What is FFS? Your Guide to Facial Feminisation Surgery

Facial Feminisation Surgeries also known as FFS, Facial Feminisation, or Facial Feminisation Surgery, are cosmetic surgeries undergone to achieve a feminine appearance. This is also known as ‘transgender surgery’.

What is aesthetically popular is never fixed, and the ‘aesthetic ideal’ changes depending on things such as culture, trends and geography. However, some commonly desired attributes of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ faces are that:

• Men tend to have a wider eyebrow ridge and nose, a higher hairline and more prominent jaw.
• Women may have higher cheekbones and rounder cheeks, a narrower jawline, a petite nose and fuller lips.

When it comes to Facial Feminisation Surgery, no approach is the same, and every case depends on the patient’s goals. As each face is different, some people may want to undergo a series of surgical procedures or non-surgical treatments to help alter their external features to match their internal ones. Others may require less surgical intervention; this is something to discuss during your consultation with your Plastic Surgeon.

Common Facial Feminisation Surgeries include the following:

• Jaw Reduction and Reshaping:

This can help to reduce the projection of the jawline as well as create a more oval or squarer jawline – depending on your preferred look. This would be a procedure performed by Dr Yannis Alexandrides, our Founder and Medical Director or 111 Harley St. And, in our clinic, we use an ultrasonic, preservation technique made possible because of a medical instrument called the Piezo. This is essentially a ‘jaw shaving’ surgery – but thanks to the Piezo (formally known as the Piezotome), it uses ultrasonic energy to accurately sculpt the bone while leaving the surrounding tissue undamaged.

The jawline is one of the most significant characteristics of a traditionally male face, so this procedure works to not only soften the contours of the chin but also the jawline too – working to create a gentle curve from earlobe to chin.

A patient of ours who recently underwent a jaw shave surgery said that the recovery was ‘easy’ and ‘much easier than other surgeries I’ve had’. See the results of her secondary Jaw Reshaping surgery below:

• Rhinoplasty and Alar Base Reduction

A Rhinoplasty can often make a great difference to your aesthetics as it sits centrally in the face and as men’s nose skin tends to be thicker, this can give the impression of a wider nose. This is where an Alar Base Reduction comes in… An Alar Base Reduction works to improve the triangularity of the nose – reducing the width between nostril to nostril as well as overall size of the base of the nose.

Typically, sought-after ‘female’ Rhinoplasty aesthetic outcomes, would be achieving a smaller, upturned nose with a lifted tip.

Depending on the extent of the work being done, some Alar Base Reductions or Nose Tip Surgeries can be performed under local anaesthetic – so please be sure to ask your surgeon which route you prefer to go down.

• Brow Lift

A Brow Lift works to raise the eyebrows as well as reduce the size of the forehead. Think of this as a 2-in-1 procedure to a) bring the hairline forehead and b) improve the appearance of low eyebrows. In turn, this can help to make the eyes look more awake too as a heavier brow can cause the eyelids to droop – so a Brow Lift could actually be a 3-in-1 procedure!

There are two types of Brow Lifts Dr Yannis performs: a Hairline Brow Lift and an Endoscopic Brow Lift. They essentially do very similar things; however, the incision line is different. See below:

• Lip Lift

Works to reduce the space between the nose and the upper lip called the ‘philtrum’.

A Lip Lift can also help to subtly show more of the upper lip, giving the impression of fuller lips and can improve the appearance of the Cupid’s bow. This is a minor procedure that can be performed under local anaesthetic and is often referred to as a ‘Bullhorn Lip Lift’, as the amount of skin taken from just under the nose, unusually looks like the shape of a bullhorn.

For more information on how to shorten your philtrum, read this.

While these are only some of the most popular surgical procedures we offer in our clinic, there can be a range of Body Surgeries and Non-Surgical Treatments available to help create your aesthetic equilibrium. Other feminisation procedures and treatments to consider could be:

• Lip Filler
• Cheek and Chin Filler
• Breast Augmentation (‘top surgery’)

Sometimes a combination of both surgical and non-surgical treatments can help you achieve your ideal outcome, so for more information on FFS surgery and how we can help you, discover our 360 Degree Consultation.