One of the things that we love about our job is helping people find the TruYou – they choose to identify their gender preference! When we’ve spoken to clients that are transitioning, often they’ve said that dressing differently isn’t enough – they want how they look on the outside to represent how they feel on the inside. We can help with this by changing the appearance of their face to make it more feminine, masculine or gender neutral.
We know that there are obvious differences between a masculine and feminine face, but to the untrained eye, it’s hard to pinpoint what they actually are! So, let’s look at the main differences and how we can treat areas to ‘confirm gender preferences’.
Firstly, a masculine face tends to be larger, with the overall face shape being more square. The width of a masculine face is the same across the cheekbones as it is across the angle of the jaw (with the jawline sometimes slightly larger). The masseter muscle (the muscles around the jaw used for chewing) are bulkier and the chin is wider. Facial features are crisp and angular; cheeks are ‘chiselled’.
Most typically, a feminine face is oval or heart shaped, with a narrower, more pointed chin which accentuates this shape. Features are softer with more rounded contours.
Dermal Fillers are one of the best ways to achieve changes in facial shape and contour. For a more masculine face, we focus on features such as crisp, flat cheekbones, wider facial width at the angle of the jaw, and a wider chin. To feminise features, we aim for soft feminine curves in the face; rounded cheekbones, fuller lips with an accentuated pout, and a smaller, more pointed chin to emphasise the oval or heart shaped face. Botulinumtoxin A injections can also be used to shrink the masseters muscles, helping the face to appear smaller across the width of the jaw.
Another difference between masculine and feminine faces is the shape of the eye and brow. Feminine eyes are ‘almond' shaped – they are rounder and more open, with a brow that is arched or flared. Masculine eyes are narrower and oval shaped, with a flatter brow that often curves downwards.
Using either Botulinumtoxin A injections or Dermal threads, we are able to change the shape of the brow to create a more masculine or feminine look. Although it seems like a small change, the results have a huge impact on the appearance of the face!
Lastly, lips are a feature of the face that differ vastly between masculine and feminine aesthetics. A feminine set of lips sees a 1/3-2/3 upper to lower lip ratio, with a prominent cupid’s bow (where the upper lip comes to 2 distant points towards the centre of the mouth) and a fuller pout in the centre of the lower lip, giving the lips a heart-shaped appearance. In general, masculine lips tend to be wider, thinner and flatter. Upper and lower lips are similar in size, and the pout is not emphasised.
A lip augmentation using HA Filler for fuller, more defined lips can help to feminise the face drastically; it can also be used to masculinise the appearance of the lips.
With a combination of appearance medicine techniques, the results can be truly extraordinary in feminising or masculinising facial features. We have a special place in our hearts for people that are transitioning and find it a real honour to be a part of their journey!