Hi gals,
I know I haven't been too active recently. I've been occupied with starting back at school, but I'm always lurking! Today, Alexandra sent back my VFFS results, and while I'm not devastated, I just don't know what I think. Your thoughts are welcome!
The pics (10mb zip to prevent Google from indexing them):
http://www.thecitizen.nu/ffs.zipAnd the assessment:
QuoteHello Emma.
Please remember that these virtuals are not and could not be 100% accurate but I hope they will give you a good idea of the possibilities and take you a long way towards planning how best to proceed.
Also remember that just like a surgeon, I am fallible and although I take quite an obsessive amount of care over virtuals, I will inevitably make a mistake every so often.
Working from photographs is not the same as seeing the person in real life. Camera lenses can affect the facial proportions to some extent and the lighting in a photograph can also affect how a face looks. So, a face or feature that looks masculine in a photo might not look quite as masculine in real life or might not be quite as important if the person has a very feminine presence about them.
Facial surgery is not an exact science and while I can control the changes I make in Photoshop completely, a surgeon may not be able to control things with quite so much precision in real life.
The eye takes a little while to tune-in to facial changes so you may be disappointed at first glance. It is best to spend a few days getting used to the pictures before you make any decisions.
I do not know if your disability will affect the surgical options but for the purposes of these pictures I have assumed that it won't.
Hairline:
The height of your hairline in the middle is fine and I recommend that you do not bring it forwards. It does look a little thin towards the front. If the hair has thinned due to male pattern baldness then you might see some improvement from hormones and/or by using a drug called finasteride (usually sold as "Propecia"). If the thinness is not to do with male pattern baldness or if it does not improve on hormones or finasteride, you could thicken it with transplants. I have simulated thickening for you in all the pictures. You have some recession in the corners of your hairline giving it the masculine "M" shape. I have filled in the corners in all the pictures to give it a more rounded and feminine shape and this can be achieved with a scalp advance or hair transplants. If you have forehead surgery then some surgeons might recommend that you fix these hairline problems with a scalp advance as both procedures can use the same incision. However, hair transplants are a better option in my opinion as they are less invasive, the end result looks very natural and you avoid the scar along the hairline of a scalp advance. It would probably take 2 sessions of "micro follicular grafts" and the first session would be done a few months after any forehead work.
Forehead:
You have moderate brow bossing both in the centre above your nose and above your eyes. I have removed this to bring your forehead into normal female ranges in all the pictures.
Eyebrows:
Your eyebrows sit in a slightly higher than medium position and I do not think you need a brow lift. They are likely to lift a little with forehead surgery and I have simulated that but you do not need an additional lift. They are also very thick so I have plucked them, mostly along the underside to give them a thinner and more feminine shape in all the pictures.
Eyes:
I don't see any notable problems with your eyes or the soft tissues around them. You have very large eyes in proportion to your face - this is very feminine and a great asset. On top of that your eyes are exceptionally pretty as I mentioned before.
Nose:
Your nose has a feminine profile but with quite a pointed tip. From the front it is quite wide across the bridge. I have rounded he tip and narrowed your nose in all the pictures. This includes bringing the nostrils in a little closer together.
Cheeks:
I don't see any notable problems with your cheekbones that would require implants but the apple of your cheeks is quite hollow. Hormones will make the apple fuller and rounder and I have simulated this for you in the third and fourth versions of the pictures (c) and (d). It is impossible to predict exactly how the hormones will affect you (everyone's different) but I've given you an idea of the kind of change you can expect.
Lips:
Your lips are full and feminine. The distance between your top lip and the base of your nose is relatively long. I have given you a lip lift to correct this in all the pictures. This procedure is both feminising and rejuvenating but it does leave a small scar at the base of the nose.
Chin:
Your chin is a little tall and square. I have narrowed and rounded it and reduced the height in (b), (c) and (d) to bring it into normal female ranges.
Jaw:
Your jaw is within normal female ranges - I do not recommend any adjustments.
Adam's apple:
You have a visible adam's apple and I have simulated a tracheal shave to reduce it for you in all the pictures. You might not be able to hide it completely but you can expect a big improvement.
Hormones:
I have simulated hormonal effects for you in (c) and (d) - mainly filling the cheeks but they add layer of fat that rounds off your features and they make the skin texture itself softer and more feminine. These changes can be very powerful, especially when combined with beard removal. It is difficult for me to simulate skin softening however, clearing your skin of spots has had quite a similar effect so take that as a possible hint at the changes in skin texture from hormones. Obviously I don't know the exact cause of your skin problems so I can't say if it is clearable in real life.
Other points:
I have reduced your beard shadow for you in all the pictures.
Make over:
In the forth version of your pictures (d) I have added hair and make-up. Please bear in mind that I have a very limited supply of hairstyles on my computer and it is very difficult making them blend in with photographs realistically. However, I have done my best and I hpe they will help to give you a clearer idea of the possibilities.
Overall:
Despite the distortion to your body, your face is quite well balanced and in addition to excellent lips you have those exceptional eyes. There are obviously a lot of questions about whether you will be allowed hormones or whether an FFS surgeon will consider your case too risky or difficult but obviously I don't know if your physical state is delicate or robust. Do speak to a lot of surgeons though - it's always good to have lots of opinions. If you would like a recommendation, let me know.
I was wondering if your disability might actually help with your passing in some ways. The thing is that often, when people look at a TS woman, they sense that something is "not quite right". They then start to scrutinise you closely for clues. My theory is that with your disability, they have an immediate explanation of why you look different and they don't then automatically start looking for other clues. It is similar in a way to something I experience from being a short-haired tomboy - if people look at me and I seem a little boyish, I think they notice my hair and clothes and think that I look boyish because I have a boyish style rather than because I am TS if you get what I mean. So, ironically, I think I would probably be less passable in a pink dress. I could be completely wrong about that but I thought it was worth saying.
A good way to view your pictures is to lay the before and after shots side by side and keep looking from one to the other or placing one print on top of the other and quickly flicking between them. However, if you have a way to overlay them on your computer and click between them, that is ideal. For example: if you have "Photoshop" or "Photoshop Elements" you can load up a before and after picture at the same time and then by holding down "Ctrl" and pressing "F6" you can flick between the two. This often works for other photo software too. Alternatively, if you have "Word" or "Open Office Writer" you can open a new document, click on "insert", choose "picture from file" browse to your before shot and insert it. Without making any adjustments open another new document and do the same thing again but this time with the after shot. You should have 2 tabs at the bottom of the screen – one for each document. If you click on one and then the other you should see the picture change from before to after.
The pictures are yours so feel free to share them and the assessment with any support groups you are member of if you want some second opinions. Do take prints to your consultations with surgeons or email them in advance - most surgeons welcome them.
Please email me to confirm that the pictures have arrived. If you have any questions about your pictures and your assessment please feel free to email me.
You can find out more about facial gender and FFS by reading through my website.
The changes described in this assessment and illustrated in the pictures represent my opinion as an artist. You and/or your surgeon/s may disagree with my opinions. I cannot guarantee that my opinion is good or that the pictures are accurate so if you act according to my opinion, you do so at your own risk.
Thank you very much for entrusting me with your virtual FFS - I very much hope the pictures are helpful.
Good luck and best wishes,
Alexandra.
http://www.virtualffs.co.uk
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