How FFS Surgery Helps Patients Who Just Want to Be Themselves

BY: Dr. Vartan Mardirossian

Facial feminization has been classified as a kind of “rebirth” for transgender patients. These procedures provide exactly what a transgender individual craves – for her appearance to match her gender. Facial feminization is life-changing for patients in many ways, but above all else, it simply helps them be who they are.

Comparing FFS to Cosmetic Procedures

One of the best ways to help others understand the difference FFS can make in the life of a transgender patient involves taking a look at cosmetic procedures – both invasive and noninvasive – that are common among cisgender women. 

•     Makeup – Makeup is completely noninvasive but think about the reasons why women wear it. They want to highlight their features and put their best faces forward – much like transgender women who undergo FFS procedures.
•     Hair color – Even hair color is a prime example of how something deemed cosmetic can have a positive influence on a woman’s life. Covering grays or maintaining the platinum blonde of one’s youth is common, and it gives women significant boosts to their self-esteem.
•     Botox and fillers – Cisgender women are some of the biggest consumers of Botox and filler procedures designed to minimize wrinkles and add volume back to the face. Again, these procedures are purely cosmetic, and they help women feel better about who they see in the mirror.
•     Facelifts and other surgeries – Finally, women around the world undergo facelifts and similar procedures in an effort to turn back the hands of time. When they look in the mirror, they see someone who looks much older than she feels on the inside.

Being Happy with What You See 

It’s well-known that facial deformities and flaws can have a tremendous impact on one’s self-esteem. People who have serious acne, facial injuries resulting in deformations, and even burn scars report low self-esteem and the desire to look more like a “normal” person. When a transgender patient looks in the mirror and sees a masculine face staring back at her, it’s much the same reaction. Facial feminization procedures help to minimize these masculine features, which can boost a transgender patient’s self-esteem significantly and even change her life forever.

For every woman, whether transgender or cisgender, the desire to have a beautiful, feminine appearance is directly related to self-esteem. Every woman wants to enjoy the face looking back at her in the mirror and see it as an accurate reflection of her inner self, and that’s exactly why facial feminization surgery exists today. Surgeons strive to perfect their trades and help transgender women become “reborn” versions of their inner selves.  

Link for Common Facial Feminization Surgical Procedures

Note: Vartan is my doctor, business associate, and friend.  

We both plan on being at the Southern Comfort, Ft Lauderdale Florida Transgender Conference September 6-9.

More information on that at a later date.  We hope to see you there.