4.9 from 53 verified reviews
The surgical experience itself was surprisingly manageableMarinè, Norway, 18 04 25Noorman van der Dussen's expertise and experience played a major role in my decision to have my FFS with him, especially given the deeply personal significance of this part of my transition.
I was met with two people, a surgeon and his secretary, who both seemed personally invested in my results, and earned my trust.
I underwent forehead and hairline contouring, jaw and chin reshaping, a tracheal shave, and a lower lip fat transfer.
These procedures targeted the areas of most intense dysphoria for me; Facial dysphoria had been the strongest and most persistent part of my discomfort, and it has felt impossible to move forward confidently in my transition without aligning my face more closely with my identity.
The surgical experience itself was surprisingly manageable.
Pain was negligible; maybe a day or two of pain in my jaw and chin area, but otherwise I was fine.
The only small issue came from accidentally tugging on one of my mouth sutures while eating, which caused a little bump at the back of my mouth, but it healed without further problems, and overall, recovery was smooth thanks in large part to carefully following the post-op care instructions.
Emotionally, the immediate aftermath was incredibly affirming. When I finally saw myself without the compression garments, just about ten hours post-op, still looking like a zombie, my first reaction was a quiet “Wow, nice. I finally did it, hah.”
Even in the most swollen state I enjoyed looking at myself in the mirror.
That said, recovery wasn’t a straight line. About a month in, when the swelling started to subside, I hit a bit of an emotional low. Residual uneven swelling and excess tissue around my jaw and chin gave my face an aged look that was difficult to process after the initial high. I had to remind myself that healing is a marathon, not a sprint, and that I was only one month post-op.
By the two-to-three-month mark, the swelling improved, and I found myself really enjoying my reflection again.
FFS didn’t solve everything, but it changed everything. It gave me a foundation of comfort and confidence that’s been vital for me as a trans woman. Socially, I’m gendered correctly far more often now, and personally I feel far more confident in proceeding with my transition and be more "me".
