Mira Coluccio

Facial Feminization Surgery is a revolutionary form of maxillofacial shaping that utilizes a unique mixture of cosmetic surgery techniques and cranial alteration. FFS surgery addresses the basic differences between male and female skulls that male patients who want to look female are unable to hide with makeup or other non-surgical techniques.

One unique facial characteristic that gives away the presence of a Y-chromosome is brow shape. A male brow is far more prominent than that of a female. Male brows protrude and jut out more than those of females, marking a Neanderthal-like face that is clearly more masculine.

Other male face traits are a prominent nasal shape, lower jaw angle, cheek placement, and thyroid cartilage. Male jaws are often wider and shape outward in different ways than those of females, giving away the clear contours of a male face. These traits all combine together in ways we don’t necessarily consciously recognize, but the overall picture they create is undoubtedly male. Another male trait that is clearly visible is thyroid cartilage, commonly known as the Adam’s Apple.

Dr. Douglas Ousterhout and Mira Coluccio’s Facial Feminization Surgery practice address these inescapable male features, and use specialized surgical techniques to seamlessly transform these masculine features into feminine ones.

To deal with the Adam’s Apple issue, Dr. Ousterhout makes a special incision below the chin to remove the unwanted cartilage, which helps hide any potential scarring from becoming visible. Most surgeries designed to remove the Adam’s Apple simply make an incision right on the throat, which can produce unsightly aftereffects and scar tissue. It is much more difficult as Dr. Ousterhout makes an under-the-chin tissue removal, but this complicated procedure does wonders for producing a seamless female image. Surgical innovations such as this are one o f the reasons Dr. Ousterhout has risen to fame in the FFS world.

FFS Surgery has many different aspects besides removal of the Adam’s Apple, utilizing procedures that change brow prominence and advancement through difficult surgery, as well as shifting lower jaw positions. Lowering protruding nose positions is also an important part of the procedure. Cheek augmentation is usually a part of the surgery, because a full cheek structure is desirable for females. Usually this is done through implants. The chin surgery usually involves making the area more pointed, narrow, and shorter than that of a male, who tend to have very wide chins. A mixture of implants and bony cuts are used in this procedure, depending on the individual patient’s chin structure. Chin surgery creates a dramatically feminine facial appearance immediately because it takes up such a large part of the human facial figure.

The wide range of facial shaping procedures that occur during FFS build upon each other to create the perfect image of a new female face, which is based on the original male patient, but transforms all their masculine characteristics into that of a female.

With less than a dozen practicing facial feminization surgeons in the entire world, doctors specializing in this life changing procedure are rare. The extreme amount of time for this surgery to take place is daunting for many doctors, and the necessity of not only plastic surgery mastery but an expert knowledge of craniofacial sculpting techniques makes this procedure incredibly difficult to tackle.

The surgery is not cheap, costing patients anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000. However, the dramatic life altering effects of the surgery keep practices like that of Dr. Douglas Ousterhout and Mira Coluccio in high demand. It is awe inspiring to think that the medical technology exists to transform a male face into a female. The dramatic effects of FFS are pushing the boundaries of not only cosmetic surgery, but the overall field of health science as well.