Second thoughts of jaw and chin contouring.

[Snazzypants]

Part of me feels like this surgery will be worth it. The Dr. quoted me $12,000 for the surgery. Some of the procedures he stated really intimidated me. Jaw and neck lift?! I am still in my 20's! And the scars..

I know I need the surgery. Is added confidence worth $12,000? I am also worried about the swelling. I would have to be at work by day 10..

I just don't know what to do.

[spooky]

I think it's best to take these things slowly, so if you're having other procedures done, maybe skip the jaw for now.  See how the rest turns out, reevaluate, and maybe have it done later.

It may cost more in the long run yes, but it also may save you $12,000.

Personally, my doctor recommended brow bossing (along with jaw work and a trachea shave), which I opted not to do both because of the cost and because that area didn't really bother me.  That has turned out to be the right decision for me.

[AngieFerg]

I had my jaw tapered but it really didn't work very well. I was very disappointed in the lack of results and I went to a very experienced surgeon. If I could do things over again I would take it a little slower and shop around more and know exactly what each surgeon planned do do in the procedure. For example. Are you going to take a little piece of bone off the upper part of the jaw or shave all the way down the jaw. All of the FFS procedures, which were done by the pioneer of FFS himself, were very disappointing. Virtually no forehead reduction and virtually no reduction in my jaw.  As far as scars go the incisions were done inside m mouth so there are scars somewhere in there but they are not visible. If you have chin work done they might go in underneath the chin. By the time I was 24 back in 1994 and had started HRT these horrible changes to my appearance had taken place and all I have ever wanted since then was to undo what the testosterone did to my face and body. It 's a really sad situation to find yourself in. I was desperate to have FFS when I found out about it in 2007 and I had it done in 2008. Understand that it is hard but not impossible to redo these surgeries and you really don't want to have to redo them or feel the need to hopefully. I was so disappointed with the lack of reduction I considered it then decided no. Shop around and maybe consider meeting some of the actual people who have had this done and who are happy with the surgery rather than just look at pictures. Good luck.

[Julia-Madrid]

Hi Snazzypants (what a funny name!)

It's actually good to be questioning what you're doing, since it is such a major surgery.  I doubt you'd have any visible scars, but the recovery could be quite slow.

I think that the amount you pay should be seen in two contexts:  one, as you note, is added confidence.  The other is an investment in your future.  If FFS allows you to dispel or neutralise doubts about your gender, I believe it may strongly influence your current and future career success, especially since you are young and probably not embedded in a company, which means that you're likely to jump around a bit.

It's possible to be back at work after 10 days, although I think you may be quite swolen still, and with some bruising.  You should check with your doctor whether patients are comfortable enough to be able to speak and eat easily.  I don't want to scare you, but after my chin work I could scarcely open my mouth for around a week.

Am I happy with the result?  Absolutely!

Good luck
Julia