline and brow, it’s easy to understand why the top half of your face contributes strongly to a more masculine or feminine appearance.
Typical masculine characteristics of the top half of the face:
- The hairline sits further back on the skull and makes the forehead appear higher– a receding hairline further enhances this effect.
- The forehead frontal bones protrude more and create a sense of deeper set eyes – female foreheads are more rounded or convex.
- The brow appears lower, heavier and more prominent.
Surgical treatment options:
A skilled surgeon will understand that it’s important to match the feminine appearance of your hairline, forehead, and brow with people of your ethnic background while also keeping this area of your face looking natural and in proportion with your whole face. The height and the size of the midface also impact the ideal size of the forehead to give a more feminine look.
Treatment options to make your hairline, forehead, and brow more feminine include:
- hairline lowering/scalp advancement surgery
- forehead reduction and contouring surgery
- brow lift (browplasty)
- rhinoplasty (the shape of the nose may sometimes be necessary to change along with the forehead to maintain aesthetic balance)
2. The masculine nose
The shape and size of the nose is highly variable. The characteristics of the nose can seem subtle but are important to giving either a more masculine or feminine appearance. This makes the surgery required to change the nose (rhinoplasty) an artistic and delicate endeavor. It is important to maintain balance and harmony between the forehead and nose, and the nose may sometimes be made more masculine looking if the forehead is treated in isolation.
Noses with more masculine characteristics tend to have:
- a larger size
- more angular dimensions
- a bridge that is wider and straighter
- a nasal tip that does not tend to point upwards
Surgical treatment options:
Surgically changing the size and shape of the nose to appear more feminine is best performed while considering changes to the hairline, forehead, and brow. This will ensure the face is aesthetically balanced and for a more natural result.
Read more about the delicate process of feminizing rhinoplasty (nasal reduction and reshaping).
3. Masculine cheeks and lips
The shape and size of the lips and cheeks tend to be different in women and men. As with other facial features, the whole face needs to be taken into account when planning the best result for facial femininization surgery.
Men’s lips tend to be:
- thinner or narrower
- flatter or less plump
- further from the base of the nose
Men’s cheeks tend to be less full or plump and the cheekbones tend to be lower on the face and less prominent.
Surgical treatment options:
The treatment options for lips and cheeks are varied and depend on your age, facial features, and your desired outcome. The options might include augmentation or reduction or a combination of both:
4. The masculine chin and jaw
The chin and jaw represent most of the area of the lower face and contribute strongly to a more masculine appearance. In men, both these structures are generally larger in size, with typical characteristics including:
- a taller, angular and squarer chin
- a larger and wider jaw
- a thicker lower jawbone (mandible)
Surgical treatment options:
In general, the jaw and chin are best treated together so the contour of the jaw after surgery matches the chin.
Surgery to feminize the chin (genioplasty/mentoplasty) usually involves removing bone to decrease the height and width. In contrast, for people with receding chins (2% of individuals), the bone is repositioned downwards to leave room for new bone growth that will lengthen the chin.
Like the chin, the feminization of the jaw typically involves removing bone to contour and shape the jaw so it is narrower and less square.
5. Adam’s apple
In most men and some women, the thyroid cartilage on the throat is larger and projects forward to form the small bump known as the Adam’s apple. The thyroid cartilage is not usually noticeable in women and this makes the Adam’s apple one of the most prominent features creating a masculine appearance.
Surgical treatment options:
The choice of surgical treatment to reduce the size of the Adam’s apple can have a marked effect on the final result. Dr. Deschamps-Braly uses advanced techniques that reduce the risk of the thyroid cartilage growing back. His techniques also avoid creating any noticeable scar on top of the voice box in the middle of the throat. Other techniques can leave a noticeable scar on top of the voice box on the front of the neck. As an added complication, if the scar over the voice box adheres to the underlying cartilage as it heals, it can move during speech and become even more noticeable.
Many women who have masculine facial features have problems with sexual arousal and fertility, and you can buy flibanserin to solve these problems.
Want to know more?
- Key Elements Of Facial Feminization For Women With Masculine-Looking Faces
- Facial Feminization Surgery – Overview
- Ethno-Specific Facial Feminization Surgery
- FAQs – Facial Feminization
- History of Facial Feminization & Gender Affirmation Surgery
- Skul Reshaping Surgery
References – for those who like to dig deeper:
- Approach to Feminization Surgery and Facial Masculinization Surgery: Aesthetic Goals and Principles of Management. Deschamps-Braly JC. Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 2019; Apr 2 [Epub ahead of print].
- Feminization of the Chin: Genioplasty Using Osteotomies. Deschamps-Braly J. Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America, 2019;27(2):243–250.
- Current Concepts in Feminizing Gender Surgery. Safa B, Lin WC, Salim AM, Deschamps-Braly JC, Poh MM. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2019;143(5):1081e–1091e.
- Facial Gender Confirmation Surgery: Facial Feminization Surgery and Facial Masculinization Surgery. Deschamps-Braly JC. Clinics in Plastic Surgery, 2018;45(3):323–331.
- First Female-to-Male 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. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2017;139(4):883e–887e.
Dr. Deschamps-Braly is a board-certified plastic and craniofacial surgeon specializing in facial plastic surgery, orthognathic (jaw) surgery, and craniofacial surgery for adults and children. He is also one of the world’s foremost leaders and innovators in facial gender confirmation surgery.
