How Close Can Facial Feminization Surgery Make Me Look Like A Woman?

Q: Dr. Eppley, my question is in relation to transgender plastic surgery of the face and body. How close can I come to looking like a real woman?

A: The concept of what constitutes a real women is open to wide interpretation. Since you are not a genetic female, you will never be a real women per se. But the question you are asking is whether any amount of surgical effort can make you look the ‘part’ and passable as a woman. This is a very practical question from both psychological and financial perspectives. You do not want to get caught in the ‘middle of the stream’ so to speak. Some may argue that if you can not get to the other side then why start the physical journey at all.

The best I can say is that those men who achieve that most successfully tend to be thin framed and thin skinned as these types of tissue can most easily reflect the surgical changes that are done underneath. This is true for both facial feminization surgery as well as body procedures like breast augmentation. Large facial features like a prominent jaw can be very difficult to size down to a more feminine look.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana