The ideal male face is chiseled, masculine, and well-defined. While many trans men are able to achieve traditionally-male facial features with the use of hormone therapy (testosterone), facial masculinization surgery (FMS) is an ideal option for the patient who would like to achieve a greater degree of masculinization. Because the face offers important clues to the outside world about one’s personality and gender identity, obtaining a more masculine facial appearance is an important treatment goal for many trans men. While the decision to undergo FMS is a very personal and individualized one, trans men who do opt for this procedure typically experience an improved self-esteem and self-image, along with an enhanced ability to “pass” in society as a male.

Due to genetic variation and the effects of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, men and women tend to have different facial characteristics. In contrast to the average woman’s facial structure, men usually have longer, larger, and more angular faces. Men typically also display a more prominent and protruding brow bone, which is known as “bossing”, along with a larger and higher chin. Other facial features that are generally perceived as masculine include a prominent nose, thick eyebrows, a square jaw, and a visible Adam’s apple. In contrast, facial features that are considered more feminine include an absence of bossing, a smaller chin and nose, fuller cheeks, and an arched brow. No one facial feature defines a traditionally masculine or feminine face; rather, these traits are achieved through the combination of various features and the ratio of male to female characteristics. With FMS, the goal is to achieve a masculine appearance while taking the patient’s overall facial proportions and anatomy into consideration.

Facial masculinization surgery typically involves a combination of procedures tailored to the individual patient’s unique needs and goals. Procedures that may be performed during FMS include forehead lengthening/augmentation, cheek augmentation, rhinoplasty, chin recontouring, jaw contouring, and thyroid cartilage enhancement (Adam’s Apple surgery). Your surgeon at the Trans Center will work with you to choose the ideal combination of procedures in order to achieve the very best possible results.