How Forehead Reduction Surgery Can Offer a More Feminine Look

For patients seeking to soften their facial features, forehead reduction surgery, also known as brow bone reduction surgery, can be performed with or without hairline advancement or a brow lift procedure to offer a potential solution.  

Sean Herman, MD, FACS, a surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Center, explains, "With this combination of procedures, the hairline and brow area are recontoured and repositioned to create a more delicate and feminine contour of the upper face.” 

Ultimately, by addressing the upper third of the face, surgeons aim to harmonize facial features, enhance feminine qualities, and improve a patient's confidence and self-perception of femininity.

Differences in Masculine and Feminine Foreheads

While this may often go unnoticed, masculine and feminine foreheads have specific structural and cosmetic differences that can lend to a more masculine or feminine appearance.

Cosmetic Differences

• Size/Height: Feminine foreheads tend to be shorter with a lower, softer hairline and less vertically prominent. Masculine foreheads are typically taller, with more vertical height and a higher hairline.
• Contour: A feminine forehead often has a smoother, more gently curved contour, whereas masculine foreheads can appear flatter or more square with the bossing of the brow bone.
• Brow Position: In women, the hair-bearing brow tends to sit slightly higher above the brow bone, creating a softer, more arched look as it extends laterally. Men often have lower-set brows that appear straighter or more horizontally oriented.

Structural Differences

• Brow Bossing: This refers to a prominent brow ridge or protruding brow bone, which is more common and pronounced in masculine foreheads due to increased bony thickness or prominence of underlying structures.
• Frontal Sinus: The frontal sinus (air cavity) tends to be larger in men, creating more brow protrusion.
• Bone Thickness: The frontal bone that makes up the forehead is generally thicker and more robust in males than females.
• Lateral orbital bones: The upper lateral portion of the eye socket may be slightly wider and softer when examining feminine anatomy versus a lower-set, more angled appearance in men. 

Essentially, feminine foreheads are typically shorter vertically, with a smoother curved contour, higher arched brows, less brow bossing, and a lower anterior hairline position. Masculine foreheads exhibit the opposite—increased height, square shape, more prominent brow ridges/bones, and higher, more angulated hairlines.

Feminine Appearance Surgery: Schedule an Appointment Today

“If the area above your eyebrows feels too prominent or masculine, forehead reduction and other facial feminization surgeries can help soften that to achieve a more feminine look,” Dr. Herman assures.

To learn more about our gender-affirming procedures, please visit our website or call our office at (844) 920-0212 today. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Herman, click here.