Gender dysphoria can manifest in quite a few ways. Mirrors feel like the enemy, and well-fitted clothes are a minefield. It can catch you off guard in so many ways and with the simplest of requirements—seat belts for instance. Longwood Plastic Surgery doesn’t want you to continue being blindsided by constant reminders of your body’s misalignment, so we offer several transgender procedures to help, including top surgery.
What is Gender Dysphoria?
If your gender identity doesn’t match the gender you were assigned at birth, you could experience distress. Gender dysphoria manifests in many ways and has a multitude of triggers. It can lead to:
- Strong identification with the typical feelings and behaviors of a gender you weren’t assigned at birth, and despair that others don’t see it
- Preoccupation with your primary and secondary sex characteristics and how they don’t fit
- Preoccupation with the primary and secondary sex characteristics of other genders and an emotional need to have them
- A strong dislike of your physical form to the point of emotional suffering
- A need to be socially, professionally, and emotionally treated as the gender matching your identity rather than your body and upset when it fails
Difficulties with these struggles can lead to a host of concerns, such as refusal to engage in events, go to places, or do things that magnify the patient’s triggers—formal gatherings with a specific dress code, gender assigned locker rooms or bathrooms, and clothing shopping. Dysphoria can impair relationships, cause depression and suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, self-harm, substance abuse, and more. None of these should simply be suffered through.
How Does Top Surgery Work?
We offer both FtM (Female to Male) and MtF (Male to Female) top surgery options for our transgender patients to help alleviate gender dysphoria and realign your physical appearance. For FtM patients, top surgery is removal of the breast tissue and sculpting the remaining tissues to a more masculine profile. This can involve nipple relocation and areola reduction. For MtF patients, top surgery can be performed after a year on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This allows your body to grow natural breast tissue and expand the skin of your breasts. When the time is right, breast implants are typically placed to give you the beautiful, feminine chest shaping true to your real identity.
Am I a Good Candidate?
If you experience a preoccupation with the gender characteristics of your body that don’t match your gender identity, you may be a candidate. If your discomfort affects your day-to-day life and your mental and emotional health, top surgery may reduce or entirely alleviate those feelings. Longwood Plastic Surgery can help beginning with a thorough and compassionate consultation.
How Does Top Surgery Alleviate Gender Dysphoria?
For trans women, seeing a femininely curved chest after top surgery, wearing a bra and buying women’s clothes can drastically reduce dysphoria. There’s no longer something missing from your chest. Trans men experience similar relief with men’s clothing, no more glaringly visible reminder of their identity mismatch, and even comfort going shirtless on a beach or while doing yard work. Something as common as buckling a seatbelt will no longer “feel wrong” after top surgery. Perhaps most importantly, you may notice others perceiving you as the correct gender much more easily, using correct pronouns, and having behavior expectations that match your personality and identity far better.
Top surgery can help you feel like the real you, without having to convince others, without having to explain, and without having to hide or use prosthetics for mismatched body parts. Longwood Plastic Surgery is here to make your alignment goals a reality. Say goodbye to dysphoria with LPS.
Take the Next Step
Interested in learning about top surgery? Schedule your consultation with Longwood Plastic Surgery today by calling our Brookline office at (617) 383-6250. We serve the Brookline and Greater Boston area with distinction.