Facial feminization surgery / Recovery
Recovery After Facial Feminization Surgery
Swelling is normal and expected, and it settles over months rather than weeks. This page is Dr. Steven Ovadia's guide to what happens after facial feminization surgery: the swelling, the compression garment, numbness, sutures and staples, the timeline, and how surgery is staged.
Overview
What recovery is like
Facial feminization surgery is surgery on the bone and soft tissue of the face, and the face responds by swelling. Most of what patients notice in the first weeks is that swelling, and most of recovery is waiting for it to settle while the bone heals underneath.
The guidance below is general. Your own instructions, from Dr. Ovadia and his team, take priority, and they will be tailored to the procedures you had.
Swelling
Swelling is normal and expected
Every patient swells after facial feminization surgery. As a general guide, about half of the swelling settles by 6 weeks and the rest by 6 months, though swelling in the nose can take up to a year. Everyone is different, and these numbers are only a rough guide.
Normal swelling comes on slowly. A rapid increase in swelling is something to watch for, and it should be brought to your physician's attention right away.
Day to day
What to do, and what to expect
Wear your facial compression garment
A facial compression garment is an important part of recovery. It helps control swelling and supports the tissues while they heal. Dr. Ovadia's team will go over how and when to wear it.
Sleep with your head elevated
Keeping the head of the bed elevated is important. It helps limit swelling, especially in the first part of recovery.
Temporary numbness is common
Temporary numbness is common after surgery. It comes from nerves being stretched during the operation, and it improves over time. Permanent numbness is very uncommon. Where you feel it depends on which procedures you had: the forehead and scalp after forehead work, the lower lip and chin after jaw and chin work.
Sutures and staples come out in the office
We typically use some sutures that come out after 5 to 7 days, and some staples that come out after 7 to 14 days.
Incisions inside the mouth
If jaw or chin contouring was part of your surgery, a soft diet and gentle rinsing after meals are part of the first weeks. Dr. Ovadia's team goes over exactly what to eat and how to keep the mouth clean.
Follow-up visits
You will be seen in the office for suture and staple removal and then at intervals as the swelling settles. Phone and video visits are available for patients who live farther away.
Timeline
The first year, in outline
Swelling times shown above are a general guide. Individual times may vary.
Staging
One stage, or more than one
Facial feminization surgery is not always done in one stage. One stage is common, but more than one is not rare. Lip lift and facelift are typically done in separate stages, and some patients choose to split the surgery itself. Each stage has its own recovery, which is part of how the timing is planned.
Lip lift
Typically 3 months after rhinoplasty
When your plan includes rhinoplasty, the lip lift is typically a separate stage, done after the nose has had 3 months to heal.
Facelift
Typically 4 to 6 months after FFS
If a facelift is needed, it is typically a separate stage, done 4 to 6 months after facial feminization surgery.
Upper face, then lower face
Two stages by choice
Some patients choose to have the upper face done first and the lower face done later. Dr. Ovadia plans the staging with you.
Your surgeon
Recovery is part of the plan
How the swelling will behave, when the sutures and staples come out, and whether a lip lift or facelift belongs in a later stage are all part of the surgical plan Dr. Ovadia builds with you before surgery, not afterthoughts.
Dr. Ovadia is fellowship-trained in craniofacial surgery and in gender-affirming surgery, is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and sees patients in New York City and in Jersey City and Millburn, New Jersey. The procedures themselves are described on the facial feminization surgery page.
Questions
Common questions about recovery
How long does swelling last after facial feminization surgery?
Swelling is normal and expected after facial feminization surgery. As a general guide, about half of the swelling settles by 6 weeks and the rest by 6 months, though swelling in the nose can take up to a year. Everyone is different, so treat this as a rough guide. Wearing your facial compression garment and sleeping with the head of the bed elevated are both important for keeping swelling under control.
What kind of swelling should I worry about?
Normal swelling comes on slowly. A rapid increase in swelling is something to watch for, and it should be brought to your physician's attention right away.
Is numbness after surgery normal?
Yes. Temporary numbness is common after surgery. It comes from nerves being stretched during the operation, and it improves over time. Permanent numbness is very uncommon.
When do stitches and staples come out?
We typically use some sutures that come out after 5 to 7 days and some staples that come out after 7 to 14 days. Both are removed in the office.
Why do the before-and-after photos say how far out from surgery they are?
Because swelling keeps settling for months. An "after" photo at 6 weeks and one at 6 months can look quite different, so each case on the facial feminization surgery page notes how far along the patient was when the photo was taken.
Is facial feminization surgery done in one operation?
Not always. One stage is common, but more than one stage is not rare. Lip lift and facelift are typically separate stages: a lip lift is typically done 3 months after rhinoplasty, and a facelift, if needed, 4 to 6 months after facial feminization surgery. Some patients also choose to have the upper face done first and the lower face later.
Can I be followed up without coming to the office?
Suture and staple removal are done in the office. For visits after that, phone and video follow-up are available, in addition to in-person visits in New York City, Jersey City, and Millburn, New Jersey.
Next step
Start with a consultation
At your consultation, Dr. Ovadia goes over your surgical plan and what recovery from it would look like, including how it would be staged.
225 Broadway, Suite 3100, New York, NY
377 Jersey Ave, Suite 440, Jersey City, NJ · 90 Millburn Ave, Suite 206, Millburn, NJ
Phone and video consultations available · info@ovadiaps.com