Facial masculinization surgery (fms)

Facial differences between men and women

Approximately, all facial elements in men and women are different from each other. This difference in some parts of the face is so great that one’s gender can be easily detected from it.

Men’s facial muscles are larger in volume than women’s. That is why the men’s facial skeleton is bigger than that of the women and the cheek, chin, and lower jaw angles are more prominent.

Men’s skin is a little thicker than women’s, and the hair growth in the beard and mustache areas makes it easy to distinguish a male’s face from a female’s. The subcutaneous fat is larger in volume in women, while facial fat volume is lower in men.

These differences should be considered in people who are candidates for face masculinization. Fortunately, a major part of facial masculinization changes can be created by non-surgical methods.

Upper face masculinization (forehead)

The lower part of the frontal bone (the edge of the orbita and the bone under the eyebrow) grows more in men than in women. Therefore, in order to masculinize this part, the lower regions of the forehead and the area under the eyebrow should be augmented. There are two main methods to augment these areas, including prosthesis usage and filler injection. Filler injection to augment the lower forehead is the simplest way, which is performed without anesthesia and on an outpatient basis in less than an hour.

Using special prostheses in some people, this bony edge can be augmented, but the prostheses of this region are often not available. They are sometimes tailor-made and are specially designed for a particular person to attain the proper results. Therefore the use of prosthesis in this part is not common.

Lower face masculinization (lower jaw)

The main difference between the appearance of men and women in the upper face is related to the growth of the lower jaw. The lower jaw has grown larger in men. This causes the angle of the jaw and chin to look more prominent. Accordingly, it can be expected that the use of jaw prosthesis or filler injection be necessary in some people in order to masculinize the face. Filler injection is preferred when a small amount of augmentation is desired, but in cases where we expect more than 3 mm of augmentation, prosthesis usage yields better results.

Middle face masculinization (cheek and the area under cheek)

The cheek shape is significantly different in men and women. The cheek protrusion in men is the result of the greater growth of the cheekbone. That is why the cheek protrudes laterally outside. However, the major volume of cheeks in women is made up of soft tissue, especially malar fat (subcutaneous fat). This leads to the formation of the forward-protruded cheeks in women.

Cheek prosthesis can be used in face masculinization’s applicants to augment the cheek. Filler injection can also be used as an alternative method to achieve this protrusion.

The under cheek region (buccal space) in men is a low-fat and thin area. The buccal fat removal can be considered as a sub-method for face masculinization.

Finally, using male sex hormones is effective for facial hair growth.