Facial feminization surgery is a set of bone and soft-tissue procedures that reshape the features most often read as masculine: the forehead and brow ridge, hairline, nose, jaw, chin and the Adam's apple.
The plan is individual. Some people need one or two procedures, others a combination that may be staged over more than one operation. It is craniofacial surgery and should be performed by a team with specific experience in it.
What Facial Feminization Surgery involves
Planning starts with photographs and a CT scan of the facial bones, often with virtual surgical planning. Forehead work may mean burring the brow ridge or, more often, removing, reshaping and re-fixing the front wall of the frontal sinus. The hairline can be advanced through the same incision. Jaw and chin are narrowed and reshaped from inside the mouth, the nose is refined, and the thyroid cartilage can be reduced through a small incision hidden under the chin.
Who is a good candidate for Facial Feminization Surgery?
Good candidates have clear goals, good general health and support around them for recovery.
- Adults seeking a more feminine facial appearance, including transgender women and non-binary people
- Completed facial growth
- Realistic understanding of what bone surgery can and cannot change
- Medical and hormonal care coordinated with their own doctors
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Uncontrolled medical conditions or active smoking
- Expectation of a specific face rather than a feminised version of their own
- Pressure from others rather than a personal decision
Technique options
- Forehead contouring and brow lift: Type 1 burring or Type 3 sinus setback, with orbital rim shaping
- Hairline advancement: or hair transplantation where recession is marked
- Rhinoplasty: matched to the new forehead profile
- Jaw angle reduction and genioplasty: narrowing and reshaping the lower face
- Tracheal shave: reduction of the thyroid cartilage, with care to protect the voice
- Soft tissue: lip lift, cheek augmentation with fat or implants
What happens during your treatment
Depending on the combination, surgery takes four to ten hours under general anaesthesia and may be divided into two stages. Hospital stay is one to three nights. Swelling is significant, and a head dressing and jaw support are worn at first.
Preparing for your trip
Plan for 10 to 14 days in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.
- Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
- Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
- Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
- Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly
Recovery and results
Most swelling and bruising settle in three to four weeks, but bone work keeps the face swollen and numb in places for months. A soft diet is needed after jaw surgery. Many people return to work after two to four weeks. The final result is judged at six to twelve months.
- Back to everyday activity: 2 to 4 weeks
- When results show: Final at 6 to 12 months
- How long they last: Permanent
Safety, risks and revision policy
Risks vary with the procedures chosen. Those specific to feminisation surgery include:
- Numbness of the forehead, scalp, lower lip or chin, usually temporary but sometimes lasting
- Frontal sinus problems, contour irregularities or visible plates
- Asymmetry, or a result that needs refinement
- Voice change after tracheal shave if too much cartilage is removed, which is rare
- Bleeding, infection, scarring and hair loss along the incision
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Facial Feminization Surgery in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Facial Feminization Surgery, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- The surgeon's experience and the technique your anatomy needs
- Type of anaesthesia and the length of the operation
- Nights in hospital and whether another procedure is combined
- What the package includes: tests, garments, medication, hotel, transfers, interpreter and follow-up
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need every procedure?
No. The plan is built from what would make the biggest difference for your face. The forehead and jaw usually matter most; many people do not need all the components.
Is a CT scan necessary?
Yes for bone work. It shows the size of the frontal sinus and the thickness of bone, which decides which forehead technique is safe.
Will there be visible scars?
Most incisions are hidden in the hairline, inside the mouth or inside the nose. The tracheal shave scar sits in a crease under the chin.